Sightings

Main sighting: Osprey

Osprey in tree on left after crossing river bridge heading twards Aber. 7.00pm.

Main sighting: Sand Martin

50-60 Sand Martins, at least feeding over the lagoons and gathering in the reeds to rest in priors lagoon.Also a few Swallows too.Spotted Redshank was seen from the first hide on the waters edge looking to the right.1-GWE showing well on first lagoon.10h15-11h15.

Main sighting: Dipper

Dipper seen on this, now fast flowing brook.

Chiffchaffs singing, Bulfinch,

Main sighting: Cuckoo

First sighting this year of a cuckoo on the Tumble this evening.

Main sighting: Osprey

Highlight of a 5 hour walk, an Osprey at The Bryn which put on a display of diving (but didn’t seem to catch anything) then flew off NW up the Usk valley and eventually lost to view, also 1 Green Sand, 3 Common Sand, 1 Oystercatcher, some kind of plover, plus 1 Redwing, 2 Fieldfare, a handful of Willow Warblers, a singing Reed Bunting, 6 Mandarin, a pair of Tufted Duck on one of the pools, c.4 Kingfisher. 62 species in total.

Main sighting: Great white egret

Dawn visit – en-route to hides: robins, wrens, pheasants, 2 blackcaps, 2 chiffchaffs, great tit, starling and buzzard. Hide 1: Canada geese, 17 avocet, 12 shelduck, blackbirds, woodpigeons, skylarks, 5 lapwing, coot. 86 black-tailed godwits – female peregrine came in and the flock flew off, 1 singled out and almost caught, only 1 remained and relocated to lagoon three, 7 redshanks, 2 spotted redshanks joined by a 3rd and almost in black plumage, 1 ruff, 7 gadwall, 12 shoveler, 2 cettis, lesser black-backed gulls, 4 cormorants and 5 swallows. Hide two – pied wagtails, 1 white wagtail, linnet pair, 10 teal, magpies, moorhen, kestrel, mallards, gt black-backed gull, 4 oystercatchers, black headed gull, 1 more swallow and greylags. Snipe platform – male stonechat, 2 herons, great white egret flew across to hide 3 then swifly flew off going past the power station, 1 lt egret, 6 more swallows with 2 sand martins mixed in, 8 mute swans and reed buntings. Seawall – unusual high count of 56 crows together, 8 curlew, 17 more avocet, siskin overhead, dark-bellied brent goose that joined the others on the saltings, and brief views of a harbour porpoise. Hide three – 13 more redshank and a willow warbler singing.

Main sighting: Great White Egret

2-GWEs together over the reeds and into the reeds.26-Avocets on and around the first island.11h00-13h00.Also i have reconnected the gate release handle.

Main sighting: Reed Warbler

1 Reed Warbler, 2 Sedge Warblers,my firsts for this year, singing at times near the Lighthouse. Also a few Swallows flying west.

Main sighting: Sand Martins

Good numbers of sand and house martins flying low over the Usk this afternoon.
On the Blorange spring arrivals are also increasing by the day despite the weather with good numbers of wheatears and stone chat.

Main sighting: Red Kite

1 red Kite over south end of Tintern village and over woodland south of Tintern on Gwent side of Wye 11.45

Main sighting: Swallow

First swallow over the buildings at Taurus crafts, also reported from Usk over the town.

Main sighting: Serins

M and F serin seen above Grwyne Fawr river at SO282242, (track south of Cadwgan CP) both birds then flew west over the river into Powys.