Sightings

Main sighting: Green Sandpiper

Green Sand in the reen at the back of the reserve late morning but flew onto the main pools. At least three Chiffchaffs around, one singing briefly, Cetti’s calling, Skylark calling but no sign of the Dartford Warbler in strong gusts.

Main sighting: Spoonbill

Spoonbill first seen in the gout / lake, then later on the Peterstone saltmarshes; also buzzard, kestrel; good numbers of regular waders, duck and gulls.

Main sighting: Brent Goose

4 Brent Geese off Goldcliff Pill also Spotted Redshank 1 and good numbers of Lapwing Wigeon Shoveler Teal and Shelduck with Oystercatcher 32 Curlew 40 Chiffchaff 2.

Main sighting: Dipper

1 dipper flew upstream before settling on some large rocks on the stretch of river next to football fields. Also, 1 grey wagtail, long-tailed tits, goldfinches, 2 mallards.

Main sighting: Avocet

At Goldcliff 22-Avocets on tide line,14+Grey Plovers,3-Chiffchaffs together.
At Magor Marsh 8-Grey Herons three of which were at nests.10h30-13h30

Main sighting: Male Goosander

solitary male Goosander, fishing & calling

Main sighting: Female dartford warbler and male teal.

Early afternoon walk to hide 3 ( avocet hide ) and back gave similar species to what Neville Davies saw yesterday, I didn’t do a count so not as accurate as that. I didn’t see marsh harrier ( in the reeds, someone saw them earlier on ). At the redshank platform I observed good numbers of teal and lapwing ( dead swan on island needs taking away maybe avian flu ), also a female dartford warbler on a wooden post to the right chasing insects, I saw it again later in brambles from hide 2. From the seawall 4 curlews and towards hide 3 a kingfisher, 1 greylag goose and a merlin sat on a post.

Main sighting: Brent Goose / Dartford Warbler

En-route to hide 1 – green woodpecker, collard doves, woodpigeons, robin, moorhen, herring gulls, blue tots, blackbirds, long tailed tits, wren, magpies, crows, light-phase buzzard, mistle thrush, male pheasant, 2 fieldfares and 1 little egret. Hide 1 – 7 shelduck, another good count of 612 lapwing, 45 greylags, 23 wigeon, 63 teal, 45 redshanks with a spotted redshank mixed in, 1st-year male marsh and 2 adult females, 15 shoveler and Canada geese. Hide 2 – female Dartford warbler flitting amongst the three large bramble bushes with a pair of stonechats, 2 wrens, 1 cettis and 1 chiffchaff. Also from here 5 gadwall, mallards, curlew, pied wagtail, heron, cormorant, male sparrowhawk and a dark-bellied brent goose that landed and preened for about 10 minutes. En-route back to hide 1 – pair of goldcrests and 4 reed buntings along the hedge line.

Main sighting: Goosanders

Male and female on the pond

Main sighting: 12 siskins

12 Siskins

Main sighting: Marsh Harriers

Visit from dawn until 10.45 am . Lots of activity involving two female type Marsh Harriers primarily on Monks and Priors Lagoons. Regularly quartering the lagoons and harrying the wildlfowl.
A nice flock of Lapwings on Monks 200c . Redshanks 10, Good numbers of Shovelers. Making up the rest of duck species was Wigeon, Teal, Gadwall,Mallard and Shelduck. Greylag and Canada Geese present. Mute Swans x 4 ( and the dead bird on Monks). 2 x Curlew.
Moorhen in the reen. Reed Bunting and Pied Wagtails. usual corvids – Carrion and Magpies.
Woodpidgeon, Pheasant, Blue Tits, Robin and Blackbird. 2 x Black headed gulls and 4 x Herring Gulls. Contact Chiff Chaff call heard behind hide 2.

Main sighting: Raptors

Mid to late afternoon on an outgoing tide. Hides 1 and 2: 2 marsh harrier, female kestrel, lapwing, shelduck, teal, shoveler, gadwall, mallard, Canada and greylag geese, pied wagtail. Four Bewick’s swans flying approximately southwest. Kingfisher in the reen by Hide 1. Fieldfare, starling, robin, wren, goldcrest, woodpigeon, great spotted woodpecker, green woodpecker, pheasants, mute swan, magpie, jackdaw, carrion crow, and herring gull in the adjacent hedges and fields. From the seawall: peregrine on the foreshore, as well as grey heron, black-headed gull, wigeon, mallard, teal, redshank, dunlin, and ~70 curlew.