Sightings

Main sighting: Great White Egret

Fairly quiet overhead migration session of1 1/2 hours was enlivened on the way back to the car when two Great White Egrets flapped their way slowly west into the wind. Not a species I expected to see low down over the telephone mast. The only other notable species were 208 Stock Dove flying in a westerly direction and a Swallow heading SE

Main sighting: Ring Ouzel

Two female Ouzels feeding on Rowan berries at the top of the quarry rock face. Also foraged on the grass where they were joined by a Green Woodpecker. Two Redwings over.

Main sighting: Kestrel

Male kestrel, female sparrowhawk, 5 ravens, 2 buzzards, greenfinch, jay, 5 longtailed tits, green woodpecker, grey heron

Main sighting: Redwing

Still thin on the ground, but 2 redwings feeding on holly berries in a friend’s garden.

Main sighting: Little Egret

A Little Egret was fishing under the new Monnow road bridge again at 0930 this morning, and another (?) was feeding on the Wye at Hadnock at 1530, (also 4 female Goosander there).

Main sighting: Mallard Ducks

Usual M/F mallards but 2M with brown sides and white bib in front. definitely mallards. Hybrid?

Main sighting: Goshawk

A short afternoon walk: Goshawk Sparrowhawk Buzzard Green Woodpecker Mistle Thrush a flock of 20 plus 3 others Stock Dove 5 Chaffinch 6 Cole Tit 1 Blue Tit 2 Jay 1

Main sighting: Goosanders

Not quite Gwent, but 5 Goosanders and 6 little egret, 1 grey wagtail on the Taff at llandaff

Main sighting: Dead Gannet

Avian flu victim?? Bird unblemished.

Main sighting: Little Egret

At 12.00 today a single Little Egret was fishing in the Monnow below the new road bridge in Monmouth. Seen from the old bridge.

Main sighting: Redwings

Group of 14 redwings flying around.

Main sighting: Spoonbill

Morning visit – robin, crows, blackbirds, wren, cettis, herring gulls, 48 mallards and moorhens. Snipe platform – spoonbill feeding and showing well, did take off at 0930 over the Point but cane back in about 10 minutes later, 11 lt egrets, 367 black-tailed godwits and 6 knot mixed in, teal, 5 snipe, shoveler, 15 redshanks, kingfisher going past, 2 kestrels, linnets, 77 meadow pipits, 2 herons, water rail squealing, grey phalarope showing well, 62 lapwing, 2 cygnets, starlings, jackdaws, 1st year great black-backed gull, magpies, 2 chiffchaffs and chaffinch. Marsh platform – 62 dunlin, pied wagtails, 7 skylarks, woodpigeons, 2 cormorants and a female stonechat. Seawall – oystercather, 52 curlew adult gt black-backed gull and 2 swallows. Male pheasant, blue tits and gt spotted woodpecker.