Sightings

Main sighting: Yellow Wagtail

17:05 -20-10 low tide. Male Yellow wagtail on Monks and a flock of 17 Little Ringed Plover on Becs  Kingfisher and two grey Wagtails in the reen by the bridge. also Common Darter Blue-tailed Damselfly.  ?Essex Skipper 1 Meadow Brown 20

Main sighting: Mediterranean gull

0600-0900, hard going in the wind and heavy showers, but highlights included 2 chiffchaffs, 1 common whitethroat and 1 blackcap generally. Hide two – 108 redshanks, skylark singing, 81 lapwing, 7 black-tailed godwits, linnets, 5 oystercatchers, buzzard overhead, kestrel hunting, 5 dunlin only, 2 swifts, cettis calling, little ringed plover with 2 fully grown chicks, male teal, cormorant, 146 black-headed gulls including 5 juveniles, also juvenile Med gull mixed in, 10 ringed plovers, 5 swallows and a sedge warbler in the small reeds near the fence. Hide three – half a mute swan eggshell outside and feather remains of a lesser black-backed gull, 45 mallards, 1 little egret, 46 shelduck and 6 meadow pipits passing. Seawall – very quiet, 5 curlew only. Marsh platform – non-breeding spotted redshank amongst the mallards, 17 mute swans and a fly-past stock dove. Other: several meadow browns and 1 ringlet.

Main sighting: Swifts

Still plenty of Swifts screaming and accessing nesting sites in Usk.

Main sighting: Dabchick

Dabchick – adult in a strange place yesterday evening

Main sighting: Barn Owl

The owl was on a post near the reen. It moved to the next fence post before diving into the long grass. It emerged with its prey and flew low level towards the nearby farm.

Main sighting: Curlew

If you see or hear Curlews calling in alarm or chasing off Buzzards & crows please email Curlew@gwentbirds.org.uk to report the sighting, giving the location & date. At this time of year these sadly declining birds may well have chicks. We’ve found three sites with miniscule chicks but need to locate all our breeding Curlews – your help could make a huge difference. #gwentbirds

Main sighting: Grey Lag Geese

Pair of grey lag geese with 3 well developed goslings. Where have they bred?

Main sighting: Little Ringed Plover

Low tide 10:00-13-00 Little ringed Plover 4 adults Lapwing 40 Ringed Plover 2 Redshank 40 including one juvenile Dunlin 8 Mallard 60 (some hybrid types) Mute Swan 14 Tufted Duck 2 Swift 8 Sand Martin 20+ Raven 5 Reed warbler 3 Whitethroat 3 Chiffchaff 3 Sparrowhawk 1 Buzzard 1. Not so good for butterflies and dragonflies today very windy. Marbled White 1 Meadow Brown 10 Blue-tailed Damselfly 1.

Main sighting: Mediterranean gull

Afternoon visit, 44 species seen with highlights being (hide 1) – skylark singing, 2 chiffchaffs, 3 swallows, lesser whitethroat calling and a male house sparrow. Redshank platform – 5 oystercatchers, common whitethroat calling, 1 ringed plover, 1 white wagtail and cettis calling. Snipe platform – 15 mute swans, gt spotted woodpecker calling, 2 male tufteds, 45 mallards, 2 grey herons, 3 redshank and 1 male gadwall. Seawall – 25 curlew on the saltings and 27 sand martins flew in from along the wall and were aerial feeding over lagoon 2. Hide 3 – another 32 mallards on the bank with a male tufted and a pair of teal mixed in, 149 black headed gulls (1 juvenile bird) and an adult Med gull mixed in with the flock, single dunlin, 2 shelduck, 74 lapwing, reed warbler singing and 4 little egrets. Other – excellent mix of butterflies including numerous meadow browns and ringlets, 1 small tortoiseshell, large skippers, large and small whites, 1 marbled white, 5 painted ladies, burnet moth, 10 spot ladybird, 2 commas, male broad-bodied chaser, several migrant hawkers and 1 male common darter

Main sighting: Lesser whitethroat

Quiet today but 3 swallows, 1 blackcap, 1 lesser whitethroat, 1 redshank, 1 little egret and skylark seen.

Main sighting: Curlew

Watched one of five Curlews mobbing a Red Kite, scoped 2 Curlew chicks and at another site saw 2 adult Curlews perched on a wall presumably standing guard over chicks – what a day! So, so lucky. Also Whinchat, Wheatear; Skylarks and pipits galore.

Main sighting: shelduck

High tide walk from Magor pill, 250 + shelduck on foreshore, 55 curlew, 22 little egrets, flock of 20 linnets, a few goldfinches, whitethroat, a few swallows near the stables and return to van just as heavy rain started.