Sightings

Main sighting: Ruff

1 ruff among 100 redshank on the gout; also heron, little egret; few hundred BHGs and 200 mallards on the estuary (very high tide), few juv shellduck, and then flock of 100 ringed plover + 50 dunlin; few linnets around; 2 painted lady butterflies

Main sighting: Marsh Harrier

Hightide visit 09:45 Two juvenile Marsh Harrier were quartering the fields at the back of the Golf Club House. Mallard 250 Oystercatcher 42 Ringed Plover 40 Ruff 1 Redshank 167 Dunlin 6 Black-tailed Godwit 7 Knot 2 Common Sandpiper 1 Common Gull 2 Black-headed Gull lots Swallow 20 Sand Martin 3 Jay 1

Main sighting: Rose Ringed Parakeet

The Parakeet flew into the Church grounds from a tree next to the the Church hall. Seen several times lately.

Main sighting: Citrine / migration

0545 – 1000 visit, 50 species, highlights male wheatear on the roof of hide 2. Snipe platform again proved the best spot with 18 little egrets being a good count, 3 sedge warblers, 29 teal, pair of wigeon, 2 herons, 17 black-tailed godwits, 7 redshank, cettis calling, 1 ruff, 2 curlew, pheasant, green woodpecker calling, 31 gadwall, only 1 mute swan, pair little grebes, buzzard, 3 snipe, 3 reed warblers, juv water rail, pair of kestrels (one juv bird), 5 yellow wagtails, the citrine showed at 0600 on the mud to the top left of the long line of reeds, 8 shoveler, green sandpiper over and calling, and around 0950 a single avocet came in to the lagoon. Seawall – good movement of sand martins (well over 300) and later in the morning a steady passage of swallows and house martins, 424 shelduck was a good pre-autumn count, 32 oystercatchers and linnets. Hide three – 42 ringed plover on the mud with 62 dunlin mixed in, juv whinchat and 2 pairs of stonechats and several meadow pipits along the fence line. Long hedge line – 2 chiffchaffs and a single willow warbler. Other: gatekeepers, southern hawkers, large white butterfly.

Main sighting: Little Egret

A Little Egret is the first seen on the river in Bedwas. A roving flock consisted of Blue Tit 10 Great Tit 2 Cole Tit 1 Long-tailed Tit 6 and Goldcrest 2. Others Goldfinch 16 Grey Wagtail 6 Blackcap 1 Robin 1 and Kingfisher 1 Mallard 12. Saturday 27th Kingfisher 3 Mallard 15.

Main sighting: Yellow Wagtail

An evening visit at hightide. A flock of 50+ Yellow Wagtails came in to gather on the East end of Priors probably roosting in the reeds. Viewing was difficult due to the strong sun. Kestrel 2 Sparrowhawk 1 Little Ringed Plover 3 Ruff 1 Lapwing 30 Black-tailed Godwit 10 a mixed flock of 200 Dunlin and Ringed Plover on Becs. Little Egret 10 roosting in trees near farm Black-headed Gull 300 insecting over seawall and Priors Teal Mallard Gadwall. Also Migrant Hawker 4

Main sighting: House martins

80 house martins, 10 swallows, a grey wagtail, 2 goldfinches, 2 mute swans with 7 cygnets

Main sighting: Citrine wagtail

After a 2 hour wait in the rain, the citrine wagtail appeared from the reeds to the right of snipe platform. Also, two yellow wagtail (and a couple of pieds), single ruff, two snipe, two very vocal green sandpiper, adult and juvenile kestrel.

Main sighting: Citrine

Bird showed exceptionally well this morning at one stage alongside a Pied Wagtail. It is noticeably smaller and slimmer than Pied when next to one. Ruff showing very well there too with Marsh Harrier, 3 Little Ringed Plover and at least 3 Whinchat elsewhere around the lagoons

Main sighting: Reeves pheasant

Male Reeves pheasant,Just over the county boundary, on the Gloucestershire Way at SO567997.

Main sighting: Citrine Wagtail

For those interested in trying to see the wagtail it showed well a few times this morning/early afternoon. It feeds mostly at the base of the vegetation around the edge of the lagoon and can be in amongst the vegetation and out of sight for long periods. Every so often it wanders into view. It can show well out in the open on the mud. It is most usually seen to the right of the Snipe viewing platform. It does get right in front of that platform and has been seen from Marsh Platform looking back to Snipe. It is worth the effort and a nice variety of other species were on view on Priors Lagoon as well.

Main sighting: Whinchat

4 Whinchat with 6 Stonechat 1st hide. Yellow Wagtail 1 Pied Wagtail 3 White Wagtail 1 (Citrine Wagtail also seen today, but not by us) Ruff 1 Snipe 1 Great White Egret 1 Little Egret 6 Grey Heron 2 Green Woodpecker 1 Chiffchaff 8 Great Tit Blue Tit Long-tailed Tit Swallow House Martin Kestrel 2 Sparrowhawk 1. On the foreshore Shelduck 60 Curlew 10 Oystercatcher 8 Black-headed Gull 150 and lots of Gadwall on Priors.