Sightings

Main sighting: Goosander

1 male and 2 female Goosander at 9.30. Not there at 17.15. Also Little Grebe

Main sighting: Long-tailed Duck / Weekly round-up

En-route to hide 1 – wren, chaffinch, collard dove, crows, gt tits, robin, blue tit, gt spotted woodpecker, herring gulls, magpies, song thrush, blackbirds, redwings, fieldfares, woodpigeon, starlings, pheasant and cettis warbler. Hide one – Canada geese, mallards, 41 teal, 119 wigeon, 2 gadwall, 1 cormorant, skylark singing, 18 shoveler, single ringed plover (on the island) and 1 heron. En-route to hide 2 – long tailed tit (1), female goldcrest and moorhens. Hide two – coot, greylags, stonechat pair. Flooded field opposite snipe platform – 15 pied wagtails. Snipe platform – 6 more gadwall, lt grebe, 4 male and 3 fem tufteds and a water rail calling. Seawall – high tide so not much exposed mud, 7 oystercatchers, 25 curlew and ls black-backed gulls only. Hide three – 69 more wigeon, 22 more shoveler, 51 more teal, 2 lt egrets, 2nd-year male marsh harrier, 2 lapwing only and the long-tailed duck diving and showing well.

Main sighting: Grey Heron

From the hide i counted nine occupied Grey Heron nests.Also near to the hide were 2-Chiffchaffs.

Main sighting: Curlew

Two more early arrivals seen today!

Main sighting: Curlew

The first inland Curlews of the year were reported today – singles at both locations. This is an early date for Gwent birds. Please keep your eyes peeled and ears pricked and send all reports to curlew@gwentbirds.org.uk so that we can follow up on your sightings.

Main sighting: Frogs

100 plus breeding frogs pen y fan pond oakdale

Main sighting: Sparrow Hawk

Walk around Crumlands wood. 6 Skylarks,5 song thrush,8 jackdaws,In my field 1 sparrowhawk,3 red kites,2 buzzard,2 siskins,numerous goldfinch,chaffinch and greenfinch

Main sighting: Skylark

Skylark singing and displaying above meadow by surgery in Trellech – perhaps Spring is here!

Main sighting: Pochard

En-route to hides – collard doves, woodpigeons, blackbirds, chaffinch, wren, herring gulls, magpies, starlings, great tit, jackdaws, crows, goldcrest, robin, song thrushes and male sparrowhawk overhead. Hide one – 2 little egrets, 2 cormorants, mallards, shelduck, Canada geese (some now paired up and showing territorial signs), 93 teal, 110 wigeon, 20 shoveler, 2 gadwall only, coot, cettis calling and meadow pipits. En-route to hide 2 – greenfinches, skylarks, pied wagtail, low numbers of redwings and fieldfares. Hide two – 10 lapwing only, fem marsh harrier and lesser black-backed gulls. Snipe platform – moorhens, 2 mute swans, pair of common pochard and tufted ducks now at 7 males and 5 females. Hide three – 36 more teal, 14 more shelduck, 10 more shoveler and a pair of stonechats. Seawall – 1 great black-backed gull, 36 curlew, 10 oystercatchers, 3 grey plovers, single dunlin, distant male peregrine and sparrows. Back near hide 2 – female kestrel perched up. Back in hide 1 a large flock of 70+ waders briefly showed over the seawall, may have been godwits but not enough time to verify.

Main sighting: Chiffchaff

Pheasant, chiffchaff seen and contact call heard followed by partial sub-song, long tailed tits, wren, starlings, blue tit, herring gulls, skylark, crows, magpies, coot, mallards, pair gadwall, cettis calling, 5 greylags, 1 shelduck, 2 shoveler, fem marsh harrier, 5 teal and 2 curlew.

Main sighting: Barn Owl

Flying beside the A40

Main sighting: Pintail

Early this morning at high tide I saw the following – Flock of 12 Pintail Flying towards Sudbrook, Kestrel ( female), Shelduck x 20, numerous Stonechats, 6 x Reed Bunting, Dunnock, Blackbird,Magpie, Carrion Crow, Woodpigeon, Wren, Chaffinch, Goldfinch, Robin, Herring Gull, Lesser Black Backed Gull and Grey Heron.