Sightings

Main sighting: Whimbrel

An evening visit 17:45-19:45 A Whimbrel on the foreshore was our first for the year. Common Sandpiper 1 Black-tailed Godwit 8 Wheatear 1 Whitethroat Lesser Whitethroat Chiffchaff Reed and Cetti’s Warblers Swallow 3

Main sighting: Curlews

Really lucky (and thrilled) to see one of our Curlew pairs mating this morning. Flocks of c.30 Sand Martins at two sites, a few Swallows and House Martins, a single Yellow Wagtail, and a probable Goosander nest tree. Please keep sending any Curlew sightings to Curlew@gwentbirds.org.uk – every record helps.

Main sighting: Red Kite

Circling alone, overhead very casually,.

Main sighting: Sand Martin

Single Sand Martin at territory.

Main sighting: Wood Warbler

Wood Warbler singing on the old railway line (cycle path) between Blaenavon and Cwmavon. Also Redstart, two Blackcaps, two Chiffchaffs and eight Willow Warblers.

Main sighting: Hen Harrier (male)

Whilst driving to Goldcliff lagoons myself and 2 friends observed a male hen harrier slowly heading north across the road just before the Farmers Arms at 9.30am.

On the lagoons we also recorded 2 oystercatchers, a curlew, a few avocet over the sea wall, a little egret, 3 house martins, a sedge warbler, a raven and a male sparrowhawk plus many of the records of Neville Davies and the 2 knot by Allan Dowson.

Main sighting: Ring necked parakeet

On peanut feeder in the garden in the Garden Festival site.

Main sighting: Arctic tern

6 singing chiffchaffs, 1 blackcap, 1 cettis, 1 lesser whitethroat behind lapwing platform singing, 1 reed warbler and 1 common whitethroat. Hide 1 – 2 lt egrets, 49 shelduck, 3 pairs lapwing, 11 ringed plovers, 37 dunlin and a bar-tailed godwit which dropped in briefly. 2 swallows en-route to redshank platform and 72 sand martins in total, in small groups throughout mid-morning to early afternoon, 1 balck-tailed godwit, skylark, male kestrel, linnets, 9 redshank, 3 gadwall, 5 shoveler, 15 teal, 2 herons and drumming gt spotted woodpecker. Snipe platform – 2 pairs tufteds and 11 black headed gulls overhead. Hide 3 – 8 more gadwall and 16 more shelduck, cormorant, reed bunting and green woodpecker. An hour sea watching sat down the other side of the sea wall produced only 1 arctic tern (good numbers reported earlier today from the Severn side).

Main sighting: Little Ringed Plover

3-LRP’s from the first hide,2-Knot on first island and a singing Lesser Whitethroat in the bushes at the first hide.

Main sighting: Spoonbill

One immature spoonbill on the mud this afternoon plus 3 whimbrel. 2 lesser whitethroat singing

Main sighting: Bullfinch

Pair of Bullfinch, linnet.

Main sighting: Red Kite

Red Kite overhead around 13.00.