Sightings

Main sighting: Marsh harrier

This afternoon between about 14:00 and 15:30 female marsh harrier hunting over saltmarsh between second Severn bridge and rogiet sea wall

Main sighting: Lapwing

Walk along the Usk from Llanfoist to Llanwenarth had 3 Lapwing , 4 Teal (1m 3f) , 2 Kingfisher , a Dipper , 3 Little Egret , a Sparrowhawk , a Treecreeper , a Nuthatch , a pair of Stonechat and 3 Otters . Also on Wednesday a single snipe in the field near the church and the Little Owl is back in the barn .

Main sighting: Water Rail

Parc Nant-y-Waun: Water Rail foraging around the Mustard Pond. A very occasional visitor locally and our first record in the Parc. Elsewhere, a group of five Lesser Redpolls and a Stonechat. Woodpigeon and Collared Dove calling despite dismal weather.
Waun Pond: many Herring Gulls on ice or bathing along with a few LBB and BHs. Nothing unusual, yet…

Main sighting: Barn Owl

Barn Owl fly over Goytre A4042

Main sighting: Spoonbill

Spoonbill flying over reserve (didn’t see it wading) from Snipe screen 11am;
Around 48 species across Goldcliff and Nash including spotted redshank, ? 1000 dunlin; snipe; linnet, blackcap (M), greenfinch 3; GS woodpecker 3 – but still dipped the dartford and the black redstarts!

Main sighting: Common gulls

180 common gulls

Main sighting: Green woodpecker

Today on a walk with my dogs in Gaer Fort, Newport, I spotted a large bright green bird with a red cap. I was un sure what it was at first and thought it could be a ring necked parakeet now common in the UK. However it was too large and was solitary. It flew off from the ground as I got closer, into a tree. When it flew it would repeat a couple flaps of the wings and then dip with its wings tucked in. After some research at home I found out it was a green woodpecker, which my mum said are now less common here.

Main sighting: Swallow

This am: Swallow X 3 from sea wall also black redstart.

Main sighting: Dartford Warbler

Mid-morning visit – Collard dove, chaffinch, redwings, woodpigeons, buzzard (light-phase bird), pheasant, crows, moorhens, starlings, goldfinches, fieldfares, mute swan, goldcrest, song thrush, dunnock, great tit. Hide 1 – good count of 350 lapwings, 66 wigeon, 6 shelduck, wren, 3 snipe, 6 black-tailed godwits, 14 redshanks (spotted redshank mixed in), female kestrel, 25 teal, 10 shoveler, Canada geese. Hide 2 – herring gulls, black headed gulls, ravens, cormorant, 14 greylag geese, 1 little egret. Seawall – 11 curlew only, oystercatchers and a small flock of dunlin. Hide 3 – the Dartford warbler had been seen earlier from the Marsh platform, no luck for me there, but I located it opposite hide 3 where it was frequenting the reeds and vegetation with a pair of stonechats, female reed bunting, cettis warbler and a robin. Meadow pipits and 3 gadwall also seen.

Main sighting: Brambling

A lovely male Brambling with the Chaffinches this morning. Except for last winter, only a very occasional visitor.

Main sighting: Tufted Duck

There was a young male Tufted Duck diving just below the Monnow Bridge in Monmouth today at 11.00, amongst the usual Mallards

Main sighting: Redwing

The GOS walk at Llandegfedd Reservoir this am led by Gavin Vella identified the following species: Redwing, Mistle Thrush, Blackbird, Goldcrest, Tree Creeper, Nuthatch, Long-tailed Tit, Robin, Wren, Great Tit, Blue Tit, Meadow Pipit, Raven, Carrion Crow, Buzzard, Peregrine Falcon, Wood Pigeon, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Herring Gull, Black Headed Gull, Lesser Black-back, Great Black-backed Gull, Common Gull, Cormorant, Goosander, Mallard, Wigeon,
Teal, Canada Goose, Great Crested Grebe, Pied wagtail, Grey Wagtail, Siskin, Goldfinch,
Bullfinch, Grey Heron.