Sightings

Main sighting: Red Spotted Bluethroat

Greylag Goose; Mute Swan; Egyptian Goose; Shelduck; Garganey; Shoveler; Gadwall; Pochard; Tufted Duck; Pheasant; Swift; Cuckoo; Stock Dove; Woodpigeon; Moorhen; Coot; Little Grebe; Great Crested Grebe; Oystercatcher; Grey Plover; Ringed Plover; Lapwing; Whimbrel; Curlew; Bar Tailed Godwit; Black Tailed Godwit; Woodcock; Redshank; Turnstone; Little Tern; Common Tern; Sandwich Tern; Kittiwake; Black Headed Gull; Mediterranean Gull; Herring Gull; Great Black-Backed Gull; Lesser Black Backed Gull; Razorbill; Guillemot; Fulmar; Manx Shearwater; Gannet; Cormorant; Shag; Bittern (booming); Little Egret; Great White Egret; Grey Heron; Marsh Harrier; Buzzard; Barn Owl; Little Owl; Green Woodpecker; Kestrel; Hobby; Peregrine; Jay; Magpie; Jackdaw; Carrion Crow; Raven; Coal Tit; Blue Tit; Great Tit; Bearded Tit; WOODLARK; Skylark; Sand Martin; Swallow; House Martin; Cetti’s Warbler; Long-tailed Tit; Willow Warbler; Chiffchaff; Reed Warbler; Blackcap; Garden Warbler; Whitethroat; Dartford Warbler; Goldcrest; Wren; Treecreeper; Starling; Song Thrush; Mistle Thrush; Blackbird; Robin; Redstart; Whinchat; Stonechat; Wheatear; House Sparrow; Dunnock; Pied Wagtail; Meadow Pipit; Tree Pipit; Rock Pipit; Chaffinch; Greenfinch; Linnet; Goldfinch; Siskin; Reed Bunting.
(106 species in total) Many thanks to GOS and all contributors to this event.

Main sighting: Greenshanks

Car park – hide: Mallards, song thrushes, pheasants, crows, moorhens, starlings, blackbirds, blackcaps, woodpigeons, several swallows, goldfinches, pied wagtail, robin, graylag geese pair overhead, wren, blue tit, chiffchaffs, whitethroats, siskin and lesser black-backed gull. Hide 1: 2 lesser whitethroats around adjacent brambles, cormorant, skylarks, Canada geese (some with chicks), 15 redshanks, pair little ringed plovers, 18 dunlin, reed bunting, 8 black-tailed godwits. A pair of tufteds and a heron were in the reen en-route to next hide. Hide 2: Herring gulls, 42 avocet, cettis calling, 105 more godwits, 6 gadwall, 4 shoveler, 32 shelduck, 4 lapwing, 3 oystercatchers, spotted redshank pair (male in almost full breeding plumage now) and 3 pairs teal. Snipe platform: Coot, 9 mute swans, 1 little egret, 8 more graylags and pair pochards. Linnet and male stonechat en-route to seawall. Seawall: male wheatear, black headed gulls, 2 whimbrel and meadow pipits. Pair reed warblers singing back by hide 2. Hide 1: jackdaws, sand martin and 4 greenshanks feeding.

Main sighting: Common Crane

Thee Common Cranes flew north at circa 10:25/30. They did not appear to be ringed.
Whitethroat 8 Lesser Whitethroat 1 Cetti’s Reed and Sedge Warblers lots of Blackcaps. Whimbrel 1 Curlew 2 Oystercatcher 41.
Other: Brimstone Small tortoiseshell Holly Blue and lots of Peacock butterflies.
Hairy Hawker 2 was a nice surprise.

Main sighting: Greenland Wheatear

A male Wheatear with a rich orange throat shading into paler orange all down its breast, in contrast to other birds present. Otherwise quiet with a cold NE wind.

Main sighting: Male Kestrel

Male Kestrel on the forest coal pit side of the Sugar Loaf. A cuckoo calling on Bryn Arw.

Main sighting: Sand Martins

2 Sand Martins over Rhymney River. 2 male and 1 female Bullfinch and a Swallow nr Britannia.

Main sighting: Great White Egret

Great White Egret on Coity Pond. On the mountain: Wheatear (8), Stonechat (13), Willow Warbler (3), Raven (5) and Peregrine. Also dozens of Skylark and Meadow Pipit.

Main sighting: Wood Warbler

Wood Warbler trilling and observed in mixed woodland in Trellech Common.

Main sighting: Spotted Redshank

Evening visit, Two Spotted Redshank in breeding plumage.

Main sighting: Out of County - American wigeon

The five long stay drake American wigeon still present downstream of Ogmore castle. From Junction 35 M4 go south 4 miles then left to Ewenny and right to Ogmore, park beyond Pelican Inn.
Also two chough on clifftop walks east of Ogmore by Sea.

Main sighting: Curlew calling

Curlew were calling from across the valley this morning

Main sighting: Swallow

At the entrance by the car park there were 2 moorhens with 3 chicks on a reen. A swallow flying above a field, blue tits, blackcaps, chiffchaff’s, robins and wren’s around the reserve. At the bird hide there were 4 mallards and chicks, heard a cetti’s warbler, little grebe, heron and 9 little egrets in the tree’s. Buzzard and 11 mute swans in another field. There were 3 species of butterfly seen :- orange tip, peacock and speckled wood. 2 stonechats on reed’s and also heard a reed warbler and a sedge warbler also on and in the reed’s.