Sightings
Chris Stone
not far from Grosmont
Tue 17th Jun 2025
Main sighting: Hobby
Hobby think juvenile – also adult seen hear this week – and Painted lady today
Neville Davies
Goldcliff Lagoons
Sat 14th Jun 2025
Main sighting: Possible purple heron
Early morning, heron over quite high, came in from the sea behind hide 3, circled twice (could not see the headlight markings on the forewings), then it continued towards the direction of Magor Marsh (Newport area). Looked dark overall but some distance away, likely a purple heron but not seen well enough to confirm and no photos. One to look for?
Neville Davies
Goldcliff Lagoons
Sat 14th Jun 2025
Main sighting: Curlew Sandpiper
Quiet today and lagoon 1 completely dry, so most activity from lagoon 3. En-route to hides: woodpigeons, starlings, chiffchaff, wrens, lesser whitethroat, herring gulls, pheasants, goldfinches, lesser black backed gulls, whitethroats, crows, blackbirds and magpies. Hide 1: cettis, Canada geese, skylarks and moorhen. Hide 2: mallards and distant marsh harrier hunting. Snipe platform: little grebes, 2 gadwall, 5 shoveler, reed warbler and reed bunting. En-route to seawall: great tit, blue tits and meadow pipits. Seawall: 38 more mallards, 6 avocet, 1 oystercatcher, male stonechat and 1 great black backed gull. Hide 3: heron, 28 shelduck, 8 black headed gulls, 8 redshanks, 1 little ringed plover, 9 lapwing, greylag geese, pied wagtails, 12 ringed plovers (pair on the island with 1 chick), 152 black tailed godwits, 2 male teal, 10 more avocet, 2 cormorants, coot, 2 more shoveler, 1 swift, 2 stock doves, 1 little egret and 12 dunlin with the male curlew sandpiper mixed in. Back at snipe platform: sedge warbler and swallows. En-route to car park, song thrush and raven. Other: first of the year meadow brown butterfly.
Graham Agg
The Narth
Wed 11th Jun 2025
Main sighting: Nightjar
22.30 – distant Nightjar churring from Beacon Hill direction.
Chris Hatch
Chepstow
Mon 9th Jun 2025
Main sighting: 6 Great White Egrets
Report from a member of 6 Great White Egrets roosting in trees along the River Wye near Chepstow Castle, before flying upriver.
I’ve seen the video, so have verified the sighting.
Jon Kelly
Blorenge
Sun 8th Jun 2025
Main sighting: Red Grouse
Red Grouse flew across summit path near Foxhunter car park early pm. Also Stonechat and Wheatear near car park.
Neville Davies
Goldcliff Lagoons
Sat 7th Jun 2025
Main sighting: Hen Harrier
En-route to hides: blackbirds, woodpigeons, starlings, lesser whitethroat, blue tits, great tit, great spotted woodpecker, crows, magpies, pied wagtails, swallows, song thrush, lesser black-backed and herring gulls (in field), pheasant, wren, goldcrest, whitethroat, reed warbler, male tufted in reen, mallards and chiffchaff. Hide 2: skylark, 24 black tailed godwits, 9 lapwing, Canada geese, 17 ringed plovers, 6 shelduck, 3 oystercatchers, coot (with chick), greylag geese and female marsh harrier. En-route to seawall: female hen harrier and low and flying straight towards Goldcliff Point, reed bunting and stonechats. Seawall: 1 curlew and jackdaws. Hide 3: kestrel on the hide roof, juvenile linnets, male cuckoo perched on top of the distant brambles, 166 more black tailed godwits, 10 avocet, 6 redshanks, 3 shoveler, sedge warblers, ravens, 1 whimbrel, 1 little ringed plover, cormorant and little egret. Marsh platform: little grebe. Back at hide 2: buzzard, 2 little ringed plovers and 3 swans.
tony & jan jenkins
Newport Wetlands
Wed 4th Jun 2025
Main sighting: waders
At 1330hrs along the tideline a mixed flock of @ 350 + ringed plover and dunlin.
Neville Davies
Goldcliff Lagoons
Sun 1st Jun 2025
Main sighting: Sanderling
Another fairly quiet morning: En-route to hides: woodpigeons, herring gulls, crows,, starlings, pheasants, wrens, blackcap, avocet, blue tits, crows, mallards, swallows, goldfinches, blackbirds, whitethroat, chiffchaff, magpies, reed warbler, swan and water vole crossing the reen just before hide 2. Hide 2: linnets, 91 black tailed godwits, 4 dunlin, 4 lapwing, lesser and 1 greater black backed gulls, 4 avocet, Canada geese, 4 redshanks, 2 oystercatchers, 2 ringed plovers, heron, 4 shelduck and 3 skylarks. Snipe platform: juvenile stonechat, pair of little grebes with 1 chick and 1 shoveler. Seawall: green woodpecker calling from the farm area, 1 curlew only, 74 distant dunlin. Hide 3: coot, 4 more shoveler, 131 more black tailed godwits, greylag geese, pair tufted ducks and a lone male, pochard pair, 9 gadwall, 1 little ringed plover, more lapwing, 4 ravens, sedge warbler singing from the brambles, reed buntings, female pintail with 4 chicks in-tow, meadow pipits and 1 little egret. A pair of shoveler had an astonishing 17 chicks. Back at hide 2 the high tide had brought in more waders with 222 dunlin, 74 ringed plovers, pair of knot and 2 sanderling (1 a juvenile) all feeding together. Female marsh harrier, pied wagtails and buzzard also seen.
Jon Kelly
Deri Allt
Fri 30th May 2025
Main sighting: Spotted Flycatcher
Spotted Flycatcher and Common Redstart in woods; Garden Warbler on ridge towards Sugar Loaf
Blair Jones
Foxhunters Carpark
Fri 30th May 2025
Main sighting: Swifts and Swallows
In general area during the walk –
3 x Swift and 4 x Swallow feeding whilst flying over the bracken.
Stonechat, Willow Warbler and Wheatears.
Blair Jones
Punchbowl general area, Blorenge
Fri 30th May 2025
Main sighting: Spotted Flycatcher
Spotted Flycatcher observed on stonewall that borders the path leading down to the Punchbowl.
Other species seen and heard during the walk in the area –
Wheatear, Tree Pipit, Common Redstart, Linnet, Cuckoo, Great Tit, Willow Warbler, Stonechat, Meadow Pipit, Wren, Carrion Crow, Green Woodpecker, Woodpigeon and Buzzard