Sightings

Main sighting: Barn Owl

By A4042 just south of Llanover

Main sighting: Chiffchaff

Song on Gwent side of River Rhymney

Main sighting: Sand and house martin

Car park – hide: Magpies, woodpigeons, goldfinches, mallards, collard doves, crows, song thrush, wren, chiffchaff, heron, cormorant, buzzard (dark morph) in the field with lesser black-backed and herring gulls, great tits, blackbirds, chaffinches and 1 fieldfare. Hide 1: Dunnock, pheasant, 62 black-tailed godwits, 62 shelduck, Canada geese, 2 gadwall, 32 shoveler, 18 redshanks and female kestrel hovering. Robin, jackdaws and skylark en-route to next hide. Hide 2: Coot, 37 teal, 2 graylags, 2 white-fronted geese, 3 avocet, 3 pairs wigeon (numbers much lower today) and cettis calling. Snipe platform: 3 swans, 14 more coot, little grebe pair and 2 pairs of tufted ducks. Future Phoenix hide (old hide3): Stonechat pair, raven, 73 more shelduck, 2 oystercatchers, 6 more avocet, 8 more gadwall and 2 more cormorants. Seawall: high tide so nothing on the saltings, stonechat, reed bunting and pied wagtail on the fence. 1 Golden plover overhead calling en-route back to hide 2, from hide 2 1 snipe , 3 lapwing, 1 curlew, 8 dunlin, female peregrine causing a commotion, 9 sand martins with 1 house martin mixed in and moorhen. Back at the car park, blackcap in song, redwing pair and great spotted woodpecker.

Main sighting: Chiffchaff

Chiffchaff calling at edge of Manor Wood on the Pen y Fan road,

Main sighting: Bar-tailed Godwit

Car park to hides: blackcap in full song, woodpigeons, song thrush in full song, jackdaws, herring gulls, collard dove, 2 buzzards (light and dark-morphs), crows, wren, redwings, starlings, dunnock, blackbirds, great tits, fieldfare, pheasant and chiffchaff feeding by the 1st gate. Hide 1: 1 heron, graylag geese, Canada geese, 16 shelduck, female peregrine sat on the island, 6 gadwall, 8 wigeon, 19 white-fronted geese, 8 redshanks, 112 teal, skylarks, mallards, bar-tailed godwit put up by a passing female marsh harrier, 10 lapwing, lesser black-backed gulls, 2 snipe, pair of kestrels together and spotted redshank. Hide 2: robin pair chasing, 18 more wigeon, meadow pipits, 3 cormorants and 5 black-tailed godwits. Cettis calling between hide 2 and platform. Snipe platform: 32 coot, 2 pairs little grebes, 3 pairs tufted ducks, 2 male pochards, 8 more gadwall and reed bunting. Magpies and stonechat on way to seawall. Seawall: 17 curlew, 1 grey plover, 4 oystercatchers, raven and pied wagtail. Nothing new on way back to car park.

Main sighting: Great Grey Shrike

Apologies this is out of county, but a good bird and possibly a lifer for some which I found yesterday. From Llandovery head past the biker cafe and by the primary school turn left to follow the road up past the Llyn Brianne lakes. Turn in on the side road that heads towards Soar-y-Mynnydd Chapel and over the river bridge. Anywhere along the left in the willows the shrike was showing there, as far as the top bend on that narrow tarmac road.

Main sighting: Lesser Spotted Woodpecker

A reliable report from a friend who observed a male/female foraging on trees in his garden.

Main sighting: Golden Plover

A flock of circa 30 Golden Plover flew over the lagoons sadly they did not land. There were 15 White-fronted Geese and a flock of 55 Curlew on the Goldcliff Pill. It was nice to hear a Chiffchaff singing. There were good numbers of Teal Wigeon Shoveler and a few Gadwall.
Warning the path around the reserve is very muddy, care is needed.

Main sighting: 60+ Snipe

Seven members braved the initial poor weather which soon cleared. Fifty Five species were noted. The highlight being 60+ Snipe hiding in plain sight on a small rough island in the Millenium Wetlands.
Species noted were: Mute Swan, Canada Goose, Brent Goose, Shelduck, Wigeon, Gadwall, Teal, Mallard, Pintail, Shoveler, Tufted Duck, Little Grebe, Cormorant, Little Egret, Grey Heron, Spoonbill (3), Red Kite, Marsh Harrier, Moorhen, Coot, Avocet, Lapwing, Knot, Dunlin, Snipe (60+), Black-tailed Godwit, Curlew, Redshank, Greenshank, Black-headed Gull, Common Gull, Lesser Black-backed Gull, Herring Gull, Woodpigeon, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Wren, Dunnock, Robin, Stonechat, Blackbird, Redwing, Song Thrush, Goldcrest, Coal Tit, Blue Tit, Great Tit, Magpie, Jackdaw, Carrion Crow, Starling, House Sparrow, Chaffinch, Greenfinch, Bullfinch. and Reed Bunting.

Main sighting: Peregrine and Marsh Harrier

Early morning visit just after dawn. Hight Tide 12 + meters
The lagoons were brimming with water, and it’s quite muddy underfoot, so wellies are a must.
A flock of 30+ Lapwings, Peregrine Falcon, Marsh Harrier ( female), Gadwall, Shoveler, Mallard, Teal, and Tufted Ducks. Lots of Shelduck. Flock of Curlews 40c roosting on Becs disturbed by Marsh Harrier. Priors had the most Coots I have ever seen, at least 30 +.
Both Cettis and Chiff Chaff were present and heard calling.
Other species –
Black-Headed Gull, Herring Gull, Mute Swan, Greylag and Canada Geese. Stonechat, Meadow Pipit and Skylark. Robin. Wren, Blue Tit, Dunnock and Song Thrush.

Main sighting: Red kite

Red kite happy and hovering for atleast 2 minutes watching something below. Couldnt take any pictures as was driving and couldnt stay to watch either unfortunately! Lovely siting!

Main sighting: White-fronted Geese

Car park – hides: crows, herring gulls, collard dove, mallards, heron, blackbirds, lesser black-backed gulls, cormorant, buzzard, 7 fly-by mute swans and woodpigeons. Hide 1: Canada geese, 3 white-fronted geese, 6 shelduck, 90 teal and 58 wigeon. Hide 2: robin, 2 coot, female marsh harrier quartering, 13 lapwing, 3 skylarks, 2 greylags and magpies. Snipe platform: 14 more white-fronted geese, blue tit, 25 more coot, 3 gadwall, 1 little grebe and starlings. Seawall: 4 redshanks, 4 oystercatchers, 25 curlew, 26 more shelduck, stonechat pair, 6 grey plovers, 1 black-tailed godwit and black headed gulls. Back at hide 1: meadow pipits, 4 snipe, female kestrel and a pied wagtail. Gate looking into field: 6 fieldfare and 2 redwings feeding, berries seem to have gone along the hedgerow so they are after alternative food now.