Sightings

Main sighting: Goshawk

Goshawk, 2 skylarks

Main sighting: Chiffchaff

Chiffchaff calling in woods.

Main sighting: oystercatcher

high tide roost of 70 oystercatchers under the Prince of Wales bridge, largest number that we have ever seen in Monmouthshire.

Main sighting: Goosanders

M and F goosander

Main sighting: Spotted Redshank

Spotted Redshank (opposite Hide 2); Marsh Harrier (fem); Avocet 56; Black Tailed Godwit 380; Canada Goose 51;

Main sighting: Spotted Redshank

Spotted Redshank in WP no signs yet of BP. Avocet 10 Black-tailed Godwit 200 Curlew 60 all on foreshore, Lapwing 10 Ringed Plover 1 . Teal 50 Pintail 5 Pochard 1 Shoveler 20 Wigeon 30 Stonechat 3 Marsh Harrier 1

Main sighting: Egyptian Goose

Egyptian Goose 1 (feeding on foreshore then moved to the fields feeding with the Mute Swans)
Canada Goose 25
Greylag Goose 4
Mute Swan 65
Cormorant 17
Little Egret 5
Curlew 200
Dunlin 1000
Grey Plover 2
Ringed Plover 12
Teal 2
Wigeon 10
Shelduck 300
Fieldfare 30

Main sighting: Little Owl (late entry)

Added amendment to sightings for Saturday 1st – little owl pellets found near to hide 2. @M Pointon – in your sightings report, what is BP please and WP? Thanks.

Main sighting: Pochards

Spring pairing up, displaying / courtship behaviour and territorial disputes starting now with the water birds. Bit more activity this week (I am away for 2 Saturday’s after today so more highlights when I get back). En-route to hides: magpies, starlings, collard doves, Canada geese, pheasant, mallards, wren, herring gulls, crows, chaffinch, woodpigeons, goldfinches and 1 buzzard. Hide 1: female goldcrest, greylags, 23 shelduck, 41 teal, pied wagtail and a female sparrowhawk put up the godwit flock. En-route to hide 2: skylark in song, great tits, blue tits and single redwing. Hide 2: 13 shoveler, 7 gadwall, 18 redshanks, 8 wigeon, 1 lapwing, 8 curlew, cettis calling, 2 oystercatchers and female marsh harrier. Snipe platform: 5 male and 1 female common pochards was a good number here, pair of tufteds mixed in, coot, pair of little grebes and a single male, 2 mute swans and blackbirds. Seawall: female stonechat, 48 more wigeon out on the high tide, 1 little egret, 27 more curlew and house sparrows. Hide 3: male pintail, 43 avocet, relocated the black-tailed godwit flock (278) with a single dunlin mixed in, black headed gull, 14 more lapwing, 1 heron, 10 more shoveler, 4 more gadwall, pair stonechats, 1 ringed plover and reed buntings (3). 4 more oystercatchers one pair ‘piping’. Back at hide 2: 2 snipe. back at the car park 1 rook over with jackdaws and robin in song.

Main sighting: Curlew

Single curlew flushed off bracken at dusk and returned a few minutes later on Machen Mountain, south facing side.

Main sighting: Red Kite

Two days running a Red Kite flying over same field by my house.

Main sighting: Curlew

The first Curlew of the year has arrived back in Gwent!
This is earlier than usual so please, everyone, keep your eyes open and send all sightings (and heards) to Curlew@gwentbirds.org.uk.
All reports will be followed up on so please include the location (a grid reference is a huge help), date and time, and the number of birds.