Sightings

Main sighting: Migration

6am – 11. Despite sat in hide 2 amongst the thunderstorms there was a great mix of birds on the lagoons today with 14 species of wader. Hide 2 – good count of 83 oystercatchers (5 non-breeders going into 1st year plumage – white collars), 30 lapwing, 8 curlew, 3 cormorants over, 5 teal, single bar-tailed godwit, 1 heron, 15 redshanks including 1 juvenile, 55 black-tailed godwits (all in breeding plumage), 30 dunlin, 5 ringed plovers, 2 common sandpipers, 1 whimbrel, adult greenshank, 1 common gull over with several herring gulls, 2 common terns that came over the seawall but dipped back down out of sight, large flock of 100+ linnets, skylarks, 3 shoveler, shelduck, chiffchaff contact call, 1 yellow wagtail over, female marsh harrier and ravens. 3 common whitethroats seen between hides 2 and 3 with lesser whitethroat also heard, green woodpecker, buzzard, reed warbler singing and pheasant calling. Hide 3 – the 2 wood sandpipers were feeding along the far bank towards the left (pub in the background), 6 knot, 340 black-headed gulls (several juveniles), 5 little egrets, 1 avocet, 106 more dunlin with the first juvenile of the season (1), 73 more lapwing, 9 mute swans, little grebe, reed buntings, gadwall with 3 ducklings, 2 more yellow wagtails, 25 pied wagtails, 1 lt ringed plover, 11 more ringed plovers, juvenile snipe and good numbers of migrating sand martins with 620 in small flocks with others still passing through as we left. Other: several gatekeepers and meadow browns.

Main sighting: Swifts

25 swifts, 4 ravens, buzzard, 2 gsw, green woodpecker, a jay and a stock dove.

Main sighting: Wood Sandpiper

Wood Sandpiper from hide 2

Main sighting: Nightjars

went back to “Gavin’s spot” from earlier walks – reckoning weather would be good for them – started churring and flapping about 10pm; saw 3 (1 hovering kestrel-like just overhead) , heard 5 (2 more on the walk back) probably; also heard woodcock patrolling.

Main sighting: Little Ringed Plover

Picnic breakfast beside the Usk this morning. Lapwing, LRP, 4 Common Sands, Mandarin and Goosander young, Little Egret, Little Grebe, 3 Kingfishers, Yellow Wag, 8 Grey Wags, Sand Martin colony still active. Trout jumping. Heaving with dragonflies and butterflies including Marbled White. What a river!

Main sighting: Shelduck

Pretty quiet apart from three separate families of Shelduck.one with 6-juvs. one with 4-juvs.and one with 8-juvs.All ducklings roughly 35% adult size.12h00-12h50

Main sighting: Red Kite

Mature Red Kite circling over The Narth today and also on 17th July.

Main sighting: Great White Egret

x2 Great White Egrets are now amongst the large flock of Little Egrets, along with roughly x10 Grey Herons. The flock was viewable in a boggy field just off of Church Road, close to the M48.

Main sighting: Great white egret

Great white egret in flock of 80 plus little egret and 20 plus grey heron in nedern valley

Main sighting: Nightjar

Nightjar heard but not seen near to first house from car park.21h50

Main sighting: Little Egrets

81 Little Egrets with 19 Grey Herons at Nedern. All feeding on tadpoles in what remains of the water.

Main sighting: Little Egrets

Large number of little egrets 50+ all gathered in one area with 14 grey herons.