Sightings

Main sighting: Avocet

Fairly quiet afternoon but some highlights including: Hide one – 1 little egret, female kestrel, cettis calling from the hedge line. Redshank platform – 7 shoveler and 1 cormorant. Snipe platform – 2 mute swans, 2 gadwall, 2 herons, fem marsh harrier being harassed by 2 common buzzards – the buzzards gave up and were then harassed by 3 ravens. Seawall – pair of stonechats on the fence. On the saltings and mud – pair of avocet, 10 grey plovers, 1 gt black-backed gull, 51 curlew, 21 oystercatchers, shelduck, 70 wigeon and 33 black headed gulls. Hide three – 56 teal, 21 greylag geese mixed in with 109 Canada’s. En-route back around the barn owl gave great close views, unfortunately for some visitors, they had to put up with photographers on the marsh and snipe platforms climbing fences and walking along the bank for that all important selfish closer photo.

Main sighting: Hawfinch

St Mary’s churchyard, Marshfield: hawfinch; also nuthatch, mistle and song thrushes and redwings. Lots of yew trees, and many others for them all.

Main sighting: White fronted Goose.

22 Greater White-fronted Geese ( including 7 juveniles) feeding with Canadas behind first pool this morning. Spooked by malel Marsh Harrier then flew to pool in front of sea wall hide.

Main sighting: Bullfinch

A bullfinch visited our garden this morning along with the usual blue tits, house sparrows and wood pigeons.

It flew off east after being spooked by a squirrel.

Main sighting: Male and female Blackcaps

Male and Female Blackcaps along with
Long tailed tits on feeders at midday

Main sighting: barn owl

Arrived at car park @ 1345hrs and while waiting for a parking spot, Jan spotted a barn owl quartering the fields near the cottage, it flew close to the field gate before heading east towards Goldcliff area, great to see in daylight.
Walked around to the lighthouse but quiet birdwise with a flock of 50 goldfinches, a couple of water rail calling and single cettis calling.
On the foreshore a few curlew and small numbers of shelduck and wigeon.

Main sighting: Brambling

single bird amongst Green finches in pre-roost

Main sighting: Barn owl

Single barn owl hunting over salt marsh east of black rock at 17:10.

Main sighting: Lesser Redpoll

My first Lesser Redpoll in the garden since March 2021; also Reed Bunting and 3 Brambling under the feeders. At least 4 Lesser Redpoll seen yesterday at Llanbadoc.

Main sighting: Blackcap

Male blackcap on garden feeders in St Julians

Main sighting: Redwings

Small flock of 25 Redwing flying over fields North of Caldicot.

Main sighting: male bullfinch & redpoll

At Stanton on one of the Brynarw house’s was a pied wagtail on the roof. Further along the road travelling north were 2 buzzards ( in different locations ).
Just after Bugle Bridge on the right side of the road on top of the hedge resting on bracken was a male bullfinch. In Llanthony next to the Afon Honddu in the fields were 20 chaffinch.
Near the top of Cwm Bwchel was a blue tit and wren in the bracken and to the left of the path on silver birch trees was a coal tit and 2 treecreepers. In Llanthony wood ( North ) there was a coal tit and Britains smallest bird, a goldcrest flittering around in the conifer tree’s. In hazel tree’s next to Sunnybank was a female and another male bullfinch. 3 bullfinches seen today!.
Finally, coming off the hill below Troed-rhiw mon was a redpoll on short-sized alder tree’s just before the fields, a fairly rare bird for this area.