Sightings

Main sighting: Ruff

Highlights of the WeBS count: a Ruff displaying to a Reeve a good selection of waders including Black and Bar-tailed Godwit Knot Ringed Plover Avocet Lapwing Redshank also, Wigeon Teal Gadwall and Tufted Duck Reed Warbler Cetti’s Warbler Whitethroat Lesser Whitethroat Blackcap and Chiffchaff a few Swifts Sand Martins and a single House Martin

Main sighting: Cuckoo / Gt White Egret

En-route to hides – blackbirds, jackdaws, woodpigeons, crows, blackcaps, wrens, pheasant, whitethroat, goldfinches, swallows, buzzard, moorhen, collard dove, magpie, herring gulls and song thrush. Hide one – heron, skylark, cormorant, 11 gadwall, 2 shoveler, coot, 7 redshanks, reed warbler singing and greylags. Hide two – 4 oystercatchers (2 juvenile birds about half-grown), chiffchaff, cetttis, mallards (going into eclipse plumage), lesser black-backed gull, 32 lapwing, 4 lt egrets, gt tit, 4 swifts, starlings and 5 shelduck. Snipe platform – great white egret tucked away on the far right corner of the reeds, lt grebe pair with 2 young, 3 mute swans and 2 more herons. Seawall – stonechat pair, 8 ringed plovers, linnets and pied wagtail. Hide three – 2 pairs tufted’s and 2 separate males, meadow pipits, 44 black-tailed godwits with 4 knot mixed in, 9 more redshanks, 3 more gadwall, reed bunting, 5 avocet, 35 dunlin and the male wigeon is still present now also going into eclipse plumage. Cuckoo heard only from the marsh platform.

Main sighting: cuckoo

Cuckoo flying over house and calling at 0515 hrs this morning !
Disappointed that our house martins have not returned this year.

Main sighting: Shell Ducks

Walk along the Severn. 19 shell Ducks on the waters edge a few little egrets. Flocks of starlings.
4 blackbirds,BTO is wanting a blackbird count and they are in decline

Main sighting: Bar-tailed Godwits

A mixed flock c40 Godwits on the first lagoon (viewed from first and second hides) had at least 6 Bar-tailed Godwits in amongst the Black-tailed at 13:45. Also 18 Redshank were feeding together there. All those waders had departed or moved elsewhere on reserve by 15:00 and 22 Lapwing had taken their place

Main sighting: Swifts

Great to see swifts back over ynysyfro and old Cwmbran
Also red kite low over ynysyfro last few days even landing on waters edge to drink

Main sighting: Osprey

Whilst visiting the area above Garnlydan Reservoir, noticed a large bird of prey being harrassed by Gulls. When I checked through Binoculars it was an Osprey, it circled the Reservoir before moving off south. Also saw 2 Buzzards, 3 Jays, Whitethroat, Wheatear, Siskins during the morning. But first time seen an osprey with walking distance from my house.

Main sighting: Curlew chicks

Our first chicks were seen yesterday! Please continue to send all sightings to curlew@gwentbirds.org.uk – there are definitely more to be found!

Main sighting: Ringed-neck Parakeet

Ringed-neck Parakeet flew over our garden. Not seen one in the Caerphilly area previously.

Main sighting: Nightjar

4 Nightjars in Coed y Prior clearfells above Llanellen near Abergavenny this evening audible from the canal towpath. Also a Barn Owl hunting over fields above the canal.

Main sighting: Garden Warbler

I have a nest of Garden Warblers in amongst long grass and thistles. Today a blackbird chased out a Tawney owl out of one of my sheds,the owl then got mobbed by many other birds. We now have a pair of greater spotted with two chicks. Siskins are still about. I am concerned about the lack of House Martins, I have at the most 4 pairs around my house,I have been to Lake Vynwy this week and there was only 4 birds I saw,last year there was nearer 100. Yellow Wagtail was on the fertiliser on Crumblands farm

Main sighting: Cuckoo show

En-route to hides – wrens, blackcap,, pheasant, cuckoo calling, magpies, woodpigeons, robin, crows, collard dove, herring gulls, sparrows, jackdaws, Canada geese, mallards, chiffchaff, blackbird, whitethroat, kestrel, moorhen and goldfinch. Hide one – skylarks, 10 avocet, 5 grey herons, 8 redshanks (chicks seen), 2 lapwing, ls black-backed gull, 30 black-tailed goswits (mostly non-breeding birds), coot, greylags, 3 oystercatchers, 3 gadwall, 1 ringed plover and 3 shelduck. Hide two – cettis, pied wagtail (ad and juvenile), 3 shoveler, 3 lt egrets, starlings and ls whitethroat calling. Snipe platform – 3 male and 2 female tufted ducks, pair lt grebes, 6 swans, gt tit, 6 cormorants flying in, 2 swifts, reed warbler, reed bunting, stonechats, swallow and a male peregrine quite high. Hide three – spoonbill (which flew onto the saltings), sedge warbler singing in front of the hide, 3 more ringed plovers, 10 more avocet, 6 more redshanks, pair teal and pair wigeon still present (no sign of the pintail pair) and meadow pipits. Seawall – 4 curlew and 13 distant turnstones. Back close to hide 2, male cuckoo chasing a female and joined by a second male (possibly the same 3 as last Saturday)? Other: green-veined white butterfly.