Sightings

Main sighting: Wheatear / Bittern

Driving in at 0600 a bittern was at the side of the road in the grass by Red Barn Pool but flew off as I slowed down. Goldcliff – 0610 – 11.30 Hide One – Pheasant, 72 curlew (1 ringed bird but could not get the sequence/colours), 8 teal, 3 whimbrel, 41 ringed plovers, 3 little egrets, 2 yellow wagtails (juveniles), buzzard and female marsh harrier. Hide Two – 65 lapwing, 7 black-tailed godwits, 3 ruff, greenshank, 3 more yellow wagtails, kestrel, 2 snipe, 12 swallows and small groups of sand martins passing (at least 48 counted), 2 herons, skylark and a sedge warbler feeding at the base of the reeds opposite. Seawall – wheatear feeding along the seawall and perched up on the fence, oystercatchers and shelduck. Hide Three – single knot and the spotted redshank flew off towards the Pill, 17 mute swans, 3 little grebes, female sparrowhawk, 20 gadwall and 7 shoveler. Back near hide 1 along the hedgerow leading to the entrance was a male redstart, 1 common whitethroat joined by 1 lesser whitethroat. Other: single meadow brown in between the very heavy showers.

Main sighting: Kittiwake

am – Kittiwake adult west – Comic terns 9 + 1 west – also flock of birds overhead think poss terns but lost from view – wrong option going for scope – Swallows 50

Main sighting: Kingfisher

Seen flying low over the river, always look out for them and not disappointed.

Main sighting: Curlew

From sea wall a small number of Curlew and Oyster catchers on mudflats on incoming tide

At sea wall hide
A whinchat on the fence
and 2 Ruff, a Greenshank , about 20
Dunlin, 10 Ringed Plover and 30 Lapwing on Becs much of which was dry
Between open hide and Hide 2 about 6 tree pipits seen on the tops of the bushes flitting around

Main sighting: Curlew on fencing

Curlew and oyster catchers on mudflats seen from sea wall
Hide 3 whinchat.

Main sighting: White Zebra Finch

I was walking back to my house late yesterday afternoon. As I got to the driveway a small white bird flew past me and landed on top of my wheelie bin. It stayed for s short while, then flew off over the top of my garage. It had a bright orange beak and was about the size of a Greenfinch. Having done some research on Google, I’m 99% sure it was a White Zebra Finch. Presumably escaped from an aviary.

Main sighting: Mistle thrush

13 mistle thrush in the tall wellingtonia, 7 mallard including a pale cream bird on the exposed stone shingle.

Main sighting: Sanderling

Sanderling 6 Knot 1 Greenshank 2 Redshank 1 Turnstone 1 Ruff 2 Ringed Plover 60 Dunlin 80 Oystercatcher 8 Black-tailed Godwit 2 Teal 4 juvs + 7 adults Tufted Duck female with 4 young Gadwall 2 + 2 young Little Grebe 1 Whinchat 2 Linnet 30 and a passage of House and Sand Martins and Swallows, Buzzard 2 and a distant Red Kite.

Main sighting: Tree Pipit / Migration

0600-12.10 Green woodpecker calling, chiffchaffs 4 (contact calls), little egret 2, female kestrel hunting, skylarks and reed buntings. Redshank platform – 18 lapwing, 3 redshanks, 18 teal, 11 shoveler, 3 grey herons, black headed gulls, 3 marsh harriers hunting separately (2 juvs and ad female), 3 stock doves and 4 more seen elsewhere. Hide two – buzzard, cettis calling. Snipe platform – 9 mute swans, 3 little grebes, female tufted with the 4 chicks now double in size, 6 gadwall and willow warbler contact call along the hedge leading to the seawall. Seawall – juvenile whinchat on the fence, meadow pipits and 1 ad and 1 juv yellow wagtails, 4 house martins, 19 sand martins, 36 swallows, 20 swifts, 2 gt black-backed gulls, 2 whimbrel, 109 shelduck, tree pipit over calling, 38 oystercatchers, 36 curlew and a large flock of 260+ linnets. Juvenile ruff on the mud flats relocated to the third lagoon. Hide three – excellent mix and volume of waders including 1 knot, 1 snipe, the first juvenile turnstone of the season with an adult also, 2 little ringed plovers, (the ruff from earlier), grey plover in immaculate plumage, 1 little stint, spotted redshank (now starting to come out of breeding plumage), 96 dunlin, 38 ringed plovers and 3 redshanks. Other: good mix of butterflies with 1 small copper, 1 comma, 3 green-veined whites, 6 common blues, numerous gatekeepers and meadow browns, 1 speckled wood, 1 painted lady, 1 small tortoiseshell, small whites and a male common darter.

Main sighting: Little Egret

At 11.30 am there was a Little Egret on the island bar that appears below Monnow Bridge at low water. It was standing on a large stone and preening. Also the usual mallard, Mute Swan and Moorhen – and the family of Mandarin Ducks that have been around for a week – a female a 4 fledged young.

Main sighting: Little Stint

Little Stint, Hobby, Knot – hide 3

Main sighting: Redstart

Redstart 1 ( Lesser Whitethroat 1 Little Stint 1 (ad) Grey Plover 1 (BP) Whimbrel 2 Curlew 60 Black-tailed Godwit 140 Dunlin and Ringed Plover Shelduck 160 Garganey 2 (Monks)
Other: Emerald Damselfly 10 Blue-tailed damselfly 2 Common Darter 2 Meadow Brown ++ Gate Keeper + Large white 2 and a Ruby Tiger Moth