Sightings

Main sighting: Swifts

6 x Swift observed flying over Griffithstown in the Kemys Street area.

Main sighting: chicks

Early AM visit to Goldcliff Lagoons.
Swallows – please be respectful in Hide 1 as a section is cornered off as a pair of Swallows are nesting in it. Another pair of Swallows were roosting in Hide 2.
Fantastic to see a significant number of Avocet Chicks that are the most mature I have ever seen at Goldcliff in my experience. I counted 4 on Monks and another three or four on Becs Lagoons.
There were two flocks of Black-Tailed Godwits – a smaller flock of 15+ birds on Monks and then a larger flock of at least 50+ on Becs Lagoon.
At high tide a mixed flock of Dunlins and Ringed Plover 60+ were present on Monks although I also saw a flock of 10+ on Becs separately.
On the foreshore there were a 6 Curlews.
All around the reserve warblers were singing well.
Reed Warbler, Whitethroat, Lesser Whitethroat, Cettis, Chiff Chaff and Sedge Warblers.
Stonechats and Linnets were on the fences leading down to the Seawall Hide.
I watched a Little Grebe feeding a single chick on Priors Lagoon.
Only raptor seen was a Buzzard hunting on the edges of Monk and being mobbed by Redshank and Lapwing. Plenty of Corvids – Magpies and Carrion. Crows.
On becs Lagoons – Ringed Plover, Avocet and Lapwing chicks were running about with adults keeping an eye on them. Flock of Starlings were drinking the water on Becs Lagoon.
Dcuks – Gadwall, Mallard – the weird hybrid white Mallard Duck appears to have had several ducklings.
Pintail Duck on Becs Lagoons had at least 4 chicks following it.
Other highlights –
Common Blue Damselfly mating, Skipper and Speckled Wood Butterflies.

Main sighting: Osprey

Osprey flew over Coed Eva this am. heading south.

Main sighting: Two Male Redstarts

In the Olchon valley was a red kite, meadow pipit, raven, tree pipit on the branch of a hawthorn tree, two male redstarts and in a secret location a fox was sleeping on a path in the sunlight with four young cubs which then scuppered into rocks – a den ! .
At Upper Blaen also in the Olchon valley a cuckoo sat on larch trees calling, there were house martins, swallows, a treecreeper and a pied wagtail.

Main sighting: Peregrine and Spotted flycatcher

12 people attended the morning walk at Upper Cwm
36 species recorded with highlights being the fly over Peregrine,, Swifts, House Martins, Swallows, Redstart, Spotted flycatcher ,Garden Warbler, Great spotted Woodpecker, Green Woodpecker, Jay, Sparrowhawk, Mistle thrush, Song thrush,Blackcap, Red kite, Nuthatch.

Main sighting: Cuckoo

In terms of species variety it was quieter today. En-route to hides: woodpigeons, herring gulls, wren, blue tits, pheasants, lesser whitethroat, crows, chiffchaff, blackbirds, swallows, goldfinches, reed warbler, moorhen and great tits. Hide 1: skylark, Canada geese, mallards, 3 shelduck, 2 redshanks and 2 lapwing. En-route to hide 2: whitethroat. Hide 2: heron, 7 avocet, 6 more redshanks (pair with chicks), 2 dunlin, 2 ringed plovers, 2 shoveler, 3 gadwall, 2 oystercatchers, cettis, magpies, lesser black-backed gulls, 1 stock dove, starlings, 2 black tailed godwits, black headed gulls, 2 cormorants, 2 little egret, pied wagtails and a distant buzzard. Snipe platform: coot, shoveler pair with 2 chicks, 2 male and 1 female tufted ducks and 1 swan. Nothing different from the seawall. Hide 3: male stonechat, linnets, 20 more gadwall, 4 more ringed plovers, 162 more black tailed godwits, meadow pipits and sedge warbler singing. No sign of the garganey or pink footed goose today. En-route to car park – cuckoo overhead quite high heading in the direction of Goldcliff Point.

Main sighting: Crossbill

Large group of Crossbills flying over the forest road in Trellech Common woods over Douglas Fir near the reservoir/ The Observatory mid morning.

Main sighting: Spotted Flycatcher

Nine people attended the GOS walk this morning to Goytre House Wood. 40 species were indentified as follows: Blackbird, Blackcap, Blue Tit, Bullfinch, Buzzard, Canada Goose, Carrion Crow, Chaffinch, Chiffchaff, Collared Dove, Dunnock, Garden Warbler, Goldcrest, Goldfinch, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Great Tit, Greenfinch, Grey Heron, House Sparrow, Jackdaw, Lesser Black-backed Gull, Long-tailed Tit, Magpie, Mallard, Moorhen, Nuthatch, Raven, Red Kite, Robin, Rook, Song Thrush, Spotted Flycatcher, Starling, Stock Dove, Swallow, Swift, Treecreeper, Willow Warbler, Wood pigeon, Wren.

Main sighting: Nightjar and Woodcock

Mallard; Nightjar; Wood Pigeon; Woodcocks (in flight roding); Great Spotted Woodpecker; Carrion Crow; Coal Tit; Blue Tit; Great Tit; House Martin; Willow Warbler; Chiffchaff; Blackcap; Goldcrest; Wren; Song Thrush; Mistle Thrush; Blackbird; Robin; Meadow Pipit; Chaffinch; Siskin.
8pm to 10pm:

Main sighting: Red Kite

The GOS walk this morning was attended by five members, weather was intially cool but warmed up towards the latter half of the three hour walk. Thirty One species were seen/heard: Red Kite, Sparrowhawk, Buzzard, Lesser Black-backed Gull, Herring Gull, Woodpigeon, Cuckoo, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Skylark, Pied Wagtail, Wren, Dunnock, Robin, Blackbird, Song Thrush, Blackcap, Chiffchaff, Willow Warbler, Goldcrest, Long-tailed Tit, Blue Tit, Great Tit, Nuthatch, Treecreeper, Jay, Jackdaw, Carion Crow, Raven, Greenfinch, Goldfinch, and Linnet

Main sighting: Golden Plover

En-route to hide: chaffinch, woodpigeons, pheasants, crows, herring gulls, blue tits, wrens, collard dove, heron, swallows, blackbirds, starlings, goldfinches, chiffchaff, cettis, female goldcrest, magpie, whitethroat and linnets. Hide 1: Canada geese, 4 lapwing and 1 oystercatcher. En-route to next hide 4 golden plover over high and calling and 2 swift quite high. Hide 2: shelduck, 2 curlew sandpipers (partial breeding plumage), 146 black tailed godwits, 6 redshanks, ravens, 6 avocet, 1 gadwall, lesser black-backed gulls, buzzard, 1 ringed plover and 2 shoveler. Snipe platform: great tits, 4 male and 2 female tufted ducks, 56 more black tailed godwits, mallards, coot, reed warbler, 18 more gadwall and moorhen. Seawall: 4 bar tailed godwits feeding with 11 knot, 1 whimbrel and 1 great black-backed gull. Hide 3: sedge warbler singing in front of the hide, 16 more avocet, male garganey and pink footed goose both showing well, 6 teal, greylag geese, 2 cormorants, reed buntings, skylarks, 2 more ringed plovers, male wigeon and 1 little egret. Marsh platform: 1 male little grebe. Back at hide 1: family group of stonechats and lesser whitethroat.

Main sighting: Swifts

Small party of about 6 Swifts “screaming”over Worcester street area of Monmouth mid-afternoon.