Sightings

Main sighting: Rosy Starling

A Rosy starling appeared in our garden this morning approx 9.45, it was later found by the social club and gave good views.. It was seen later on the roof of the cottages past the pump house briefly, but the club is a good/better? bet.

Main sighting: Wood Sandpipers

3 Summer Plumaged Wood Sandpipers from the seawall hide plus 19 Teal. 80-100 Sand Martin feeding in the shelter of the seawall in a cold N wind. Male Marsh Harrier showing beautifully, 3 LRP, a single Dunlin, 12 Black Tailed Godwit, also 3 Little Egret and a Great Spotted Woodpecker

Main sighting: Rosy Starling

Rosy Starling, one on beach lane and one on the park itself a few days before.

Main sighting: Blue tit

Newly fledged fluffy blue tit at nest site

Main sighting: Garganey

Pheasants, 2 chiffchaffs, 7 ravens, common whitethroat, blackcap and green woodpecker yaffling, Redshank Platform – 48 redshanks (one with a damaged leg), 25 lapwing, 3 skylarks, 4 oystercatchers, 2 ringed plovers, linnets, 2 cormorants, 3 black-headed gulls, shelduck, 1 swift and 1 juvenile little egret, juvenile common buzzard and sand martins in 4 separate groups comprising 5, 3, 25 and 12 birds. Snipe platform – 3 herons (1 juvenile and 1 adult with an eel), 6 mute swans, reed buntings and the reed warbler singing and cettis calling. Seawall – quiet on the mudflats but the cape/ruddy shelduck is still present, 5 curlew, 2 common gulls and the black-tailed godwits which were on lagoon 3 made their way down to the mudflats. Hide three – 2 pairs of tufted ducks, the garganey is still present and going into eclipse plumage, juvenile little grebe showing quite well, gadwall, 1 little ringed plover and 3 swallows. OTHER: Meadow browns on the wing and a lovely bee orchid just past the muddy section alongside the fence prior to the seawall.

Main sighting: Oyster catcher

Att the bench over the last few days. kingfisher 3′ over our heads, pair oyster catchers heading up stream, spotted flycatcher, goosander with 10 gooselings, 6 full grown mallard young, heron, little egret, pair swan, red kite, pheasant, 3 c sandpiper, herring gull, wood pigeon, green and gs peckers, sand martins, pied wag, jay, magpie, jackdaw familly, c crow, robin, blackbird, blue tit, tree creeper, chaffinch.

Main sighting: Rosy starling

Lighthouse Pub: Rose-coloured Starling

Main sighting: Curlew chicks

Curlew chicks seen at a site reported to Curlew@gwentbirds.org.uk ! There must be more out there. Please keep your eyes open and email all Curlew sightings, chicks or adults, to our dedicated address.

Main sighting: Garganey

Sea-wall hide: drake garganey

Main sighting: Goosanders

Mum teaching seven well-grown ducklings to dive for fish

Main sighting: Lapwing

A lapwing flew around us while walking in the fields from Michaelstone-y-Fedw to Draethen, having exited Park Wood. It landed in the field and stayed while we walked on. I know they have been spotted in the Gwent levels so wondered if it came across from there.

Main sighting: Ruddy Shelduck

Dawn – 11am. Chiffchaff 2, common whitethroat pair (male taking feathers into possible nest site, swallow 5, pheasant, reed warbler 2, cettis 1 and reed buntings. Hide one – very quiet all over the reserve, but highlights included 1 little ringed plover, 10 redshanks, shelduck, good count of 27 lapwing, skylarks, 2 grey herons (1 juvenile) and 3 oystercatchers. Redshank platform – single black-tailed godwit, 3 black-headed gulls, linnets (breeding pair), lesser whitethroat feeding (not singing for a change), 2 mute swans and 2 swifts. Seawall – 5 more black-tailed godwits and 7 curlew. Hide three – pair of tufteds with a third single male, pair of teal, 2 ringed plovers and 12 gadwall roosting (possibly more in the vegetation)?. Hide two – the ruddy shelduck was feeding opposite hide 1 then flew across in front of hide 2 for about a minute before flying off over the seawall. Garganey preening on the edge of the island before flying off towards the third hide. Male kestrel hovering a single little egret past and 4 cormorants. OTHER: Good numbers of hairy dragonflies around the first reen by the stone bridge, 1 banded demoiselle also. Elsewhere 1 small tiger moth, the first meadow brown of the year, 1 speckled wood, 1 common blue and 1 small copper.