Sightings

Main sighting: Bar-tailed Godwits

Dawn – 11.30hrs. Rooks, kingfisher (Paul only), 2 buzzards (one light-morph), skylarks 8 passing over quite high, mute swans with 7 cygnets, 3 chiffchaffs in the hedgerow, female marsh harrier and 1 juv gt black-backed gull. Redshank Platform – 15 knot, 3 grey plovers, 415 dunlin (losing their black bellies now), 4 ruff, 51 ringed plovers, siskins overhead, 4 little egrets, small groups of swallows (averaging 15-20 per group) with some house martins mixed in, 5 common snipe, 46 shelduck (more over the sea wall), glossy ibis (flew off towards Uskmouth around 0900hrs), 3 gadwall, 2 greenshank, 41 teal and ravens. Snipe Platform – 343 black-tailed godwits (including the 2013 Solent ringed bird), 62 redshanks, 22 more knot, 1 water rail feeding along the edge of the reeds and a juv curlew sandpiper mixed in with some dunlin. Hide 3 – 172 curlew (6 of which were ringed birds) with 9 bar-tailed godwits mixed in, 18 avocet which came in over the seawall, 1 heron, female kestrel and a big movement of meadow pipits along the fence lines in excess of 200+.

Main sighting: Curlews and other Waders

Dawn visit.
Becs Lagoon – Curlews x 350 = at high tide ( 10 colour ringed), Knots, Avocets x 12, Dunlin Flock.
Priors Lagoon – The wader flock remains – Black Tailed Godwits 350+, Knot 80+. Avocet x 2, Lapwings 50+
Greenshank x 2., Ruff x 2, Dunlin Flock 30+ ( 1 Curlew Sand seen).
Monks Lagoon –
Ringed Plover 30 + and Golden Plover x 1 , Dunlin 100+

Marsh Harrier ( male) put the wader flock up several times.

kestrel was also around the sea wall (Priors) end.

One Glossy Ibis thought to be Flossy was seen on Priors early on and on Monks. later

Main sighting: Two Glossy Ibis and Great White Egret

What a suprise it was this morning to see two Glossy Ibis on Priors. I would provisionally say its “Flossy” the Glossy Ibis our resident bird and a new smaller juvenile. Only time will tell and I will do some comparison of recent archive pics of Flossy.
Later in the morning a Great White Egret landed on Monks Lagoon directly in front of Hide 1 affording great views.
Also seen-
Priors – The wader flock – 120 + Knots, 250 + Black Tailed Godwits, 2 x Ruff, 2 x Greenshank, 30x Redshank , 120+ Dunlin ( Curlew Sand and Little Stint reported seen on Monks by birders).
Becs – 67 Curlews at Dawn and 50+ on the saltmarsh. 2 x Avocet.

Marsh Harrier ( male) caused havoc, Peregrine and Kestrel seen.
Karge numbers 60c of Shoveler Duck.
Also – 4 x Long Tailed Tits, Wren, Blie Tits, Great Tits, ,eadow Pipits, Skylark and Pied Wagtails, 2 x Little Egrets, 2 x Grey Heron, Teal, Mallard, Shelducks and Raven
Good passge of Hirundines moving through the lagoons.

Main sighting: Osprey

Osprey seen fishing at low tide just west of carpark accessed from lane past Magorpill Farm and Water Treatment works. I had seen the bird here briefly two weeks previously. Perhaps it is here for a while, and certainly was fun to watch.

Main sighting: Hobby , Vismig and Waders

Dawn until almost duck visit yesterday.
At dawn there was a large number of Curlews on Monks 120+. There was probably a lot more and other Curlews on Becs Lagoon but I it was practically dark so I could not count them. They flew the minute it got a little light.
Throughout the morning the wader flock of Black Tailed Godwits, Knots , Lapwing,Dunlins,Redshanks and Waders remained on Priors quietly on Priors. Snipe were showing well on Priors.
A large flock of House Martins and Swallows were feeding and drinking over Priors and there were also some Sand Martins.
Vismig was being done by Dan Webb and Andy Strong – there was a flow of Meadow Pipits coming through but not as much as previous visits.
Wheatears were showing well around the SeaWall Area. The fencing was alos a favoutite of the StoneChats
PM visit – the wader flock moveed regulalry when startled. Gavin Vella spotted a Hobby near the farm and we had good views.
Later a Sparrowhawk had a goo at the wader flock.
Lots of Dragon flies – including migrant hawkers and Common Hawkers

Main sighting: Hen Harrier

Male hen harrier flying over Newport Wetlands at around 16:10, heading towards the east.

Main sighting: Disturbance at Goldcliff lagoons

There will be some disturbance in the late morning at Goldlcliff Lagoons on Tuesday 15th September, when the flood defenses are inspected. We apologise for any inconvenience caused.

Main sighting: Goosander

Goosander 3 redheads Grey Wagtail 2 Chiffchaff 1.

Main sighting: Great White Egrets and waders

Arrived before dawn. Great White Egrets x 3 on Monks Lagoon near the sluice. ( Record pics on Twitter).
Priors Lagoon. – The wader flock was concentrated near the Marsh Platform. Glossy Ibis x 1, Black Tailed Godwits x 250+, Greenshank 1, Knots x 100c. Redshank x 30, Lapwings x 40, Dunlin x 8. Snipe x 8 ( more also seen around the reed edges. Peregrine x 1 attacked wader flock. Short time after a Black Tailed Godwit was observed trying to stand and failed and later seems to have died.
Vismig observed – lots of Meadow Pipits passing through, Swallows and House Martines. Yellow Wagatils and Wheatars. Chiff Chaffs calling from hedgerows
Foreshore – Oystercatches x 20, Curlews x 20, Shelduck x 100.
Becs – Sparrowhawk and Meadow Pipits and Little Egret.
Ducks seem to be growing in number – Shovelers , Teal and Mallards.
Dragonflies – Common Darters, Southern Hawkers.
Butterflies, Small and Large Whites and Small Copper.

Main sighting: Kestrel

Female kestrel, 40+ ravens, 5 buzzards, goldcrest,, wren, 4 jays, 3 green woodpeckers

Main sighting: Black-tailed Godwits

Significant numbers of waders. Sightings were: Mute Swan, Canada Geese, 2 Teal, Mallard, 120 Shoveler, 2 Little Egret, Grey Heron, Sparrowhawk, Moorhen, 34 Ringed Plover, 99 Lapwing, 40 Knot, 1 Little Stint, 50 Dunlin, 11 Snipe, 200 Black-tailed Godwit, 6 Curlew, 50 Redshank, 2 Greenshank, Black-headed Gulls, Woodpigeon, 1 House Martin, Carrion Crow, 2 Raven, 1 Greenfinch.

Main sighting: KIngfisher

KIngfisher perching on branches then flying along the canal at Two Locks around 6.00 this evening.