Sightings

Main sighting: Red Kite

Red Kite flying over A465 with crows, west of Skirrid Fawr.

Main sighting: Colour-ringed Ringed Plover

The colour-ringed Ringed Plover seen at Goldcliff on 31/8 had been ringed at its breeding site in Norway. Recoveries of birds ringed in that area suggest they winter in West Africa.

Main sighting: Waders

Dawn to mid-morning visit highlights included shelduck, 2 chiffchaffs (contact calls), 2 herons, 12 lt egrets, 3 common snipe, female marsh harrier causing mayhem, glossy ibis feeding with the black swan (glossy flew to the Pill at 1045hrs), 6 redshanks, 110 ringed plovers (1 with leg rings and a leg flag), 51 dunlin (10 juvs), 15 teal, 6 shoveler, 8 yellow wagtails, lapwing, 386 knot, 276 black-tailed godwits, female sparrowhawk, 1 ad and 2 juv curlew sandpipers, cettis calling, 3 turnstone, 6 sand martins with 86 swallows, peregrine, female tufted duck, buzzard, 1 lt stint, 1 ruff and a green woodpecker. We were joined by Mike smart from Gloucester who is part of the curlew ringing project – 166 curlew were scanned through and 6 were colour ringed including a German ringed bird of note. Also in with this flock were 2 bar-tailed godwits and 2 whimbrel.

Main sighting: Knot and Curlew Sandpiper

Best evening I can remember in ages at high tide. Monks was full .Hundreds of birds. 400+ Knot ( will count on my pics), 3 x Curlew Sandpipers ( 1 Adult, 2 Juve), 2 x Ruff, 3 x Snipe, 1 x Marsh Harrier that caused mayhem. Hundreds of Ringed Plovers, Little Ringed Plovers in small numbers, good flock of Dunlins, Bar Tailed Godwits ( 3), 100 c Black Tailed Godwits. Curlews, Lapwings, Teal , Shelduck, Shovelers, Buzzard, Pied Wagtails, 6 x Yellow Wagtails. Big flock of Starlings. 11 x Little Egrets just on Priors. Hundreds of Black Headed Gulls roosting on Monks.

Main sighting: Female kestrel

Female kestrel, 3 grey wagtails, 20 goldfinch, 55 pied wagtails, a raven, 7 common gulls, a heron, 185 mallard

Main sighting: Kingfishers

two kingfishers together by the woodmill, watched them for 5minutes

Main sighting: Curlew Sandpiper

3 Curlew Sandpiper inc 1 adult this evening, 3 juv Greenshank,up to 700 Knot in 2 flocks of near 300 and near 400, 1 Common Sandpiper,a few LRPs,1 close female Marsh Harrier

Main sighting: Disturbance

There will be some disturbance tomorrow when we mow the vegetation on the islands. Apologies for any inconvenience caused.

Main sighting: 1000's of House Martins

Alison thanks for reporting this. The Grwyne Fawr valley, Breconshire where these were seen does have the habit of turning up migrant House Martins. They occur normally here as you saw in the lee of the conifer forestry, presumably where insects gather. Generally up to 300 birds so your flock was exceptional – and perhaps a couple of weeks earlier in the autumn than peak numbers normally. Andrew – Breconshire Bird Recorder.

Main sighting: 1000s of housemartins gathering on telephone wires

About 1000 housemartins gathering in this valley on 27/8/2019 at 10am. In the Black Mountains of S Wales 1mile west of Capel-y-ffin. Grid reference SO245294. Is this a gathering before they fly south? Anybody know if this is a common phenomenon to gather in such large numbers? There were plenty of insects around as well at a reservoir for water which they were dipping into. I can send a poor quality mobile phone video if this helps.

Main sighting: Swifts

2 Swifts over the house this afternoon

Main sighting: clouded Yellow

A few migrant about at low tide. Blackcap 3 Whitethroat 1 . Butterflies: Clouded Yellow 1 Painted Lady 15 Small Tortoiseshell 2 Green-veined White 2 Large White 4 Common Blue 2