Sightings

Main sighting: Avocets & Female Marsh Harrier

A successful supreme spring walk with decent birds. At the entrance a wren on the right in the brambles. Quiet at the greenshank hide ( hide 1 ) and was a bit untidy so I decided to tidy it up and moved the sitting benches in line with the viewing windows to give birdwatchers and visitors a better experience for when they arrive. Opposite the curlew hide ( hide 2 ) were 2 chiffchaff’s on hawthorn bushes and a magpie. At the curlew hide ( hide 2 ) were 2 Avocets trying to breed the other side of the island, then flew off into the distance when disturbed by other birds. Female marsh harrier. Also here were lapwings on the island, canada geese, 60 curlew, 2 common sandpipers, shovelers and wigeon.
Between the curlew ( hide 2 ) and avocet ( hide 3 ) hide’s also on a hawthorn bush was gwent/monmouthshire’s most famous well known butterfly – a comma. Approaching the avocet hide ( hide 3) a little egret flew over and a male stonechat perched on a thistle. At the avocet hide ( hide 3 ) were over 200 black tailed godwits, canada geese, female marsh harrier seen again, lapwings, mute swan, shelducks and another 6 avocets ( I took some photo’s ). At the seawall 10 avocets on the sea which flew towards Newport wetlands. In total 18 avocets.

Main sighting: Goshawk

Goshawk, 2 skylarks

Main sighting: Chiffchaff

Chiffchaff calling in woods.

Main sighting: oystercatcher

high tide roost of 70 oystercatchers under the Prince of Wales bridge, largest number that we have ever seen in Monmouthshire.

Main sighting: Goosanders

M and F goosander

Main sighting: Spotted Redshank

Spotted Redshank (opposite Hide 2); Marsh Harrier (fem); Avocet 56; Black Tailed Godwit 380; Canada Goose 51;

Main sighting: Spotted Redshank

Spotted Redshank in WP no signs yet of BP. Avocet 10 Black-tailed Godwit 200 Curlew 60 all on foreshore, Lapwing 10 Ringed Plover 1 . Teal 50 Pintail 5 Pochard 1 Shoveler 20 Wigeon 30 Stonechat 3 Marsh Harrier 1

Main sighting: Egyptian Goose

Egyptian Goose 1 (feeding on foreshore then moved to the fields feeding with the Mute Swans)
Canada Goose 25
Greylag Goose 4
Mute Swan 65
Cormorant 17
Little Egret 5
Curlew 200
Dunlin 1000
Grey Plover 2
Ringed Plover 12
Teal 2
Wigeon 10
Shelduck 300
Fieldfare 30

Main sighting: Little Owl (late entry)

Added amendment to sightings for Saturday 1st – little owl pellets found near to hide 2. @M Pointon – in your sightings report, what is BP please and WP? Thanks.

Main sighting: Pochards

Spring pairing up, displaying / courtship behaviour and territorial disputes starting now with the water birds. Bit more activity this week (I am away for 2 Saturday’s after today so more highlights when I get back). En-route to hides: magpies, starlings, collard doves, Canada geese, pheasant, mallards, wren, herring gulls, crows, chaffinch, woodpigeons, goldfinches and 1 buzzard. Hide 1: female goldcrest, greylags, 23 shelduck, 41 teal, pied wagtail and a female sparrowhawk put up the godwit flock. En-route to hide 2: skylark in song, great tits, blue tits and single redwing. Hide 2: 13 shoveler, 7 gadwall, 18 redshanks, 8 wigeon, 1 lapwing, 8 curlew, cettis calling, 2 oystercatchers and female marsh harrier. Snipe platform: 5 male and 1 female common pochards was a good number here, pair of tufteds mixed in, coot, pair of little grebes and a single male, 2 mute swans and blackbirds. Seawall: female stonechat, 48 more wigeon out on the high tide, 1 little egret, 27 more curlew and house sparrows. Hide 3: male pintail, 43 avocet, relocated the black-tailed godwit flock (278) with a single dunlin mixed in, black headed gull, 14 more lapwing, 1 heron, 10 more shoveler, 4 more gadwall, pair stonechats, 1 ringed plover and reed buntings (3). 4 more oystercatchers one pair ‘piping’. Back at hide 2: 2 snipe. back at the car park 1 rook over with jackdaws and robin in song.

Main sighting: Curlew

Single curlew flushed off bracken at dusk and returned a few minutes later on Machen Mountain, south facing side.

Main sighting: Red Kite

Two days running a Red Kite flying over same field by my house.