Sightings

Main sighting: Lapland Bunting

Last seen dropping in to saltmarsh at 6.15 100m west of pill. Found by Nick Saunders.

Main sighting: Osprey

Big (probably female ) Osprey heading south adj. To Monmouth showground over meadowes where the Monnow meets the Wye ..at 11.39 today

Main sighting: Waders

High tide visit this evening. More waders this evening showing well on Monks Lagoon from first hide. 300c Dunlin, 200c Ringed Plover, 3 x Turnstone, 1 x Greenshank , 150c Black Headed Gulls, Kestrel and Sparrowhawk took either Dunlin or R.Plover . Darker form of Buzzard on posts near Becs Lagoon.May have seen a Stint? but hard to tell in poor light so keep your eyes out next high tide.

Main sighting: Further sighting

The glossy ibis flew in at dusk and prior to this when we were scanning though the wader flock, there was a good candidate for the semi, but the light was not the best to confirm unfortunately.

Main sighting: Passerines

Evening visit highlights – 4 whaetear, 4 whinchat and a male stonechat on the fence line from hide 1 – the wheatears were dropping down into the long grass to catch craneflies, 32 swallows, adult stock dove, teal numbers now at 56, 9 shoveler, 205 dunlin with 97 ringed plovers and 3 turnstone mixed in, 27 lapwing, 3 lt egrets, 1 heron, 3 ruff feeding together (from snipe), black swan, 1 chiffchaff (contact call), female kestrel hunting, 34 oystercatchers (on the saltings), greenshank and 2 snipe from hide 3 with 77 black-headed gulls, 1 buzzard, 2 house martins and back at hide 1 a female sparrowhawk came through and took out a dunlin and proceeded to fly over the hide and behind the hedgerow. Other: small copper, 4 migrant (not southern as stated on Saturday) hawkers and 1 painted lady.

Main sighting: Dippers

Dippers very active on the rhymney river to-day,counted 7 Also green woodpeckers flying around.

Main sighting: Fieldfare

8 fieldfare (more than first quoted) and 2 redwing with 4 mistle thrush feeding in hawthorns at pwll duu near old pub also Male and female kestrel still with juv near “the black hole ) Mippits and stonechat still present in sparse numbers but Wheatear have finally left the building .Raven Buzzard Green Woodpecker also present .

Main sighting: Cliff-chaff

There was a Chiffchaff singing in Monmouth this morning around 1015!

Main sighting: Curlew Sandpipers and Ruff

High Tide Visit. Monks Lagoon 50+ Dunlins , 50+ Ringed Plovers, 14 Curlew ( no colour rings) 2 x Curlew Sandpipers, 8 Shelduck, 60+ Black Headed Gull, 1 x Whinchat, 2 x Wheatear and 2 x Yellow Wagtails. Priors Lagoons – 4 x Ruff and 2 x Snipe. Becs Lagoons – later – Approx 50+ Dunlins and 50+ Ringed Plovers – 1 x Curlew Sandpiper in with them. 14 Lapwings. 2 x Greenshank.
Kestrel was hunting all around the reserve.

Main sighting: Osprey

Osprey heading south down river half a mile south of the town near Monmouth Show Ground towards Redbrook at 13.23 today

Main sighting: Redstart

Redstart 3 in the hedge row Lesser Whitethroat 1 Chiffchaff 2 Treecreeper 1 Ruff 4 Yellow Wagtail 2 Wheatear 4 and Floss the Gloss.

Main sighting: House Martin

flock of 30+ House Martin feeding over allotment and surrounding area 2.30pm