Sightings

Main sighting: Wheatear

Female Wheatear behind factories at Oakdale.

Main sighting: Pied Flycatcher

Seen 500m north-west of the canal tunnel above Llanfoist. Perched briefly before flying Northward.

Main sighting: Pied Flycatcher

Female Pied Flycatcher on river bank just above Llanfoist bridge . Also first swallows of the year

Main sighting: Mistle Thrush

Sitting tight on nest in Yew tree twelve feet high approx.

Main sighting: Curlews wanted

Curlews are becoming more active and vocal at the moment so these next few weeks are the best time to find them. Please email all sightings and heards to curlew@gwentbirds.org.uk giving the date, location (a grid reference is a huge help) and the number of birds. Notes on behaviour such as chasing another Curlew, seeing off a predator, display flights or alarm calling would be really useful.

Main sighting: Blackcap

FIve male Blackcaps in pollarded tree at
Magor Marsh ,all bickering with each other

Main sighting: Goosander and Swallows

Around 0915 1 male and 2 female goosanders up river flying towards Caerphilly above the tree line but following the path of the river. Male flew back downriver again above the tree line around 1315. Also throughout the morning, 6 separate swallows aerial feeding and again heading towards the direction of Caerphillty.

Main sighting: green sandpiper

no other birders at Goldcliff this morning!! 1-Green Sandpiper from the first hide on the near side of the island.Also from the first hide but on the waters edge beyond the island and looking decidedly a blotchy black and white as it aquires its breeding plumage,a Spotted Redshank.10h30-12h00

Main sighting: Weekly update

En-route to hides – moorhen, chiffchaffs (5 seen in total on the reserve), woodpigeons, starling, 3 singing blackcaps, blue tit, magpies, collard dove, pheasant, jackdaws, chaffinch, wren, lesser black-backed gulls, crows, sparrows, blackbird and robin. Field behind hide 2 and reen – greylags, mallards, 2 gadwall, siskin overhead calling, green woodpecker calling, goldfinch and cormorant. Hide 2 – skylarks, 22 avocet, 6 shoveler, wigeon now 9 only, 15 redshanks, 6 teal now only, 22 shelduck, 1 spotted redshank (going slowly into breeding plumage), 2 lapwing, coot, 1 snipe only, and 1 buzzard and herring gulls. Snipe platform – 4 male and 3 female tufteds, reed bunting and 3 little grebes. Seawall – pied wagtail, 53 more shelduck, 1 curlew, 2 oystercatchers and 116 more Canada geese. Hide three – pair linnets, male stonechat, 1 swallow, 6 more lapwing, 8 more avocet, 1 dunlin, 1 black-tailed godwit only, 2 ringed plovers, pair pintail, meadow pipits, 2 more curlew, mute swan and female sparrowhawk.

Main sighting: Willow Warblers

Bit quieter here today but species seen included Canada geese, robin, chiffchaff, wren, magpies, woodpigeons, mallards, blue tit, crows, coot, gadwall pair, single lapwing, skylark, cormorant, 2 singing willow warblers, cettis, jackdaws, long tailed tits and a pheasant.

Main sighting: Common Sandpiper

Common Sandpiper on River Usk a little upstream of Llanfoist bridge. Sand Martins swarming above their nest colony.

Main sighting: Swallow

Swallow flying through 15:15pm.