Sightings

Main sighting: Reed Warbler

1 Reed Warbler, 2 Sedge Warblers,my firsts for this year, singing at times near the Lighthouse. Also a few Swallows flying west.

Main sighting: Sand Martins

Good numbers of sand and house martins flying low over the Usk this afternoon.
On the Blorange spring arrivals are also increasing by the day despite the weather with good numbers of wheatears and stone chat.

Main sighting: Red Kite

1 red Kite over south end of Tintern village and over woodland south of Tintern on Gwent side of Wye 11.45

Main sighting: Swallow

First swallow over the buildings at Taurus crafts, also reported from Usk over the town.

Main sighting: Serins

M and F serin seen above Grwyne Fawr river at SO282242, (track south of Cadwgan CP) both birds then flew west over the river into Powys.

Main sighting: Waders

2 oystercatchers, 2 common sandpipers, green sandpiper. Great spotted woodpecker, 2 green woodpeckers, 5 willow warblers, 8 chiffchaff, mistle thrush, 2 song thrush, 2 collared dove, 10 goldfinch, 3 long tailed tits, m and f mandarin, 10 canada geese, 2 grey heron, 8 buzzards, red kite, 4m 4f goosander, raven, coot, moorhen, 40 sand martins, cormorant, yellow-legged gull

Main sighting: Firecrest

Another walk on the southern edge of the Black Mountains. Not many summer visitors yet, 3 male Redstarts in about 4 hours, 3 Willow Warblers all in one patch of birches. Best bird by far though was a singing Firecrest moving along the top edge of a wood at 350m. I’ve found Firecrests at 5 sites in north Monmouthshire (N of the A40) since 2011 but this is the first in the Black Mountains. At a couple of sites they persisted for 2 or 3 years, but on the whole seem to be transient.

Main sighting: Common sandpiper

Dawn – mid morning visit. En-route to hides – pheasants, robins, blackbirds, crows, wrens and blue tits. Hide one – greylag geese, cettis calling, moorhens, 3 chiffchaffs, mallards, 30 avocet, 12 shelduck, 24 shoveler, 31 teal, 2 pairs lapwing, 1 pair wigeon only, 4 pairs gadwall, lesser black-backed gulls, 2 blackcaps and 1 willow warbler in song along he hedge to hide 2. Hide two – woodpigeons, 1 curlew overhead, skylarks, 7 coot. Snipe platform – 5 cormorants, 7 mute swans, pair of knot over, kestrel, 2 males and 1 fem tufteds. Seawall – 82 curlew on the last of the exposed saltings and jackdaws. Hide three – 3 swallows, 7 redshanks, 48 shelduck, 7 more shoveler and 2 more gadwall, 4 more avocet, meadow pipits, 5 little egrets, 3 herons, pair reed buntings, stock dove, black headed gull and fem marsh harrier. Back at hide 1 mid-morning – 1 common sandpiper feeding along the edge of the island, 5 ringed plovers, dunnock, 2 spotted redshanks (right hand corner) and a red kite being mobbed by crows and a raven.

Main sighting: Willow Warbler

A fall of Willow Warblers today.
2 singing at Magor Marsh and 1 calling at Lower Minnetts. Pair of Stonechats also at the Marsh.

Main sighting: Swifts

An Urgent Appeal regarding the Swift Brick Petition.
The swift brick petition to the UK government has so far gained more than 82 000 signatures. Reaching 100 000 signatures would trigger a debate in parliament, but the petition closes on 30th April 2023.
This link will take you to UK government website where you read more specific information about the petition (and sign it).

Make swift bricks compulsory in new housing to help red-listed birds – Petitions (parliament.uk)

For those who wish to sign it could you please take action before the closing date. It would be wonderful to get this cheap, simple and practical way of addressing the decline in our breeding birds debated in parliament.
The petition is not limited to birdwatchers so please share it with any like-minded people.
Jackie Pointon

Main sighting: Garganey

2-Garganey m+f showing well from the first hide,also 35-Avocets on the tide line,1-LRP on the first island.No sign of the Spotted Redshank.11h30-13h00.

Main sighting: Red Kite

Amendment to previous post, bad typing or over efficient spell checker ended up posting Red Mite, should of course read Red Kite, other details are as posted.