Sightings

Main sighting: Sparrowhawk

In no particular order: Buzzard, sparrowhawk, cormorant, mute swan, herring gull, little egret, grey heron (11), moorhen, coot, mallard, teal, gadwall, little grebe, pheasant, jackdaw, carrion crow, woodpigeon, great spotted woodpecker, great tit, blue tit, long tailed tit, blackbird, dunnock, wren, robin, cetti’s warbler, chaffinch, goldfinch.

Main sighting: Woodcock

Pair of woodcock flushed at the edge of an alder copse, also of note, red kites, buzzard, male sparrowhawk, goldcrest, 9 redwings, 1 fieldfare, pair of green woodpeckers, 1 heron, 1 stock dove, treecreeper and stonechat.

Main sighting: Northern Owls

Don’t forget tomorrow evening’s talk on northern owls – see the Home page for details.

Main sighting: Spotted Redshank

1-Spotted Redshank showing well along the far side of first island,25-Avocets on the shore,2-Marsh Harriers.Good numbers of Wigeon and Shoveler on the lagoons.10h30-12h45.

Main sighting: Kingfisher and dipper

1 Dipper still present, 1 kingfisher flew downstream, 1 siskin, 1 grey wagtail, 2 mallards.

Main sighting: Goosander

2 Goosander seen – a female and immature male. Also a Little Grebe and a singing Mistle Thrush.

Main sighting: Curlews needed!

The first Curlews are back in inland Gwent and more are bound to follow! Please send all records (seen or heard) to the dedicated email address Curlew@gwentbirds.org.uk , giving the date, location (a grid ref is a huge help), number, habitat and whether any sheep or cattle are nearby. We need to know where they’re breeding if we’re to stop the steep decline in their numbers.

Main sighting: Pintail and Weasel

En-route to hides – House sparrows, crows, blue tits, magpies (pair nesting in the village too), chaffinches, starlings, Canada geese, heron, robins, 3 redwings, blackbirds and woodpigeons. Redshank platform – 68 shoveler, 3 shelduck, 8 teal only, mallards, gt spotted woodpecker calling, 28 lapwing only, 17 gadwall (a better number), fem marsh harrier, meadow pipits, 1 fieldfare, goldfinches, 4 curlew (overhead), herring gulls, moorhens and skylark singing. Hide 2 – no sign of the Dartford, but plenty of activity in the three bramble bushes including 2 wrens, 3 chiffchaffs, 2 pairs stonechats, pair of reed buntings and 3 meadow pipits. Also from here, drake pintail showing well, 2 greylags, 116 shelduck that flew up from lagoon 3, and on the edge of the island 20 ringed plovers with 7 dunlin mixed in, and a flock of 81 dunlin that flew in but did not land. 4 wigeon only, and on the way out a weasel was scurrying along the bank.

Main sighting: Kingfisher

Kingfisher, heron, cormorant, goosander, tufted duck, 5 ltt, 2 song thrush, 90 common gulls, 65 mallard, 17 black headed gulls, 3 moorhen, 60 rooks, 30 jackdaws

Main sighting: Lots of Cirl Buntings

On holiday while sites these – fab

Main sighting: Mandarin duck

Male Mandarin among three Mallard on pond near Pen y Fan green.

Main sighting: Grey wagtail

Drizzle coming in through hide window, overcast and wet. En-route to hide 1 – 46 herring gulls in the field, long tailed tits and a goldcrest by the stone bridge with a grey wagtail feeding in the reen, wrens, blue tits, crows, magpies, robin, 1 lt egret, starlings, woodpigeons and a greenfinch. Hide 1 visited only – female marsh harrier, 43 wigeon, 37 shelduck, 147 lapwing, 7 common redshanks, 56 teal, Canada geese, mallards, and a better number of shoveler at 43.