Sightings

Main sighting: Marsh harrier

About 14:30 female marsh harrier hunting over saltmarsh between blackrock and st Pierre pill. Possibly different bird to one seen at caldicot pill yesterday, marking especially on front of wing seemed less bright, but could be due to light conditions. Also 10 snipe 4 jack snipe, 1 woodcock, 5 black-tailled godwit, 2 gadwall, 30+ teal, 40+ skylark and 30+ lapwing flying over

Main sighting: Marsh harrier

This afternoon between about 14:00 and 15:30 female marsh harrier hunting over saltmarsh between second Severn bridge and rogiet sea wall

Main sighting: Lapwing

Walk along the Usk from Llanfoist to Llanwenarth had 3 Lapwing , 4 Teal (1m 3f) , 2 Kingfisher , a Dipper , 3 Little Egret , a Sparrowhawk , a Treecreeper , a Nuthatch , a pair of Stonechat and 3 Otters . Also on Wednesday a single snipe in the field near the church and the Little Owl is back in the barn .

Main sighting: Water Rail

Parc Nant-y-Waun: Water Rail foraging around the Mustard Pond. A very occasional visitor locally and our first record in the Parc. Elsewhere, a group of five Lesser Redpolls and a Stonechat. Woodpigeon and Collared Dove calling despite dismal weather.
Waun Pond: many Herring Gulls on ice or bathing along with a few LBB and BHs. Nothing unusual, yet…

Main sighting: Barn Owl

Barn Owl fly over Goytre A4042

Main sighting: Spoonbill

Spoonbill flying over reserve (didn’t see it wading) from Snipe screen 11am;
Around 48 species across Goldcliff and Nash including spotted redshank, ? 1000 dunlin; snipe; linnet, blackcap (M), greenfinch 3; GS woodpecker 3 – but still dipped the dartford and the black redstarts!

Main sighting: Common gulls

180 common gulls

Main sighting: Green woodpecker

Today on a walk with my dogs in Gaer Fort, Newport, I spotted a large bright green bird with a red cap. I was un sure what it was at first and thought it could be a ring necked parakeet now common in the UK. However it was too large and was solitary. It flew off from the ground as I got closer, into a tree. When it flew it would repeat a couple flaps of the wings and then dip with its wings tucked in. After some research at home I found out it was a green woodpecker, which my mum said are now less common here.

Main sighting: Swallow

This am: Swallow X 3 from sea wall also black redstart.

Main sighting: Dartford Warbler

Mid-morning visit – Collard dove, chaffinch, redwings, woodpigeons, buzzard (light-phase bird), pheasant, crows, moorhens, starlings, goldfinches, fieldfares, mute swan, goldcrest, song thrush, dunnock, great tit. Hide 1 – good count of 350 lapwings, 66 wigeon, 6 shelduck, wren, 3 snipe, 6 black-tailed godwits, 14 redshanks (spotted redshank mixed in), female kestrel, 25 teal, 10 shoveler, Canada geese. Hide 2 – herring gulls, black headed gulls, ravens, cormorant, 14 greylag geese, 1 little egret. Seawall – 11 curlew only, oystercatchers and a small flock of dunlin. Hide 3 – the Dartford warbler had been seen earlier from the Marsh platform, no luck for me there, but I located it opposite hide 3 where it was frequenting the reeds and vegetation with a pair of stonechats, female reed bunting, cettis warbler and a robin. Meadow pipits and 3 gadwall also seen.

Main sighting: Brambling

A lovely male Brambling with the Chaffinches this morning. Except for last winter, only a very occasional visitor.

Main sighting: Tufted Duck

There was a young male Tufted Duck diving just below the Monnow Bridge in Monmouth today at 11.00, amongst the usual Mallards