Sightings

Main sighting: Red grouse

2 Red grouse calling – poss 3

Main sighting: Curlew Sandpiper

En-route to hides: pheasants, blue tits, goldfinches, wrens, magpies, chaffinch, pied wagtail, chiffchaffs, starling, moorhen, woodpigeons, crows, blackcaps, mallards, blackbirds, skylark, whitethroats and cettis. Hide 2: Canada and graylag geese (both with goslings), 4 oystercatchers, 126 black-tailed godwits, 10 knot (3 in breeding plumage), 21 avocets (2 pairs with chicks), 54 dunlin with the first curlew sandpiper of the summer mixed in, coot, lesser black-backed gulls, reed buntings, 1 stock dove, 2 swallows, 10 redshanks, (no sign of the spotted), raven, reed warblers, lesser whitethroats, marsh harrier, gadwall, sedge warbler, 2 little stints (1 in breeding plumage), 4 bar tailed godwits, 2 ruff, 1 common sandpiper, 2 little egrets and 1 heron. Snipe platform: 7 male and 2 female tufted ducks, 2 whimbrel overhead, 6 swans, 4 more gadwall, 2 shoveler, 2 little grebes and a pair of common pochard. Seawall: greater black-backed gull, 3 more fly-over whimbrel (one also feeding on the mud). Hide 3: buzzard, 6 teal, green-winged teal still present as is the pink-footed goose but sightings sparse, 2 cormorants, 1 ringed plover, 8 more gadwall, 4 lapwing, 61 more avocet (numerous chicks) and a male peregrine up high circling.

Main sighting: Swift

Four Swift late afternoon, first of the year.

Main sighting: Curlew

Curlew calling in right hand field on the Llanishen to Parkhouse Lane. Reported to me by bird watcher

Main sighting: Whimbrel

Big numbers of Whimbrel this evening.I counted at least 62.I think there could have been many more further down channel towards Sluice farm and beyond.19h15-20h00.

Main sighting: Green Winged Teal

The teal (found by JG) was on the far bank straight ahead as you look out from hide 3. Roosting while we watched, female with it possibly GWT also?. En-route to hide 1: collard dove, wrens, woodpigeons, starlings, pheasants, magpies, blackcap, crows, mallards, dunnock, blue tits, linnets, herring gulls, chiffchaff, moorhen, raven and swallows. Hide 1: lapwing pair with 4 chicks. Hide 2: blackbirds, lesser whitethroat (favoring the hedge line from here to the snipe platform), 119 black-tailed with 5 bar tailed godwits mixed in (3 of the latter in summer plumage), Canada geese, 10 avocet, 495 dunlin, 2 greenshanks, shelduck, lesser black-backed gulls, spotted redshank (not the dark bird but the original one seen with it previously), 19 knot, 1 ruff, 4 oystercatchers, reed warbler, greylag geese, ringed plover, coot, 3 redshanks, 4 gadwall, cuckoo calling (towards direction of the seawall tea rooms), heron, 1 snipe, marsh harriers, pied wagtail, jackdaws, 2 little egrets, skylarks and meadow pipit. Snipe platform: 13 shoveler, pair tufted ducks, 4 male little grebes, reed buntings, pintail pair, 2 sedge warblers and 12 mute swans. Seawall: 2 whimbrel, 1 curlew only, male stonechat, grey plover in breeding plumage, black headed gull and a porpoise. Hide 3: 10 Eurasian teal, 2 common sandpipers (left tip of the island) and 44 more avocet. Back at the car park, 2 jays over and chaffinches.

Main sighting: Swift

2 Swift + 2 Hs Martin

Main sighting: Red Grouse

A pair of Red Grouse were in the heather near the summit of Blorenge, calling and displaying. Whinchat singing on the east side.

Main sighting: Swift

Two plus 3 Hs Martins this evening

Main sighting: Lesser Whitethroat

1 male singing plus; 1 Whitethroat, 4 Tree Pipits, 1 male Stonechat (atypical breeding habitat) 3 Skylark, 1 Marsh Tit, 1 Kestrel, 11 Linnet, 2 Bullfinch, only 1 House Martin. Lack of hirundines and Redstarts at present.

Main sighting: Swift

Calling loudly from bespoke nest box on house beside B4233 very near entrance to Monnow Bridge Caravan Park. Quite early to be in a nesting location, though could just be sheltering from the rain.

Main sighting: 4 pairs goosander (no chicks)

Between Redbrook and brockweir –
Above plus 15 mandarin (mostly male)
2 grey wagtail, only 1 imm cormorant