Sightings

Main sighting: 2 swallows

2 swallows on telegraph pole

Main sighting: Blue-headed wagtail (Motacilla flava flava)

A male present on the first lagoon was most likely this subspecies, although the bird appeared to show some characteristics of Iberian wagtail M. f. iberiae, including a relatively dark head, broad white supercilium which flared behind the eye, and an apparently white throat. It was not possible to confirm that features suggesting an intergrade (such as white flecks on the ear coverts, loral line or extent of the white throat) or pure Iberian wagtail due to the distance at which the bird was observed. The bird was present for approximately 7 minutes before being lost to view, during which time it was not possible to obtain good (or even reasonable) quality record shots – perhaps one to keep an eye open for!

Main sighting: Common Redstart

Observed for forty minutes moving between solar panel fencing and the hedgerow.

Main sighting: Whinchat

Male Whinchat on gorse near the old Brynmawr reservoir. Six Stonechats but only one Wheatear. Swallow over. Kestrel hunting.

Main sighting: Merlin

Female Merlin spooking the high tide roost
Bar-Tailed Godwit 11
Black-Tailed Godwit 2
Whimbrel 4
Grey Plover 1
Redshank 20
Curlew 9
Dunlin 16
Ringed Plover 7
Oystercatcher 66
Shelduck 30
Little Egret 1
Grey Heron 2
Stock Dove 2
Plenty of Sedge and Cettis Warblers, Whitethroats and Skylarks calling together with 1 Reed Bunting and a few Sand Martins and 1 Swallow over

Main sighting: Common Swift

Apologies late entry -2 common swift over.

Main sighting: White Wagtail

En-route to hides: pheasant, woodpigeons, blue tits, herring gulls, cormorant, heron, crows, blackcaps, blackbirds, buzzard, chiffchaffs, dunnock, moorhen, magpies, jackdaws and skylark (nice large dryads saddle fungi on rotten log just over bridge by entrance). Hide 1: 2nd heron and 4 lapwing. En-route to hide 2: willow warbler and common whitethroat in full song, cettis and raven. Hide 2: Canada geese, greylag geese, 845 black-tailed godwits and 20 bar tailed (good number here) mixed in, 12 knot also, 12 redshanks, mallards, 10 fly-by mute swans, 14 avocet, 8 teal, 1 shoveler, 2 oystercatchers, meadow pipits, 30 dunlin, female marsh harrier, reed bunting, white wagtail (male), great black-backed gull, 1 ruff, lesser black-backed gulls, gadwall pair and 1 little ringed plover. The 2 spotted redshanks are still present and starting to look very dark as they change into breeding plumage, frequenting both side of the large island and showing well. Snipe platform: pied wagtail, coot, little grebe 2 more swans, linnets and robin. Seawall – male wheatear (on wall leading down towards hide 3), 5 wigeon, 11 curlew, 2 swallows and a pair of stonechats (female carrying nesting material). Reed warbler in full song en-route to hide 3. Hide 3: shelduck, 3 male and 2 female pintail, 71 more avocet, 32 more shoveler, 15 more teal, 6 more gadwall and 2 ringed plover (no sign of pink footed goose). Back at hide 1 a pair of stock doves drinking. Other: 1 meadow brown, 2 small whites and 2 speckled wood butterflies.

Main sighting: Cuckoo

Cuckoo calling heard from the track just off the Cambrian Way just above Cwn Y Nant

Main sighting: Newport Marathon

It is the Newport Marathon and Half Marathon on Sunday 13th April which means the road to Goldcliff lagoons and Uskmouth will be closed for a long period. So it might be wise to give the area a miss.

Main sighting: Sand Martin

4 Sand Martins swirling around the Wye Bridge at 2.30 today – first I have seen this year.

Main sighting: Yellow wagtail

Yellow wagtail, grey wagtail, 5 pied wagtail, 3 goldfinch, 2 ravens, 10 Chaffinch, 5 chiffchaff, 2 blackcaps, a nuthatch, 2 song thrush, a great spotted woodpecker, a green woodpecker, 3 stock doves, a kingfisher, up to 200 sand martins. 26 Canada geese, 10 greylags, 3 m 2 F goosander, a pair of mandarin ducks, 5 cormorants, a grey heron, 3 oystercatchers, a buzzard and a goshawk

Main sighting: Northern Wheatear

Wheatear 7 males and 2 females, made up of 5 solo males and 2 pairs.