Sightings

Main sighting: Curlews, of course

Visit on very high spring tide with following wind, as it dropped, in the hope of finding colour-ringed Curlews. Small high tide roost of Oystercatchers and Black-headed Gulls. Some small waders came in as the tide dropped.

14 Oystercatchers, 7 Ringed Plovers, 18 Dunlins, 6 Knot, 1 Sanderling, 45 Curlews (roosting in the long grass at the top of the beach; about 14 went to feed on the mudflats as the tide dropped, the others flew downstream towards Peterstone),150 Black-headed Gulls, 1 adult Mediterranean Gull.

Main sighting: Yellow-legged Gull

Adult yellow-legged gull still with the gull flock. Also a common sandpiper, juv shelduck, kingfisher.

Main sighting: Great White Egret

En-route to hides: woodpigeons, collard dove, crows, pheasant, gt tit and chiffchaff. Hide 1 – herring gulls, Canada geese (including 2 dead young birds on the edge of the island) and 3 curlew feeding on the island. En-route to hide 2 – green woodpecker and moorhen. Hide 2 – 5 lt egrets, 2 herons, pied wagtails, reed warbler, 6 teal, 4 greylags, mallards and raven. Snipe platform – 2 more lt egrets, 1 great white egret, lt grebes, coot, 14 swans, female tufted, 8 gadwall, 6 shoveler, 34 swallows aerial feeding over the field behind and 3 black-headed gulls. En-route to seawall – starlings and magpies. Seawall – 1 whimbrel, juv peregrine, 11 oystercatchers, 18 curlew, 286 shelduck, 1 gt black-backed gull, 38 ringed plovers, 11 dunlin, cettis calling and ls black-backed gull. Hide 3 – stock dove, 2 adults and 1 juvenile yellow wagtails, male stonechat, cormorant, 1 more heron and11 meadow pipits. Hide 2 – 5 house martins and 2 sand martins over the lagoon. Other: 3 emperor dragonflies, 1 male darter, large whites, meadow and hedge browns and 1 speckled wood butterfly.

Main sighting: Greenshank

Greenshank (1 feeding in the Gout)
Black-Tailed Godwit (1)
Knot (1)
Whimbrel (2)
Turnstone (10)
Curlew (12)
Lapwing (1)
Dunlin (200)
Redshank (300)
Oystercatcher (15)
Ringed Plover (70)
Little Egret (1 in the Gout)

Main sighting: Bittern

Bittern flew over Becs lagoon c.1pm.

Main sighting: Wood Sandpiper

En-route to hide 2 – magpies, woodpigeons, wren, crows, swallows, herring gulls, starlings, chiffchaff, blue tit, 1 stock dove, curlew overhead, mallards, moorhen and goldfinches. Hide 2 – 60 lapwing, 16 teal, 2 herons, 3 swans flying past, Canada geese (and a carcass) and a snipe calling. Snipe platform – 26 black-tailed godwits up high heading south/east at 0633 followed by 10 knot also up high and heading south/east at 0639, coot, lt grebes, male wigeon, 18 more teal, 8 more mute swans, pair gadwall, reed warbler singing and 6 shoveler. Seawall – female kestrel hunting, 1 gt black-backed gull, black headed gulls, 7 curlew, good count of 310 shelduck and 11 oystercatchers. Hide 3 – ls black-backed gulls, 6 lt egrets, male stonechat, female wheatear on the island, pied wagtails, juvenile wood sandpiper around the dry-mud area close to the bank, flew off and not relocated, linnets, 30 ringed plovers, 2nd snipe and juvenile female kestrel on the fence line. Back at hide 2 – marsh harrier, 62 dunlin (including 4 pale possibly juvenile birds)?, 1 turnstone, 1 knot, 2 buzzards, raven, greylags and 2 black-tailed godwits. Back at the car park – lesser whitethroat contact call (later seen), female sparrowhawk and 30+ house martins aerial feeding and congregating on the wires.

Main sighting: Whinchats

Juvenile and adult male on fence by entrance of solar plant.

Main sighting: Swifts

Whilst leading a guided ‘birdwatching for beginners’ walk, bit quiet on the bird front, but species seen included pheasant, gt spotted woodpecker, crows, woodpigeons, 53 house martins aerial feeding, herring gulls, jackdaws, group of 7 swifts and 3 more later on (nice surprise to see these), 5 chiffchaffs (contact calls), gt tit, buzzard, cettis, blue tits, mute swans, mallards, coot, lt grebes (2 pairs), 1 heron only (no lt egrets in the trees by the pond), moorhen, wren, swallows (4), rook, ls black-backed gulls and surprisingly a willow warbler in full song. Other: Emperor and southern hawker dragonflies, azure damselflies, meadow and hedge browns and large whites.

Main sighting: Marsh Harrier

Juvenile Marsh Harrier hunting over the moor to the east of the old Brynmawr reservoir. Red Kite, Kestrel, otherwise little about.

Main sighting: Bittern / Baird's update

En-route to reserve – woodpigeons, crows, jackdaws, robin, herring gulls, wren, blue tits, chiffchaffs, ls black-backed gulls and moorhen. Hide 2 – lt egret, 325 black-tailed godwits, 63 lapwing, magpie, 29 dunlin, Canada geese, 20 teal, pied wagtails, 27 ringed plovers, black-headed gulls, 1 heron, swallows and the juv bittern flying across towards hide 3 at 0645. Hide 3 – cattle egret, mallards, fem sparrowhawk, starlings, 10 more teal, 2 more lt egrets, adult male and juv stonechat. Seawall – gt white egrets amongst the geese, coot, lt grebes and swans on 2nd lagoon. Back at hide 2 – greenshank showing well, sand martins, 32 greylags, linnet and the Baird’s was in the far left corner from the hide, amongst the teal mostly, flew off towards the sea wall with the other waders around 10.45 Seems to be seen early-mid morning but does not linger for long. Other: Meadow browns and gatekeepers, southern hawker.

Main sighting: Red-legged Partridge

1 flying just above hedgerow near Newton Farm.

Main sighting: Yellow leg gull