Sightings

Main sighting: Curlew

Curlew pair back on breeding site this morning! Probably others in the county too so please keep a look-out and don’t forget to send your sightings (or heards) to Curlew@gwentbirds.org.uk .

Main sighting: Grey Plover

Highlights of hightide count it was good to see numbers of waders on Monk’s lagoon. Grey Plover 1 Dunlin171 Spotted Redshank 1 Avocet 44 Black-tailed Godwit 55 Oystercatcher 12 Curlew 60 Ringed Plover1 Pintail 6 Brent Goose 1 Red Kite 1 Buzzard 4 Marsh Harrier 2 Kestrel 1 Great B/B Gull 2 Common Gull 2 ( other gulls with far off BHG flock were thought to be Common) Redwing 5. Lots of birds on foreshore.

Main sighting: Spotted Redshank

1-Spotted Redshank,from 2nd hide,also just 2-Pink Footed Geese.Lapwings in display flight was nice to see and hear.10h00-12h30.

Main sighting: Lesser Redpoll

Two superb male Lesser Redpolls, 8 Brambling, 3 Greenfinches and 3 Siskin at, or under, the feeders today; 150 corvids in the maize crop, c50 Chaffinches and a few Reed Buntings in the cover crop. Barn Owl on the trail cam last night.

Main sighting: Red Kite and Waders

Red Kite seen being mobbed by crows over the fields near the roadside where visitors park their cars.
Spotted Redshank showing well on Monks Lagoon.
Female Marsh Harrier quartered the lagoons and put the duck flock up.
8 x Avocets on the foreshore
Pink Footed Geese remain on site.

Main sighting: Goosander

A female goosander on the Wye. More interestingly, a large (presumably male) otter swimming against the strong current, mid stream, and coming up with a large fish (salmon?). Continued this behaviour several times, diving and swimming underwater each time.

Main sighting: Avocets

Quiet but quality this morning. 17 Avocets, 17 Pinkfoot Geese, superb views of a female Merlin. Golden Plover on foreshore with a mixed flock of Dunlin, R. Plover, Turnstone. Skylark in partial song, displaying Lapwings

Main sighting: Curlew records wanted

Curlews will soon be back on their breeding sites in inland Gwent! If you see or hear any please send details to Curlew@gwentbirds.org.uk , giving the date, location (nearest town or village with grid ref), count, behaviour, vocalisation, habitat (e.g. grassland, silage, moor) and presence of livestock. All information, no matter how little, helps. See the GOS Home page for further info.

Main sighting: Osprey

Early Osprey in tree opposite bench then flew inland. Extra present on my 75th birthday!

Main sighting: Pintail

There was a minimum of 148-Pintails today at high tide.

Main sighting: Red Fox

I saw a fox inside the electric fence a couple of days ago and again this morning.
NRW have been alerted and Kevin Dupé set a trap, yesterday hoping to capture and relocate it.

Main sighting: Brent Goose

Plenty geese from the avocet hide,including 20-Pink Feet and a slightly scruffy Brent which spent most of the time preening.It lacked the white neck markings so must have been a juvenile.Photo on Gwent Birds.12h00-14h00