Gwent 09 Highlights

Not a bad year.The best being:

Woodlaks ,Waxwings , Glaucous Gull ,Green Winged Teal ,Ruddy Shelduck ,Whooper Swans ,Marsh And Hen Harriers , Black Redstarts ,Twite , Snow Bunting, Mandarin Duck , Possible Hudsonian Whimbrel and Marsh Warbler , Firecrest possibly Breeding ,3 Garganey , Aquatic Warbler , Pec Sand , Dartford Warbler , 4 Different Iceland Gulls , Hawfinch , Storm and Leaches Petrel , Pom Skua , Flock of 70+ Common Terns + a few Arctics thrown inn,2 Little Gulls , Great Northern Diver and Grey Phal.Not to forget bird of the Year , Uskmouths Subalpine Warbler.
Happy New Year To You All.

Three Res Tour

A tour of the main 3 reservoirs in Gwent was quiet except for this at Llandegfedd.

Sluice Farm

A stomp about the Saltmarsh at the Sluice Farm produced near enough the same as yesterday except for 3 Peregrines 1 Spot red and 15 Golden Plover.

Black Red At Peterstone

Also half a dozen Water Pipits 1 Rock Pipit 1 Jack Snipe and 10 Common Snipe out on the Saltmarsh.

GYR DIP

Drove 134miles to see Buzzard,Med Gull and a field full of Goldies.Nice!!!

Check Them Out

Check this out- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hsg8AHdlKUY

Wentwoods

Went looking at Clearfell areas of Wentwood.No sign of any GG Shrikes but plenty of Crossbill flying all over the place in small groups.The largest group being of 30+ birds.

Sor Bay Surprise

Went looking for the GG Shrike Sunday Morning.A huge walk uphill through the forest first and no sign of the shrike at the top.It had only stopped raining and was still blowing a gale so if i was a shrike i wouldn't be on show either.Llandegfedd in the afternoon produced 353 Wigeon 100+ teal 4 Tufted Duck and 4 Goosanders were the highlight in the Sor Bay Area.The Most Wigeon I've seen there for ages,not that i venture down to Sor Bay much.

Wentwood Res

Spot The Snow Bunting

Quite Close

You don't often get good views of a Pom anywhere near Gwent these days or any days so the Beachley Pom tempted me out for a look.Did get told by some lady that i was trespassing in her garden as i walked along the foreshore.Never mind good views were had.A little bit disappointed that its only about 300yards from Gwent in a certain direction tho.

Phaltastic

Llandegfedd produces again.Also Little Gull Still and Ad Yellow Legged Gull.

Awesome

A couple of hours off the Golden Cliff this morning turned out to be Awesome.4 Leach's Petrels 1 1st w Little Gull 1 Bonxie and hundreds of Kittiwakes.

Wet And Wild

The weekend was a washout with torrential rain and gale force winds. Not quite in the right direction mind you for seabirds.Did have a Bonxie go down Sunday morning. Off up to Llandegfedd to see if anything had been blown in. A nice Little surprise in the form of a Little

Gull dashing around the res. Well and truly under watched and not given the coverage it deserves.

Peterstone Gout

Peterstone gout this afternoon produced good numbers of the usual duck,the best of the rest were 2 Merlin and 2 Common Scoter.
Check out the high quality snap below.

Seawatch Time

Checked out Porthcawl seafront this morning as the tide had already had a few hours to go out at Goldcliff.Not much entertainment at Porthcawl as the forecasters hadn't predicted the right winds.Did miss A Great Northern Diver by 20 minutes but had Gannet,Kittiwake a few distant Auk Sp and a few Common Scoter.
Then on to the Golden Cliffs for the afternoon shift. 1 Gannet 25+ Kittiwakes 1 Arctic Skua plucked out by Darryl,then i had a Great Northern Diver going down pretty close in.So the four of us stayed until dusk waiting for the Big one.

Twite Snipe And Pipits Oh My.

Spent the weekend on the west side of the Usk.A walk up and down Peterstone salt marsh didn't produce the Twite or any Jack Snipe.3 Water Pipits were a nice consolation.Then a walk west at the Sluice Farm,No Black Reds on the Gwent side but a few over in Glamorgan,Its only a matter of time until they filter the way through.Also in the week the Wood Pigeon movement was well impressive.

Gwent tick

Had a lie in Sunday morning due to the torrential rain.Thought i would go and have a look at the firecrest at Peterstone.No sign of it after an hour so a few of the others who were there decided to go to Goldcliff.Myself and Darryl carried on and checked the hedgerow towards the sea wall.When i got to the sea wall i picked up a bird with an unfamiliar call on its own which then joined a flock of Linnet and ditched in the salt marsh.After describing the call to Darryl who thought it sounded good for twite we made a few passes of the salt marsh upon which we had it in flight calling and a brief view on the deck before it disappeared down one of the many channels.It did fly back over us at one stage heading west which was the last sighting.Well worth getting soaked,muddy and nearly breaking my leg for.Just hope it hangs around a bit so i can have a good crack at it.See here( www.gwentbirding.blogspot.com ) for a Pic.

Llandegfedd Delights

Dont you just love it.

Bargain

Canon Fit Sigma 150-500mm APO DG OS
2 Months old and used twice.
Today's price on Warehouse Express £698.99.
Going for £550 No Offers.

Should I Stay Or Should I Go Now

Friday morning news broke of Eastern Crowned Warbler up North.A few Texts went around to see if anyone was interested in going up.Although in the middle of the Credit Crunch and work being quiet at the moment i couldn't get out of Saturdays duties.Still showing all day up until dusk.Saturday night was spent making a few calls trying to rustle up some interest in going Sunday Morning.Only one other was up for it.The thing is all other records in the WP have been one day birds and the weather wasn't looking to good.Should we stay or should we go now.After making my mind up of going 100 times and then not we left it at that.I still got up in the middle of the night and nearly left the front door 3 times.Then Craig rang to see if i had already left or not and to see if i fancied going over to Brean Down .So at first light we found ourselves at Berrow Dunes.A few finches and Redwing went over.Then up onto Brean Down for a look around.Had a Seawatch from the shelter at the end which produced 1 G N Diver down channel close in and a Juv Gannet struggling down as well.As we came out of the Shelter 5 Crossbill flew over and then 500Yrds from the shelter a Firecrest showed well.Managed to salvage these pics due to the camera being on the wrong setting.

The Usk Valley

Seen on the 5Th of October 5 minutes from my house.Many thanks to Brian Press for use of the photos.Pure Gyr,escape or wild bird you decide.

A Very Quiet Few Days.

A quiet weekend on Scilly.Highlights being, Little Bunting, Red Breasted Flycatcher,Rose Coloured Starling,Yellow Browed Warbler,Wryneck Long Billed Dowitcher and a few Firecrest thrown in.Couldn't make it to St Martins for the Red Throated Pipit due to the flights home and one being found on St Marys early in the morning.(The wrong choice was made)It felt more like the middle of August than the Second week of October.