Newport Wetlands

Recent sightings 16/02/23 – 15/03/23 The Bittern is Booming

2023-03-15T10:55:00Z

Spring has sprung… the bittern is booming! Britain’s loudest bird is a member of the Heron family and we are lucky to have resident Bitterns that breed here. Having bred for the first time in South Wales in 2020, they have been successful every year since with 6 fledged in 2022. They have been spotted most from the hide; situated on the Eastern side of the reserve, but the famous booming can be heard from anywhere. Their call can travel up to two miles and the male bittern begins booming as early as late January to establish territories and attract partners.

Image credit: Ieuan Evans

A peregrine pair we spotted by our retail manager one early morning and a sharp-eyed visitor caught sight of one on a pylon near to our welcome hut. The pylons are perfect nesting habitat for peregrines.

Image credit: Jeremy White

Image credit: Neil Hooper

Although the recent weather hasn’t seemed spring like, the wildlife is certainly gearing up for those longer days and warmer climates. The resident Cetti’s warbler most often heard and not seen are dominating the reedbeds and another of Britain’s loudest birds is jumping into action. Staff had a lovely and rare sighting of one outside the office window as it hopped along the edge of the scrape.

Image credit: Kirsty Lindsay

Is it an otter…? No, it is just a cormorant! The reserve has seen an influx of cormorants recently and from a distance their diving behaviour in the lagoons can be mistaken for an otter! If you haven’t already been to the wetlands with the hopes of seeing an otter, don’t give up, they are still around and have been spotted mostly from the west end of the reserve. Canada goose and mute swans are pairing up and the little grebes can be seen diving in the lagoons hoping to catch a fish.

Image credit: Micheal Rodgers

Image credit: Jeremy White

The woodlands have been offering up some treats in the form of goldcrest, nuthatch and tree creeper. Around high tide, wigeon, pochard, teal, shelduck and curlew can be seen off the coast path. Water rail are still being heard squealing from the reedbeds and bearded reedlings are a nice addition to the sighting’s boards on a regular basis.

Image credit: Kirsty Lindsay

It would be rude not to mention our café special guest who never fails to be a highlight of everyone’s day. Our resident kingfisher is being seen by all and we are loving all your photographs of her. Even on those dull and dreary days she’s out on the scrape catching multiple fish and the odd newt. We need a name! Open to any suggestions!

Image credit: Cellan Micheal

Avocet, bar-tailed godwit, Bearded reedling, Bittern, Blackbird, Black-headed gull, Black-tailed godwit, Blue tit, Bullfinch, Buzzard, Canada goose, Carrion crow, Cetti's warbler, Chaffinch, Collared dove, Coot, Cormorant, Curlew, Dunlin, Dunnock, Fieldfare, Gadwall, Goldcrest, Goldfinch, Great spotted woodpecker, Great tit, Greenfinch, Grey plover, Herring gull, House sparrow, Jackdaw, Jay, Kingfisher, Lesser black-backed gull, Lesser redpoll, Linnet, Little grebe, Long-tailed tit, Magpie, Mallard, Marsh harrier, Meadow pipit, Mistle thrush, Moorhen, Mute swan, Nuthatch, Oystercatcher, Peregrine falcon, Pheasant, Pied wagtail, Pochard, Redshank, Redwing, Reed bunting, Robin, Rock pipit, Shelduck, Snipe, Song thrush, Sparrowhawk, Starling, Stonechat, Teal, Tufted duck, Water rail, Wigeon, Woodpigeon, Wren, Bank vole, Grey squirrel, Mink, Otter, Rabbit, Stoat.

Easter is fast approaching so keep an eye on our website for guided walks and activities for all the family: events.rspb.org.uk/newportwetlands

Recent sightings 16/01/2023- 15/02/2023 Beardie and Bunting Bonanza

2023-02-15T11:35:00Z

After a very wet few weeks, this month’s recent sightings blog brings some light relief in the form of dry weather and signs of spring. The maintenance team at Newport have been working hard to get the habitats ready for the breeding season. Reeds have been cut, ditches cleared, and willows coppiced ready for the growth to start all over again in the Spring.

Our handy gang hard at work ... or hardly working!

With the warmer weather and sunny skies, the reserve has had a fantastic number of reed buntings eating all the seeds from the tops of the reeds. These little birds are a delight to watch and can be quite brave when you get near to them. They are a very characteristic little bird with high pitched tweets and spend winter in large flocks. We have seen groups of up to 10 or more reed buntings recently, with the occasional stonechat and linnet.

Male and female reed bunting - Ieuan Evans

These little high-pitched tweets coming from the reedbeds are not to be mistaken for the ever so elusive bearded reedling! The little beauties are the challenge of every visitor and for a lucky few these last few weeks they have shown off. After an unsuccessful year last year, we are hoping this species has a strong breeding year and we start to see an increase in numbers again. The usual sightings in and around the lighthouse has thrown the regulars off as they seemed to have taken up residence over towards the power station reedbeds. If you can manage an early morning, when the weather conditions are warm, still and dry I’d say the odds are in your favour!

Male and female Bearded Tit - Ieuan Evans

Male and female Bearded Tit - Wayne Withers

Whilst the starling murmurations could still be around, the team clock off at 5 so who knows if they are still going! We have another form of murmuration that happens at various times of the day that includes a mixture of dunlin, knot and black-tailed godwits. Curlew, grey plover, shelduck, shoveler and redshank are wading the mudflats between tides and the Canada geese are pairing up ready for the spring.

Dunlin flying over the Severn Estuary - Jeremy White

Our café special attraction in the form of a kingfisher is still around and showing off daily. She is a fantastic fisher and even had a smooth newt the other day!! A little bit of extra indulgence. Lapwing flyovers, little egret and grey heron are occasional visitors to our sightings board. Marsh harrier have been seen from the hide and a merlin was spotted off the coast path on the weekend. After Big Garden Birdwatch, everyone is well clued up on their garden birds and we see a range of them daily. House sparrows, greenfinch, goldfinch, and great spotted woodpecker to name a few.

Image credit - Ieuan Evans

Stonechat and our female kingfisher outside the café! - Kirsty Lindsay

The sounds of the wetlands have kicked up a notch and we are greeted each morning by a noisy song thrush. The booming bittern hasn’t been heard yet, but we anticipate it any day now. After we celebrated World Wetlands Day at the beginning of this month, it is wonderful to see new visitors coming to enjoy the reserve and our facilities. Half term next week and we have lots of fun, family activities for you to enjoy. See you soon!

Bearded reedling, bittern, Blackbird, Black-headed gull, Blue tit, Bullfinch, buzzard, Canada goose, Carrion crow, Cetti's warbler, Chaffinch, Collared dove, coot, Cormorant, Curlew, Dunlin, Dunnock, Fieldfare, firecrest, Goldcrest, Golden plover, Goldfinch, Great spotted woodpecker, Great Tit, Green woodpecker, Greenfinch, Grey heron, Grey plover, Herring gull, House sparrow, Jackdaw, Jay, kestrel, Kingfisher, Knot, Lapwing, Lesser Black-backed Gull, Linnet, Little grebe, Long-tailed tit, Magpie, Mallard, Marsh harrier, meadow pipit, mistle thrush, Moorhen, Mute swan, oystercatcher, Peregrine Falcon, Pheasant, Pied wagtail, Raven, redshank, Redwing, Reed bunting, Robin, Rook, Shelduck, Shoveler, Snipe, song thrush, Sparrowhawk, Starling, Stonechat, tawny owl, Teal, Treecreeper, Tufted duck, Water rail, Wigeon, Woodpigeon, Wren, fox, Grey squirrel, Otter, Rabbit, Stoat, Weasel.

Recent sightings 19.12.22 – 15.01.23 The highs and lows of wetland weather

2023-01-15T11:21:00Z

Christmas came and went in the blink of an eye this year and for the team at Newport, the new year brings only excitement for longer, brighter days. The past 3 weeks have seen some pretty heavy rain, unfavourable to many, but we take our hats off to those of you that braved the stormy skies and gale force winds and came down to immerse yourselves in the wildlife and walk off all the Christmas indulgence I expect. The reserve has definitely thrived from the downpours with the lagoons resuming their usual water levels and perhaps a little more after such a dry summer and autumn.

Images by Ieuan Evans

The rainy days brings little activity on the wildlife front, but our trusty mallards will always provide some light entertainment outside the café. We are hoping for another successful brood of ducklings later this year! The starlings are still here and going strong, slightly less numbers than in December and their location is a little ambiguous. A peregrine falcon was spotted chasing a group of starlings… sadly for the peregrine it came away empty taloned! As a result of the extreme cold patch we endured in December, our ponds and lagoons froze for quite some time stopping the wildfowl from perusing the waters. It wasn’t all doom and gloom as many visitors got some stunning sightings and photographs of our otter family. I personally had the sighting of a lifetime, seeing the dog otter hop across the ice. AMAZING!

An amazing sighting and shot of our otter family taken by Will Strange in December.

A lone dog otter braving the frozen lagoon! Image by Kirsty Lindsay

A competition between the water rail and cetti’s warbler has begun, it’s a close race and throw the group of 10 long-tailed tits into the mix you can barely hear yourself think! Headed to the coast and the crashing of the waves at high tide brought up curlew feeding in the grassland, oystercatchers probing the mud and beautiful displays from lapwing, dunlin, and black-tailed godwits. Tufted duck, wigeon, shelduck and gadwall have all be spotted off the coast path and on the lagoons by the bird hide. The brief interlude over new year saw some long-awaited blue skies and sunshine which brought in the visitors in thousands. A time for the wildlife to enjoy the winter sunshine as stonechats and reed buntings flourished in the reedbeds and the higher temperatures allowed swimming to resume! The hope of seeing otter just got a lot harder again.

Image credit: Ieuan Evans

Image credit: Jeremy White

The female kingfisher has battled the heavy rain and made up for the lack of fishing on dry days, giving the visitors in the café a moment to remember as she dives into the water and elevates herself back onto her perch with a prize in fish form. Great spotted woodpeckers are cleaning up after the feisty goldfinches at the welcome hut and the sparrowhawk is auditioning for his own action movie as he works on his hunting techniques. Distant ‘laughing’ of the green woodpecker is often heard early in the morning and the pheasants are still piling on the pounds. The bittern has often been seen from the bird hide, along with sightings of marsh harrier flying over the lagoons.

Female kingfisher not quite grasping the idea of visitors wanted to see the birds through the camera, not perched on top! Image credit: Jeremy White

Image credit: Kirsty Lindsay

Bearded reedling, bittern, Blackbird, Blackcap, Black-headed gull, Black-tailed godwit, Blue tit, Brambling, Bullfinch, buzzard, Canada goose, Carrion crow, Cetti's warbler, Chaffinch, chiffchaff, Collared dove, Cormorant, Curlew, Dunlin, Dunnock, Fieldfare, gadwall, Goldcrest, Goldfinch, Great spotted woodpecker, Great Tit, Green woodpecker, Greenfinch, Grey heron, Grey plover, Greylag goose, Herring gull, House sparrow, Jackdaw, Jay, kestrel, Kingfisher, Lapwing, Lesser Black-backed Gull, Linnet, Little Egret, Little grebe, Long-tailed tit, Magpie, Mallard, Marsh harrier, meadow pipit, Mistle thrush, Moorhen, Mute swan, oystercatcher, Peregrine Falcon, Pheasant, Pied wagtail, pintail, Raven, Redwing, Reed bunting, Robin, Shelduck, Shoveler, Snipe, Sparrowhawk, Starling, Stonechat, Teal, Treecreeper, Tufted duck, Water rail, Wigeon, Woodpigeon, Wren, Bank vole, otter, Rabbit, Weasel.

Big Garden Birdwatch 2023

This year, we need more of you than ever to give up an hour of your time over the weekend of the 28^th/29^th to help play a vital role in aiding us to understand how UK birds are doing. We will provide everything you need all we need you to do is head into your garden or local greenspace and watch birds! It’s so simple!

The fun doesn’t stop there, why not join us at the reserve and celebrate BGBW 2023 with guided walks and bird box building. Whether you are a beginner and want to learn the tips and tricks to birdwatching or how to identify them by their calls we are here to help. Head to our website for more information on these events.

Image credit: Ieuan Evans

What Newport Wetlands means to our volunteers

2023-01-05T14:58:00Z

As we see in the new year and excitement builds for the year ahead we can't help but take a moment to reflect on the past year and the new faces welcomed to the team at Newport. Grab a cuppa and read all about the world of a volunteer at Newport Wetlands.

Image: Simon Bedford

"Since I was little, I have always felt a connection to nature. I have my parents to thank for the endless camping trips, playing rounders on the beach, surfing and staying up late toasting marshmallows around the campfire. These are some of my best memories and where I think my love for nature began. I felt most at peace in these moments and after watching endless David Attenborough episodes I couldn’t help but want to be just like him. I couldn’t wait to leave school and go ‘wild’ (literally).

I am now 3 years into my Environmental Management and Sustainability degree at the University of Plymouth and I have never felt happier. I am so lucky to be the first placement student at RSPB Newport Wetlands! It is a place I have fond memories of as a child, and it feels strange to say that not too long ago I was here pond dipping and mini beast hunting with my classmates and now I am leading it! I hope to pass on my passion to young people and inspire them to join this crazy adventure.

In the 8 weeks I have been here, I have already learnt so much, and I have loved becoming part of such an important team. To think when I first arrived my bird knowledge consisted of seagulls and pigeons and now my favourite thing to do is get outdoors and see what I can spot.

I have volunteered at a lot of places, but there is nowhere quite like Newport Wetlands! From helping the local farmer herd his cattle in for winter, dodging hail stones the size of golf balls with 60 screaming children and creating crafts and tik toks over a festive latte, there is never a dull moment. I am so excited to continue my placement. Come rain or shine, I know that I will always come away from a day at the wetlands feeling happier and more positive."

Ellie – On placement at Newport Wetlands

"Standing on the coastal with my back to the horizontal rain flattening the reeds, I ruminated on why I am now a volunteer down the Wetlands. And then I heard the curlews. There’s no way I would have ventured out in uncertain weather to go bird watching if I wasn’t a volunteer here – I’m not that hardy or foolhardy. So why did I sign up for standing in the freezing cold, with the wind blowing everything off the table, trying to write today’s sightings on a damp white board? On a sunny June day, I came on an orchid walk, led by an enthusiastic Jeremy and thought – I could do this, I know a bit about orchids and I like chatting to people. So I joined up in the Autumn and joined a crowd of welcoming, knowledgeable people, prepared to come out in any weather to welcome everyone to the Wetlands and tell them about starlings murmurating, otters skating on ice and water rails squealing in the reedbeds. Have I learnt anything? Well I can identify a Cetti’s warble and Marsh Harriers and I know not to trust the BBC or Met Office weather forecasts. One day I might even spot an otter. I can’t wait until the weather gets better..."

Ros – A visitor experience volunteer for 4 months

Image: Matthew Cook

"When people stop and ask why I’m staring at a patch of Everlasting Pea, I’m happy to spread the word that the Shrill carder and other rare Bumblebees not only survive, but thrive in this special place. Coming down the lane towards the Kiosk I always feel a sense of anticipation about which bees will be enjoying the colourful mosaic of wildflowers that day. It’s also great to learn about other wildlife – the excitement of seeing a bittern or a moth masquerading as a twig. I first visited Newport Wetlands in the hope of seeing the extremely rare Shrill carder but what drew me back were the place itself and the warm welcome. Now, I feel privileged to be a member of the friendly staff and volunteer team. Last summer, some talks and walks shared the importance of Bumblebees, how to identify them and create the right environment for these fabulous creatures. The aim is for people to enjoy the bees at the Wetlands, in their local green spaces and generally create a buzz. I’m really excited for another season of being around Bumblebees with anyone who cares to join me. It’s the best thank you I can give for this wonderful home for nature."

Claire – A bumblebee lover and enthusiast who volunteers with us on events

Image: Claire Fidler

You can join the team at Newport Wetlands in a variety of ways. Visit www.RSPB/Volunteer/Newport for all the opportunities that await or read our blog about the roles we have on offer here.

Recent sightings16-12-2022 Winter weather won’t stop the birds

2022-12-16T15:06:00Z

After a slow start to the month with a large group of starlings only making a slight attempt at murmurating, our patience paid off with some spectacular views of swirls and twirls in the last ten days. Although our Soup and Starling events have come to an end for another year, the starlings are still here in full force. They have challenged the team a little with the location of their murmuration and now they’ve decided the reedbed isn’t quite adequate and moved further north where viewing is a little trickier. It is always a wonderful time of year when the starlings move in, and we love telling visitors all about them. Make sure you get down and see a murmuration before they leave! During starling season, Marsh harrier and sparrowhawk are often seen trying their luck with a starling or 3. The master of murmurations keep them on their toes as they often come away empty handed.

After the success of two pups in January this year we thought it would be a little while before we had any otter excitement again but fear not… 4 otters (female with 3 young) have been spotted playing around in the lagoons. Most sightings from the bird hide but they have been seen on the power station end of the reserve too. A male has also been spotted fishing on his own.

Image credit: Ieuan Evans

The booming may have paused but that doesn’t mean the bitterns aren’t around. Almost daily sightings of bittern, 1 sometimes 2 from the bird hide have been reported from visitors and members of the Newport team. After having their best year yet with six fledglings, we are very excited for what is to come next spring.

Bearded reedlings have been seen and even photographed on the odd occasion, 7 were seen by the warden last week! A Sparrowhawk has spotted the feeders are back by the welcome kiosk and is often seen darting between the trees, silencing all the small birds for a minute. Visitors to the café are often treated to a young female kingfisher showing off her fishing skills. Our handy team are in the process of putting a kingfisher pole, so she doesn’t have to perfect the art of reed balancing much longer! Although she’s very good at it. Work on the scrape and southern reeded in the RSPB discovery zone has seen some mass reed cutting recently to open the water ways and encourage more wildlife. The reserve has also had the reedbeds trimmed ready for new growth in the spring.

Image credit: Ieuan Evans

Image credit: Robert Potter

Majority of visitors come to the Wetlands not knowing what a water rail is or knowing what it sounds like. After a short walk from the car park to the visitor centre it is safe to say they are well and truly aware of the freakish noise that come from this small wading bird. At times, 3-4 different birds can be heard screeching at each other from the reedbeds, 41 have been counted on reserve this winter. 3 have been spotted this week on the feeder bank opposite the welcome hut. Visitors and staff have been very lucky with excellent views. Other water birds seen recently are little egret, black-tailed godwit, wigeon, pochard, gadwall, shelduck and curlew. Stonechat, linnet, lesser redpoll, goldcrest and green and great spotted woodpeckers have all be heard and seen around Perry Lane.

Image credit: Kirsty Lindsay

Image credit: Ieuan Evans

Common toad, Bearded reedling, Bittern, blackbird, Blackcap, Black-headed Gull, Black-tailed godwit, Blue tit, Bullfinch, Buzzard, Canada goose, Carrion crow, Cetti's Warbler, Chaffinch, Chiffchaff, Coal tit, Collared dove, Coot, Cormorant, curlew, Dunlin, Dunnock, Fieldfare, Gadwall, Goldcrest, goldfinch, Great spotted woodpecker, Great tit, Green woodpecker, Greenfinch, Grey heron, Grey plover, Greylag goose, Herring gull, House sparrow, Jackdaw, Jay, Kestrel, Kingfisher, Lapwing, Lesser black-backed gull, Linnet, little egret, Little grebe, Long-tailed Tit, Magpie, Mallard, Marsh harrier, Meadow pipit, moorhen, Mute Swan, Oystercatcher, Pheasant, Pied wagtail, Pochard, Raven, Red kite, Redshank, Redwing, Reed bunting, robin, Rock pipit, Shelduck, Shoveler, Snipe, Song thrush, Sparrowhawk, Starling, Stock dove, stonechat, Teal, Treecreeper, Water rail, Wigeon, Woodpigeon, wren, Red admiral butterfly, Grey squirrel, Otter, Rabbit, Stoat, Weasel.

Recent sightings 20.09.22 - 03.10.22 Wonderful Wildfowl

2022-10-04T13:48:00Z

Autumn has undeniably arrived. Rose hips and seed heads, leaves coloured red and orange and golden teasels catching the afternoon sunlight. Fresh mornings bringing the added layer of clothing to visitors and staff, yet exciting times ahead as the new season brings an increase bird activity again.

The lagoons may be a little low in water, but the wildfowl are here in strength with great numbers of mallard, teal, gadwall and occasionally shoveler, wigeon, pochard with the nice addition of two pintails this week in front of the hide.

Image credits: Jeremy White (shoveler top, Wigeon and Pintail middle and Gadwall bottom).

High tides are bringing waders up closer to the Wales coast path, as well as Goldcliff lagoons producing a little excitement. A grey phalarope has been about Goldcliff this week, showing well from the seawall hide. Other waders spotted are black-tailed and bar-tailed godwits, redshank, curlew sandpiper, ruff, little stint, and knot.

Image credit: Jeremy White (Redshank)

Bittern sightings have dropped to roughly once or twice a week and the bearded reedlings are out in full force on warm; little to no wind days, in and around the lighthouse.

Friday 30^th brought a little excitement to the reserve as an osprey was spotted being mobbed by ravens, two groups of visitors were lucky to spot the flyby. Marsh harrier, buzzards and sparrowhawks are a frequent sighting, Peregrine falcons have also been noted regularly in the past few weeks.

Swallows and house martins are up to now flying around in considerable numbers, we are making the most of seeing them before they head off for the winter months to warmer climates. Treecreeper, hawfinch, firecrest and redpoll are nice additions to this months’ sightings. A group of chiffchaff, willow warblers and long-tailed tits have regularly had goldcrest and a firecrest amongst them on Perry Lane.

It wouldn’t be a Saturday morning without our weekly moth reveal, a first for Gwent and second for Wales was trapped recently, Dewick’s Plusia. Other highlights have been black rustic, green-brindled crescent and lunar underwing.

Image credit: Kevin Hewitt (top - Black rustic and bottom - Dewick's plusia)

The last week of September saw a surge in dragonfly activity. Migrant hawkers, southern hawkers and common darters were all over the reserve making the most of the warm weather. Staff were delighted to see a young grass snake also enjoying the warmth of Perry Lane. Nice to know our compost heap, also home to many grass snakes is proving successful.

Image credit: Kirsty Lindsay

Bar-tailed godwit, Bearded reedling, Bittern, Blackbird, Blackcap, Black-headed gull, Black-tailed godwit, Blue tit, Buzzard, Canada goose, Carrion crow, Cetti's warbler, Chiffchaff, Collared dove, Coot, Cormorant, Curlew, Curlew sandpiper, Dunlin, Dunnock, Firecrest, Gadwall, Goldcrest, Goldfinch, Great spotted woodpecker, Great tit, Green woodpecker, Greenfinch, Grey heron, Grey phalarope, Grey plover, Grey wagtail, Greylag goose, Hawfinch, Herring gull, Hobby, House martin, House sparrow, Jay, Kestrel, Kingfisher, Knot, Lapwing, Lesser black-backed gull, Linnet, Little egret, Little grebe, Little stint, Long-tailed tit, Magpie, Mallard, Marsh harrier, Meadow pipit, Moorhen, Mute swan, Osprey, Oystercatcher, Peregrine falcon, Pheasant, Pied wagtail, Pintail, Raven, Red kite, Redshank, Redpoll, Redwing, Reed bunting, Reed warbler, Robin, Rock pipit, Ruff, Shelduck, Shoveler, Siskin, Skylark, Snipe, Song thrush, Sparrowhawk, Starling, Stonechat, Swallow, Teal, Treecreeper, Tufted duck, Water rail, Wheatear, Whimbrel, Wigeon, Willow warbler, Woodpigeon, Wren, Brimstone butterfly, Clouded yellow butterfly, Large white butterfly, Red admiral butterfly, Small copper butterfly, Small white butterfly, Speckled wood butterfly, Common darter dragonfly, Emperor dragonfly, Migrant hawker dragonfly, Ruddy darter dragonfly, Southern hawker dragonfly, Southern migrant hawker dragonfly, Beaded chestnut moth, Black rustic moth, Green-brindled crescent moth, Large wainscot moth, Lunar underwing moth, Rosy rustic moth, Sallow moth, Grey squirrel, Rabbit, Weasel, Grass snake.

Recent sightings - Summertime at the Wetlands

2022-08-13T11:23:00Z

We have had a whirlwind summer so far here at Newport wetlands. Late July saw the eagerly anticipated arrival of the shrill carder bumblebees on mass. We are extremely lucky to be able to say that one of the UK’s rarest bumblebees can be found in overwhelming numbers here. Along with the brown banded carder bee it is probably harder to spot the more common species in the UK!

Image credit: Jeremy White - Shrill carder bee

Image credit: Kirsty Lindsay - Brown banded carder bee

Bumblebees, dragonflies and butterflies are the only energetic species on the reserve these days with the soaring temperatures. Our pond dipping ponds are drying up but thankfully, the deeper lagoons are aiding with keeping the wildlife hydrated and safe. Records from the weekly butterfly transect include painted lady, clouded yellow, common blue (around 60 counted on one section), comma and many more.

Image credit: Cellan micheal - Clouded yellow

July brought some fantastic news on the bittern front. NRW have released their report and we are delighted to say that they’ve had their best year yet with six fledged bittern chicks from at least two nests. This makes it the most successful year since they bred for the first time in 2020.

Usual suspects have been wandering the mudflats. Curlew, oystercatcher, shelduck and a regular little egret. Black-tailed godwits have been spotted and whimbrel stopping off on their passage to refuel.

Image credit: Jeremy White

The skies have been full of migrants, darting in and out of the lagoons in the form of swifts, swallows, sand martins and house martins. Do you know the difference between these four elegant silhouettes diving about in the summer skies?

Image credit: Ben Andrew

Our moth mornings are a weekly highlight at this time of year with over 100 species most weeks. Some of our highlights includes a small mottled willow, chocolate tip, magpie moth, cresent, double kidney, canary shouldered thorn, and dog’s tooth.

Image credit: Kevin Hewitt - Chocolate tip

Image credit: Kevin Hewitt - Magpie

Image credit: Kevin Hewitt - Dog's tooth

We are nearly halfway through summer now, but we still have plenty of activities for families to come and enjoy nature. See our full list of events here: https://events.rspb.org.uk/browse?filter[name]=newport

Common toad, Bloodworm, Bearded reedling, Bittern, Blackbird, Blackcap, Black-headed gull, Black-tailed godwit, Blue tit, Bullfinch, Buzzard, Canada goose, Carrion crow, Cetti's warbler, Chaffinch, Chiffchaff, Collared dove, Common whitethroat, Coot, Cormorant, Curlew, Dunnock, Gadwall, Goldcrest, Goldfinch, Great black-backed gull, Great spotted woodpecker, Great tit, Great white egret, Green woodpecker, Greenfinch, Grey heron, Herring gull, Hobby, House martin, House sparrow, Jay, Kestrel, Kingfisher, Lesser black-backed gull, Lesser whitethroat, Linnet, Little egret, Little grebe, Long-tailed tit, Magpie, Mallard, Marsh harrier, Moorhen, Mute swan, Oystercatcher, Peregrine falcon, Pheasant, Pied wagtail, Pochard, Raven, Red kite, Reed bunting, Reed warbler, Robin, Sand martin, Sedge warbler, Shelduck, Song thrush, Sparrowhawk, Starling, Stock dove, Stonechat, Swallow, Swift, Whimbrel, Willow warbler, Woodpigeon, Wren, Stickleback, Backswimmer, Hornet, Pond skater, Robin's pincushion, Water boatman, Water mite, Water scorpion, Brown-banded carder bee, Honey bee, Common red soldier beetle, Great diving beetle, Longhorn beetle, Water beetle, Common carder bumblebee, Garden bumblebee, Shrill carder bee, Brimstone butterfly, Clouded yellow butterfly, Comma butterfly, Common blue butterfly, Essex skipper butterfly, Gatekeeper butterfly, Green-veined white butterfly, Holly blue butterfly, Large skipper butterfly, Large white butterfly, Meadow brown butterfly, Painted lady butterfly, Peacock butterfly, Red admiral butterfly, Ringlet butterfly, Small skipper butterfly, Small tortoiseshell butterfly, Small white butterfly, Speckled wood butterfly, Black-tailed skimmer dragonfly, Blue tailed damselfly, Broad-bodied chaser dragonfly, Brown hawker dragonfly, Common blue damselfly, Common darter dragonfly, Emperor dragonfly, Four spot chaser, Golden ringed dragonfly, Ruddy darter dragonfly, Southern hawker dragonfly, Brussels lace moth, Buff-tip moth, Canary shouldered thorn moth, Chocolate tip moth, Cinnabar moth, Common emerald moth, Common white wave moth, Crescent moth, Dark swordgrass moth, Dogs tooth moth, Double kidney moth, Drinker moth, Elephant hawk moth, Grass veneer moth, Herald moth, Hummingbird hawk moth, Lackey moth, Latticed heath moth, Lesser broad-bordered yellow underwing moth, Maidens blush moth, Rosy footman moth, Ruby tiger moth, Rush veneer moth, Sallow kitten moth, Scarlet tiger moth, Small rufous moth, Southern wainscot moth, Gold triangle moth, Water veneer moth, Bank vole, Brown rat, Common shrew, Grey squirrel, Otter, Rabbit, Stoat, Water vole, Weasel, Ramshorn snail, Bristly oxtongue, Common bistort, Ribbed melilot, Grass snake.

Recent sightings - June roundup

2022-07-04T10:15:00Z

June is a transitional month in the life of the reserve. After all the spring activity as birds establish territories, find mates and build nests, after the new growth of the reeds, June calms down. The reedbeds become quieter as the birds shift their effort to feeding young and our migrants start to put on weight for their next journey. We still have a huge variety of species, 73 bird species in June, but most are a little harder to find.

In contrast, some are very much easier to find. The most obvious examples are Mallards which have nearly finished raising their young, no longer need their breeding finery and go into a dramatic moult. The males all lose their striking colours and all their flight feathers; what’s left is a layer of feathers that look almost identical to female plumage. This has the advantage of being much better camouflage for a bird that is flightless for a few weeks.

Image credit: Kirsty Lindsay, 7 Male mallards all showing eclipse plumage

Image credit: Kirsty Lindsay, Mallard ducklings you will have seen in a couple of the recent blogs, almost fully grown!

Late May and June mark the start of dragonfly and butterfly season. A few butterflies, often species that have over-wintered as adults, are on the wing in April and during June we saw 14 species during our weekly butterfly surveys (part of the UK Butterfly Monitoring Scheme). Dragonflies could be seen over open water hunting smaller insects or the females could be watched egg-laying by dipping the end of their abdomens just under the water’s surface and onto submerged vegetation. The easiest to spot (and to photograph) are the four spotted chasers which roost near the bouncy bridge and can frequently be seen there basking in the early sun.

Image credit: Hannah Beynon, Common Blue.

Image credit: Kirsty Lindsay, Shrill carder bee.

After a slow start in Spring (presumably because of the very sparse rainfall), our plants put on a lot of leafy growth with relatively few blooms in May. But, in early June that changed, and we had a couple of very successful orchid walks. We were able to show participants all five of our orchid species in a short walk not far from the visitor centre. In between orchids we talked a bit about the useful (and not so useful) properties of many of our other wildflowers (in summary, don’t pick or eat any of them). We’re now seeing Grass vetchling, Ribbed melilot, Narrow-leaved everlasting pea, as well as drifts of flowers from more common species.

Image credit: Jeremy White, Bee orchid. We counted over 20 bee orchids just around the welcome kiosk this year.

We’ve had a few surprises, too. A very dark Grass snake slithered across the drive past the visitor centre one afternoon (we’re not used to seeing them there). And, the spilt food under the kiosk bird feeders have begun to attract badgers and provide some nice trail camera recordings.

Image credit: Charis White

We have had our most successful year with our bitterns, and they are still very active with almost daily sightings by many visitors. The feeding flights are in full swing with a hotspot on the western side of the reserve. Clearly there is lots of Rudd over there!

Image credit: Liv Davies

We are on Big Wild Summer countdown and we have a great plan of events for families and nature lovers. Check out our events here: https://events.rspb.org.uk/browse?filter[name]=newport

Our summer activities will be available to book soon.

Common toad, Bearded reedling, Bittern, Blackbird, Blackcap, Black-headed gull, Blue tit, Bullfinch, Buzzard, Canada goose, Carrion crow, Cetti's warbler, Chaffinch, Chiffchaff, Collared dove, Common whitethroat, Coot, Cormorant, Cuckoo, Curlew, Dunlin, Dunnock, Gadwall, Goldcrest, Goldfinch, Great black-backed gull, great crested grebe, Great spotted woodpecker, Great tit, Green woodpecker, Greenfinch, Grey heron, Herring gull, Hobby, House martin, House sparrow, Jay, Kestrel, Kingfisher, Lesser black-backed gull, Lesser whitethroat, Linnet, Little egret, Little grebe, little owl, Long-tailed tit, Magpie, Mallard, Marsh harrier, Moorhen, Mute swan, Oystercatcher, Pheasant, Pied wagtail, Pochard, Raven, Reed bunting, Reed warbler, Robin, Sand martin, Sedge warbler, Shelduck, Song thrush, Sparrowhawk, Starling, Stonechat, Swallow, Swift, Teal, Tufted duck, Water rail, Willow warbler, Woodpigeon, Wren, Scorpion fly, Garden chafer beetle, Common carder bumblebee, Early bumblebee, Shrill carder bee, Comma butterfly, Common blue butterfly, Gatekeeper butterfly, Green-veined white butterfly, Large skipper butterfly, Large white butterfly, Meadow brown butterfly, Painted lady butterfly, Peacock butterfly, Red admiral butterfly, Ringlet butterfly, Small tortoiseshell butterfly, Small white butterfly, Speckled wood butterfly, Blue tailed damselfly, Common blue damselfly, Common darter dragonfly, Emperor dragonfly, Four spot chaser, Elephant hawk moth, Peppered moth, Poplar hawk moth, Badger, Bank vole, Brown rat, Grey squirrel, Rabbit, red fox, Stoat, Water vole, Bee orchid, Common spotted orchid, Marsh helleborine, Pyramidal orchid, Southern marsh orchid, great willow herb, hemp agrimony, ribbed melilot, rosebay willow herb, Grass snake

Author: Jeremy White

Recent sightings 16.05.22 – It’s GO GO GO here at Newport

2022-05-24T14:48:00Z

Image credit: Terry Winter

What a busy two weeks it has been here at the wetlands! The breeding season is in full swing with many species either wandering round with a trail of fluff or flying over the lagoons hoping to catch a fish. From mallard ducklings to little grebes to blackcap chicks and baby blue tits keeping our kiosk volunteers happy there is plenty of new life to go around.

Image credit: Kirsty Lindsay

The delayed April showers are a sign of relief for our wildflowers and hungry bumblebees and the lagoon verges are brimming with Southern marsh orchids. Common carder bees, Shrill carder bees and Early bumblebees swam the comfrey which luckily bloomed nice and early to give them the food needed to get a population going.

Image Credit: Kirsty Lindsay

Hairy dragonflies and four spotted chaser dragonflies are now buzzing about the reserve to the hobbys delight and with an increase in flying insects; as the days are warm and damp, the swifts and house martins are very active. Watch over head for a close call dive from them!

Image credit: Sarah Landeg - Hobby with prey

National moth weekend was a success with 99 moths of 33 species including Light Brocade, Yellow belle (A new moth for Gwent!!), cream-bordered green pea and 13 poplar hawk moths. We are getting very excited for the summer months and the sighting of a Emperor moth on a guided walk got our new moth country recorder/rspb volunteer VERY excited.

Image credit: Kevin Hewitt - Yellow Belle, a new one for Gwent.

Now for the bit you’ve all been waiting for… The purple heron! Yes, we were treated here on the Uskmouth reeds to a 2 day delight with many sightings from visitors of the rare bird who is only seen roughly 20 times in the UK a year but a first for the Wetlands.

Image credit: Terry Winter

The cuckoo’s are still calling with sightings fairly frequently. Our bitterns are booming round the clock and sightings are delighting many visitors. Oystercatcher have been spotted down on the foreshore and Marsh harrier have been spotted carrying food.

Image credit: Phil James

Avocet, Bearded reedling, Bittern, Blackbird, Blackcap, Black-headed gull, Blue tit, Bullfinch, Buzzard, Canada goose, Carrion crow, Cetti's warbler, Chaffinch, Chiffchaff, Collared dove, Common Whitethroat, Coot, Cormorant, cuckoo, Curlew, Dunlin, Dunnock, Gadwall, Goldcrest, Goldfinch, grasshopper warbler, Great black-backed gull, Great spotted woodpecker, Great tit, Green woodpecker, Greenfinch, Grey heron, Greylag goose, Herring gull, hobby, house martin, House sparrow, Jackdaw, Jay, Kestrel, Lapwing, Lesser black-backed gull, lesser whitethroat, Linnet, Little egret, Little grebe, Long-tailed tit, Magpie, Mallard, Marsh harrier, Meadow pipit, Moorhen, Mute swan, Oystercatcher, Pheasant, Pied wagtail, purple heron, Raven, Red kite, Redshank, Reed bunting, Reed warbler, Robin, Ruff, sand martin, sedge warbler, Shelduck, Skylark, Song thrush, Sparrowhawk, spotted flycatcher, Starling, Stock dove, Stonechat, Swallow, swift, temmincks stint, Tufted duck, Wheatear, whimbrel, willow warbler, Woodpigeon, Wren, cockchafer, brown-banded carder bee, cardinal beetle, great diving beetle, red and black froghopper, thick-legged flower beetle, Buff-tailed bumblebee, common carder bumblebee, early bumblebee, Garden bumblebee, shrill carder bee, white-tailed bumblebee, comma butterfly, common blue butterfly, gatekeeper butterfly, Green-veined white butterfly, large white butterfly, orange tip butterfly, Peacock butterfly, Red admiral butterfly, Small Copper butterfly, small white butterfly, speckled wood butterfly, blue tailed damselfly, common blue damselfly, four spot chaser, hairy dragonfly, emperor moth, german wasp, bank vole, brown rat, Grey squirrel, Rabbit, Weasel, Common spotted orchid, Southern marsh orchid, Grass snake.

Yogi Duck and me

2022-05-19T09:47:00Z

Yogi Duck and the Little Chick picturebook written and illustrated by ©IsabelBenavides

This month, on 30 May 2022, RSPB Newport Wetlands Reserve will be delivering a brand new, bespoke storytelling session for families, ‘Yogi Duck and the Little Chick.’ In this blog, aspiring author illustrator, Isabel Benavides, explains how the idea for a story about a duck who does yoga came into being.

Isabel Benavides, author illustrator of ‘Yogi Duck and the Little Chick.’ © Isabel Benavides Illustration.

How did you come up with the idea?

I’m a regular visitor to Newport Wetlands Reserve. When I have writer’s (or illustrator’s…!) block, a stroll through nature calms and restores my mind. Appreciating and focusing my attention on the tiniest details in nature often inspires my work.

One day on a family walk at the reserve, I watched ducks on the lake. Their calm demeanour made me think how mellow they seemed - perhaps even yogic. I thought, “What if a duck did yoga?” Thoughts like this often form the beginning of a story. When they do, I scribble them down, to come back to later.

Yogi Duck and the Little Chick © Isabel Benavides Illustration.

The expressions and emotions of Chick. ‘Yogi Duck and the Little Chick’. © Isabel Benavides Illustration.

What themes interest and inspire your work?

I’m particularly interested in exploring human emotions and feelings through the characters I draw and write about. As an aspiring children’s author illustrator, I’m keen to communicate messages to children, that support the development of good mental health, wellbeing and resilience. Like the ancient Greek physician and teacher, Hippocrates (born c. 460 BCE, island of Cos, Greece—died c. 375 BCE, Larissa, Thessaly), I truly believe that “Nature itself is the best physician,” and that the natural world and wellbeing are inextricably linked. For this story, I considered how a meditative duck might think and behave, and how he might interact and help other characters in his story world. And so, Yogi Duck was born!

I’m also incredibly interested in topics relating to the environment, natural sciences, and the climate emergency. Helping readers to consider these complex topics, why they should care, and how they might take action in their everyday lives, is also really important to me.

As much as the topics of friendship and wellbeing feature in the story, it was also important to research and understand the ecology of Newport Wetlands. The team was very supportive in this area. I enjoyed researching and learning about the plants, birds, animals and insects unique to the site. The endangered shrill carder bee even features in the story!

What materials and processes did you use?

Getting the words down in rough allowed me to flesh out each character. I explored each personality and, as I did so, I experimented with drawing rough character thumbnails. I experimented with materials – watercolour, handmade collage papers, inks and pencils. I cut and tore paper. I flicked and splashed paint. I often work in relief, cutting out characters and objects to create my compositions like theatre sets or dioramas, using shadows and light to create the appearance of depth. This part of the process is a lot of fun!

What do you have planned next?

I’m currently working with a museum on a brand-new wellbeing family activity pack. I’ll also be getting ready to self-publish ‘Yogi Duck and the Little Chick’ later this year, with the support of a Business Wales Barriers to Start Up Grant.

‘Yogi Duck and the Little Chick.’ A children’s picture book story with ‘Explore, Do and Make’ playing cards, inspired by RSPB Newport Wetlands Reserve. © Isabel Benavides Illustration.

For more information on the event or to book: https://events.rspb.org.uk/events/18555

For more information on Isabel’s work or to get in touch: www.isabelbenavides.co.uk

Recent Sightings 2.5.22 - bumblebees, booming and babies

2022-05-09T13:03:00Z

The past week or two have really been the fulfilment of Spring. The air has been full of song from our year-round birds and from our newly arrived migrants. We’ve been listening to the earlier migrants for a few weeks, Blackcaps and Chiffchaffs, for example, and now they been joined by Reed and Sedge warblers, Common and Lesser Whitethroats and, much to our relief by at least one male Cuckoo. Another species that has made itself known this week is the wonderfully brilliant booming bittern. Reports of it booming most of the week and a nice sighting of two around 6am on Saturday morning. A visitor proving the bird does catch the early worm was treated to a barn owl as it flew down perry lane as the sun rose the same day.

Image credit: Phil James

We’re happy to watch chicks being taken for a swim across the café scrape by their parents – Mallards, Canada geese and Moorhens have all hatched young and been seen swimming round.

Image credit: Kirsty Lindsay

Image credit: Sarah Parmor

Our insects are not to be outdone. Bumblebees are working on the Comfrey flowers and butterflies are visiting the Dandelions. We’re especially pleased to have seen our first Shrill Carder Bumblebees. Dragon flies and Damselflies are beginning to climb out from the murky depths of the reedbeds, emerge from their final moult and begin their adult life. We’ve watched damselflies slowly and carefully stretch out, expand their wings and leave their larve skins behind on reed stems.

Image credit: Kirsty Lindsay

Image credit: Jeremy White

And, of course the plants are taking on their summer green leaves and some are in flower. The Reeds have already grown a couple of feet, the Hawthorns and wild apples are smothered in bloom and first orchid leaves are pushing their way above the ground. Willow down is being blown around in the lightest of breezes and settling everywhere.

Avocet, Barn owl, Bearded reedling, Bittern, Blackbird, Blackcap, Black-headed gull, Blue tit, Bullfinch, Buzzard, Canada goose, Carrion crow, Cetti's warbler, Chaffinch, Chiffchaff, Collared dove, Common Whitethroat, Coot, Cormorant, cuckoo, Curlew, Dunlin, Dunnock, Gadwall, garden warbler, Goldcrest, Goldfinch, Great spotted woodpecker, Great tit, Green woodpecker, Greenfinch, Grey heron, Greylag goose, Herring gull, house martin, House sparrow, Jackdaw, Jay, Kestrel, Lapwing, Lesser black-backed gull, lesser whitethroat, Linnet, Little egret, Little grebe, Long-tailed tit, Magpie, Mallard, Marsh harrier, Moorhen, Mute swan, Oystercatcher, Peregrine falcon, Pheasant, pied flycatcher, Pied wagtail, Raven, Redshank, Reed bunting, Reed warbler, Robin, sedge warbler, Shelduck, Skylark, Song thrush, Sparrowhawk, Starling, Stock dove, Swallow, swift, Treecreeper, Tufted duck, Wheatear, whimbrel, willow warbler, Woodpigeon, Wren, Brown-banded carder bee, 7-spot ladybird, Buff-tailed bumblebee, common carder bumblebee, early bumblebee, Garden bumblebee, shrill carder bee, Brimstone butterfly, comma butterfly, Green-veined white butterfly, holly blue butterfly, large white butterfly, orange tip butterfly, Peacock butterfly, Red admiral butterfly, Small Copper butterfly, Small tortoiseshell butterfly, small white butterfly, speckled wood butterfly, Common Blue Damselfly, Hairy Dragonfly, Brindled beauty moth, Common quaker moth, Flame shoulder moth, Hebrew character moth, Dock bug, Bank Vole, Brown Rat, Grey Squirrel, Stoat.

Author: Jeremy White

Recent sightings 25.4.22 A cuckoo is better late than never

2022-05-04T11:09:00Z

After a long waiting game, the iconic sound of the cuckoo circled the reserve this week. A quiet Thursday morning was soon flipped on its head as visitors descended off the reserve with beaming smiles, eager to share the good news. It has been heard everyday since with a couple of sightings too! A lovely walking group touring the country were treated to a double sighting and another calling in the distance on Sunday. The traditional date for the arrival of the cuckoo is April 16^th so it kept us hanging on for 9 days! The wait is truly worth it, the excitement never tires each time we hear them.

Image Credit: Jeremy White

Bittern were heard and marsh harrier spotted on a regular basis. Buzzard and Peregrine falcons were spotted over the bank holiday weekend, a nice addition to our city nature challenge records. A couple of nice sightings over this weekend were pied flycatcher, bearded reedlings, whimbrel, and lesser whitethroat. Swallows and house martins filled the air at times, whilst reed warblers and sedge warblers were very active in trying to attract partners and to mark their territories with singing continuously.

Image credit: Jeremy White

A little grebe pair have chicks up on the reserve and outside the café, we have moorhen chicks learning the way of life on the water. Canada geese goslings have also been seen making their way around their new home. Other nice sightings have been oystercatcher, curlew, little egret and shelduck all down on the foreshore. Even when the tide is out, the curlews call can be heard. The insect world is thriving, Southern hawker dragonflies, common carder bumblebees and small white butterflies to name a few.

Image credit: Jeremy White

Image credit: Phil Ray

Bearded reedling, Bittern, Blackbird, Blackcap, Black-headed gull, Blue tit, Bullfinch, Buzzard, Canada goose, Carrion crow, Cetti's warbler, Chaffinch, Chiffchaff, Collared dove, Common Whitethroat, Coot, Cormorant, cuckoo, Curlew, Dunnock, Gadwall, garden warbler, Goldcrest, Goldfinch, Great black-backed gull, Great spotted woodpecker, Great tit, Greenfinch, Herring gull, house martin, House sparrow, Jackdaw, Kestrel, Lesser black-backed gull, lesser whitethroat, Linnet, Little egret, Little grebe, Long-tailed tit, Magpie, Mallard, Marsh harrier, Meadow pipit, Moorhen, Mute swan, Oystercatcher, Peregrine falcon, Pheasant, pied flycatcher, Raven, Red kite, Reed bunting, Reed warbler, Robin, sedge warbler, Shelduck, Song thrush, Swallow, Tufted duck, Wheatear, whimbrel, willow warbler, Woodpigeon, Wren, honey bee, Buff-tailed bumblebee, common carder bumblebee, early bumblebee, Green-veined white butterfly, holly blue butterfly, large white butterfly, orange tip butterfly, Peacock butterfly, speckled wood butterfly, brindled beauty moth, Common quaker moth, flame shoulder moth, Hebrew character moth, powdered quaker moth, Round Winged Muslin Moth, bank vole, brown rat, Grey squirrel.

Noisy reeds and insect galore – Recent sightings 11.04.22-24.04.22

2022-04-25T13:54:00Z

Easter well and truly lived up to its reputation of being a busy time of year and we aren’t just talking about the visitors. Our Easter trail and children’s activities were a real success and it was lovely to see families getting out and exploring nature. We have had some much-needed relief in the wet, cold and windy weather allowing the migrant birds, butterflies and wildflowers to really come into their element.

The once quiet office now has a noisy reed warbler, a chiffchaff giving it some welly and a pair of Canada geese nesting with some near misses from time to time as they try to land. Other migrants filling the reedbeds with sound are sedge warblers, common whitethroats, grasshopper warblers and willow warblers and blackcap. We are still waiting the return of the iconic cuckoo. In previous years we are delighted with the sound of this bird as well as sightings. We are keeping our fingers crossed and any day now we hope to hear the infamous sound.

Image credit: Kirsty Lindsay

The warmer weather and wildflowers have brought out numerous species of butterfly. Brimstone being the first one seen and now we are seeing orange tip, peacock, small and large white and small tortoiseshell. The first dragonfly of the year was spotted on the 24^th. Some very exciting news this month is our first Shrill carder bee has been spotted. This is the UK’s rarest bumblebee.

Image credit: Rhiannon Munro

Marsh harriers have seen frequently and often a pair have been seen displaying in the sky. The bittern is a little quieter but a sighting on the 24^th gave some relief that it’s still around. One species that seems to be thriving is the bearded reedling. Sightings mostly by one of our staff members who seems to always get their lunch break at the right time! A nice addition to the sightings this week was a redstart amongst the shrubbery.

image credit: Kirsty Lindsay

One of our volunteers who is excellent at bird song and calls identified a yellow wagtail flying overhead on the weekend as well as the lesser whitethroat hiding in the hedgerows. Swallows have been spotted flying over the visitor centre and grass snakes who were basking on the paths a few weeks ago are now swimming in the lagoons!

As the nights get warmer our moth trap reveals are becoming more and more exciting. Our recent trap had 38 moths of 8 species including 17 brindled beauty’s, 2 early tooth striped and 2 streamer. Keep an eye on our social media as we gear up for international moth weekend. Come along on the 21^st May where we will do a reveal from two traps and a guided walk for daytime flying moths.

Image credit: Kevin Hewitt

Bearded reedling, Bittern, Blackbird, Blackcap, Black-tailed godwit, Blue tit, Brambling, Bullfinch, Buzzard, Canada goose, Carrion crow, Cetti's warbler, Chaffinch, Chiffchaff, Collared dove, Common Whitethroat, Coot, Cormorant, Curlew, Dunlin, Dunnock, Gadwall, Goldcrest, Goldfinch, grasshopper warbler, Great spotted woodpecker, Great tit, Green woodpecker, Greenfinch, Grey heron, Grey wagtail, Greylag goose, Herring gull, House sparrow, Jay, Kestrel, Kingfisher, Lesser black-backed gull, Linnet, Little egret, Little grebe, Long-tailed tit, Magpie, Mallard, Marsh harrier, Meadow pipit, Moorhen, Mute swan, Oystercatcher, Peregrine falcon, Pheasant, Pied wagtail, Pochard, Raven, Red kite, Redshank, redstart, Reed bunting, Reed warbler, Robin, sedge warbler, Shelduck, Skylark, Snipe, Song thrush, Sparrowhawk, Spotted redshank, Starling, Stonechat, Swallow, Tufted duck, Water rail, Wheatear, whimbrel, Wigeon, willow warbler, Woodpigeon, Wren, yellow wagtail, brown-banded carder bee, Tawny mining bee, Buff-tailed bumblebee, red-tailed bumblebee, shrill carder bee, Brimstone butterfly, Green-veined white butterfly, holly blue butterfly, large white butterfly, orange tip butterfly, Peacock butterfly, Small Copper butterfly, Small tortoiseshell butterfly, small white butterfly, speckled wood butterfly, bank vole, Fox, Grey squirrel, Otter, Rabbit, Stoat, Water vole, Weasel, Grass snake.

Meet our new Learning Officer Emma

2022-04-25T13:21:00Z

Sunday afternoons as a child often involved sitting by my Grandad’s pond, a slice of Victoria sponge in one hand and a bewildered frog in the other. There was nothing I liked more than exploring the delights lurking within the folds in the pond lining, often bypassing my Grandmother’s welcoming embrace in anticipation of what I might find.

If someone were to tell me 5 years ago, that pond dipping would become an integral part of my job (albeit with a better knowledge on how to respect pond-dwelling creatures and the sanctity of their habitat!), I would think it too good to be true. And yet, I’m here beginning my third week as a Learning Officer at RSPB Newport.

I have always followed my instinctive passion for wildlife, through my education, volunteering and later, career. I undertook a BSc in Zoology at Swansea university, whilst volunteering for Llanelli WWT and BZG Wild Place Project as a Learning assistant. Being able to share my love for the natural world with children and students was an unequalled privilege, and I was inspired to study for my PGCE in Secondary Science.

I taught Science at a wonderful school for 4 years, before the nagging feeling to swap my laboratory for lagoons and reedbeds became too strong to ignore. So here I am, with my wonderful learning assistant Amanda, and my incredible team of volunteers embarking on a journey into minibeast hunting, seasonal walks and pond dipping. Arthur, a companion of the knitted kind, has been showing me the ropes out on the reserve and refreshing my knowledge of wetland birds. We are so excited to enter May with lots of school bookings, and cannot wait to have school groups join us on this adventure. Although, we do insist that cake-eating and pond-dipping are kept as separate activities!

If you are a teacher in a local school or you work in a pre school setting we would love to have you visit. We offer a range of different activities for all year groups from pond dipping to bug hunting. For enquires please fill out enquiries form. https://www.rspb.org.uk/fun-and-learning/for-teachers/school-trips/newport-wetlands/ We are really excited to meet you all!

Author Emma Reynolds

Recent sightings 21.3.2022-1.4.2022 Sunshine, Snow and Snakes!

2022-04-01T14:47:00Z

Image Credit: Andrew Quittelier

As we welcome in April, some very exciting changes have happened in our visitor centre. We have a calm and relaxing new style to our café to recover and ponder your days adventures in. The shop has relocated and brings a burst of colour to the centre. Our staff and volunteers have been working so hard these past two weeks to bring you a new and exciting look to the centre. We really hope you’ll come and enjoy it this spring and summer.

Image Credit: Josh Sankey

Meanwhile nature still surrounds us! Chiffchaffs are getting very active and vocal in the last week, cetti’s warblers fill the reeds with their explosive and shouty call. The reserve is alive with the sounds of spring and the warmer days are getting us all very excited. It has even got the insect world a little giddy with sightings of Brimstone, Small tortoiseshell and Red Admiral butterflies… not forgetting the midges!!

Image Credit: Hannah Beynon

A first for the year was recorded on the 22^nd. A basking grass snake was loving life and soaking up the warm spring sunshine. We can’t wait for more epic sightings of these creatures.

Image Credit: Kirsty Lindsay

Canada geese pairs seem to be dominating most the lagoons, be aware of a close contact flight path, they are a little crazy when flying. We really hope to see plenty of goslings waddling around in a month or two’s time. Our scrape and reens surrounding the visitor centre have been home to a rowdy coot who likes to show who is boss and a group of three mallards who cannot be seen separated. We are really intrigued to see how this story ends up.

Image credit: Jeremy White

Image Credit: Andrew Quittelier

Bearded Reedlings are being sighted infrequently but those who do always come back with a smile on their faces. We hope as the weather gets warmer and the days get brighter these little beauties will make more appearances and have a successful year. The bittern is still being heard and almost daily sightings of a pair of marsh harrier. Curlew and Shelduck wander the mudflats with an occasional flyby of a little egret and a lapwing.

Image Credit: Jeremy White

Let’s hope the snow that’s falling as I am writing this doesn’t discourage too many of the insects and we have a good year for wildlife.

We have a fantastic range of events on in the next few weeks please follow the link to browse them all. https://events.rspb.org.uk/browse?filter[name]=Newport

Sightings: Avocet, Barn owl, Bearded reedling, Bittern, Blackbird, Black-headed gull, Black-tailed godwit, Blue tit, Bullfinch, Buzzard, Canada goose, Carrion crow, Cetti's warbler, Chaffinch, Chiffchaff, Collared dove, Coot, Cormorant, Curlew, Dunnock, Fieldfare, Gadwall, Goldcrest, Goldfinch, Goshawk, Great spotted woodpecker, Great tit, Green woodpecker, Greenfinch, Grey heron, Greylag goose, Herring gull, House sparrow, Jay, Kestrel, Lapwing, Lesser black-backed gull, Linnet, Little egret, Little grebe, Long-tailed tit, Magpie, Mallard, Marsh harrier, Meadow pipit, Mistle thrush, Moorhen, Mute swan, Oystercatcher, Peregrine falcon, Pheasant, Pied wagtail, Pochard, Raven, Redshank, Redwing, Reed bunting, Reed warbler, Ringed plover, Robin, Shelduck, Shoveler, Skylark, Song thrush, Sparrowhawk, Spotted redshank, Stonechat, Teal, Tufted duck, Water rail, Wigeon, Woodpigeon, Wren, Buff-tailed bumblebee, Tree bumblebee, Brimstone butterfly, Peacock butterfly, Red admiral butterfly, Small tortoiseshell butterfly, Tortoiseshell butterfly, Otter, Rabbit, Grass snake.