January has certainly not been a quiet start to the new year for the team here at Newport wetlands. With the weather up and down it’s been a tough month for our feathered friends. Yet the sun has been shining this past week and we couldn’t be happier about it.
The past few weeks we have been lucky to see the otter family grow and play, yet mum keeps the two young pups at a cautious distance. If you are up and about early in the morning, pop down for the best chance to spot them on one of the lagoons. May the odds be in your favour.
Image Credit: Olivia Davies
We are very fortunate to still see starlings flying over during the daytime and if you get the location right, we have had some spectacular displays with a beautiful backdrop as the sun sets over the Severn estuary. It will not be long until they are gone completely, fingers crossed we seen them again in October ready for another brilliant starling season.
Image credit: Sarah Parmor
Our garden birds are thriving down near the welcome hut and out on the scrape with even the odd kingfisher who likes to perch in just the right spot to watch our visitors enjoy their lunchtime delights and enjoy his own sometimes!
Redwing and fieldfare have been seen in good numbers in the fields along the 6KM route, Marsh Harriers and a Bittern have both been seen flying over the reedbeds and a fleeting glimpse of peregrine falcon and Merlin have been spotted around the reserve. If you are out walking along the coast, keep your eyes peeled for Stonechats and Reed buntings bouncing around the reeds.
Image credit: Jeremy White
Image credit: Sarah Landeg
Image credit: Sarah Landeg (Spot the Bittern!)
Bearded reedling, bittern, Blackbird, Black-headed Gull, Blue Tit, Bullfinch, buzzard, Canada Goose, Carrion Crow, Cetti's Warbler, Chaffinch, chiffchaff, Collared Dove, coot, Cormorant, Curlew, Dunlin, Dunnock, Fieldfare, Gadwall, Goldcrest, Goldfinch, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Great Tit, great white egret, green woodpecker, Greenfinch, grey heron, grey wagtail, Greylag Goose, hen harrier, Herring Gull, House Sparrow, Jay, Kestrel, kingfisher, Lapwing, Lesser Black-backed Gull, Little Egret, Little Grebe, Long-tailed Tit, Magpie, Mallard, Marsh Harrier, merlin, Moorhen, Mute Swan, oystercatcher, peregrine falcon, Pheasant, Pied wagtail, pochard, Raven, Redwing, Reed Bunting, Robin, Shelduck, Shoveler, siskin, snipe, Song Thrush, sparrowhawk, Starling, stonechat, Teal, Tufted Duck, Water Rail, Wigeon, Woodpigeon, Wren, fox, grey squirrel, otter, rabbit.