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.