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A photography blog by Blair Jones a Gwent based birder, photographer , bird talk presenter and blogger. Passionate about Gwent Wildlife and Goldcliff Lagoons NRW. Gwent Ornithological Society Committee Member and BTO Volunteer.
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A bird well spotted at Goldcliff Lagoons
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Spotted Redshank (Tringa erthropus) |
Today marked my return to my favorite reserve after a few weeks away visiting some other popular birding venues.
It's always good to be back on the patch and despite the miserable forecast I somehow managed to drag myself out of bed long before dawn to travel down to the reserve.
The sky was thick with dark clouds as I departed except a parting in the greyness towards the eastern horizon - just where the sun was due to rise.
As I parked the car up at the reserve the sun was just starting to rise up between that gap in the clouds. Amazingly as I walked into the reserve and watched the sunrise from the back of the Curlew Hide the blazing sun appeared to burn away large swathes of the gathered rain clouds until incredibly there was some blue sky above the lagoons.
Sunrises always give me a boost and make me feel energized and it was just what I needed at 5.45 am in the morning.
I checked out the Curlew Hide ( aka Hide 1) to see what was around. The water on Monks remains very low and there is a lot of exposed mud. Out at the far back of the lagoon roosting behind the island were thirty Curlews, a solitary Whimbrel, and five Black Tailed Godwits.
As soon as the morning's sun starting lightening everything up they all called out and flew off heading towards Goldcliff Point.
I moved on to the Redshank Platform and took a look at a small flock of Black Headed Gulls. I could see a flock of waders but they were keeping out of the wind in the far left corner of the lagoon where I could not get a good view of them.
I soon had some company. Dan Webb walked up onto the Platform with me and it was great to have a chat and have his legendary sharp eyes scanning the skies and to have his knowledgeable birding insights.
We moved on to the Sea Wall as there was not a great deal showing despite the tide being well on its way in.
Dan scanning the skies |
Dan and I spent some time stood on the sea wall scanning the waves for the rarer seabirds. Unfortunately, we did not have any luck seeing a Storm Petrel, Shearwater, or a Gannet ( not whilst I was with him in any case). We did see many Gulls passing coming over the point and sweeping low above the waves towards the Pill and beyond. A small flock of Dunlins and Ringed Plovers hurtled off Becs Lagoon and flew over the wall and out into the estuary. A highlight was seeing two Turnstones fly past us low above the sea.
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Turnstones |
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Becs Lagoon in the far distance and Priors in the foreground |
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Peregrine Falcon sweeps past us |
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The Spotted Redshank on Monks Lagoons |
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It remained almost in Breeding Plumage |
Thanks, Steve Bool for the picture |
Today Bird List
- Spotted Redshank
- Yellow Wagtail
- Meadow Pipit
- Linnet
- Pied Wagtails
- Turnstone
- Curlew
- Ringed Plover
- Little Ringed Plover
- Whimbrel
- Gadwall
- Mallard
- Dunlin
- Shoveler
- Garganey ( Reported to me sighting)
- Whinchat ( Reported to me sighting)
- Black Headed Gulls
- Lesser Black-Backed Gulls
- Herring Gull types ( lots of Juvenile birds passing through)
- Peregrine Falcon
- Shelduck
- Tufted Duck with ducklings
- Black-Tailed Godwit
- Magpie
- Raven
- Carrion Crow
- Little Grebe
- Coot
- Mute Swan
- Oystercatcher
- Blue Tit
- Blackbird
- Lapwing
- Redshank
- Canada Goose
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