There's hares here

Another morning at Uskmouth produced Lesser Whitethroat and Cuckoo for the year-list plus another Gropper and a few bits and bobs. Sighting of the trip though was a Hare on the Saltmarsh Grasslands (see pic, just to prove I can use my camera, below).

Once more unto Goldcliff

A night of mothing put pay to a dawn raid, the birds didn't seem to mind though. Top migrant was a nice male Blue-headed Wagtail (see awful pics below) which dropped in with a few Yellows, unfortunately subspecies don't add to the year-list, but it was still a quality find. Three species, of varying quality, do count: Kingfisher, Whinchat and Sanderling (feeding with a small group of Dunlin on the foreshore). Other species worthy of mention included: 77 Whimbrel, 1 Common Sand and 40 White Wags. Perhaps the surprise of the day was the continued presence of the Porpoise, again feeding just offshore.

Addendum - it has just crossed my mind that the paleness of the grey head plumage and the relatively extensive white in the moustachial/malar region may mean the wagtail below was a Yellow x Blue-headed hybrid, sometimes referred to (presumably by people who like catchy MTV-generation-type names) as 'Channel' Wagtail.

Rouzels

A post-work dash culminated in a smart pair of Ring Ouzels near Trefil along with a metric tonne of Wheatears, four scrambling bikes, one scrambling quad and three hatchbacks of laddettes (complete with Playboy windscreen stickers,... nice).

Five more

The 'local' produced another five county year-ticks today. A prolonged period of staring out into the Bristol Channel from Goldcliff Lagoons resulted in a lone Sandwich Tern heading west; one of the adjacent hedgerows contained a singing Redstart; and a flyby group of Curlew were accompanied by a single Bar-tailed Godwit. Other 'goodies' on the lagoons/foreshore included: two Purple Sands, 11 Whimbrel, one Goosander and three White Wagtails.

Uskmouth delivered visible Sedge and Reed Warblers plus a Yellow Wagtail going west and a veritable smorgasbord of grockle (big ones, small ones, some as big as your head...). A basking Grass Snake was also the first for the year.

Migrant-tastic

Having spent yesterday doing a Dartford Warbler survey, twitching Bonaparte's Gull, eating eggs and chips and seeing 'The Mighty Boosh' (see www.themightyboosh.com if necessary), today was a return to business. Goldcliff Pools pulled out all the stops on the mammal front, in the form of a porpoise just offshore, but was a little backward at coming forward on the bird side of things, just a single flyover Yellow Wag added to the 2006 tally.

Uskmouth proved less of a tease, producing Grasshopper Warbler, Whitethroat, Whimbrel and Ruddy Duck. Had I managed to see the singing Reed and Sedge warblers it could have been even better. Even so, not a bad haul, the Gropper being an especially nice find as it was a non-singing, grubbing-about-in-ruderal-vegetation individual as opposed to a bleedin' obvious reeler. I have now reached 126 species, another four species before going back to work and I'll be a happy little birdspotter.

PS. The wee purple dudes are still at Goldcliff and here are two action-packed pics to prove it...

Drive-by birding

A quick detour to Caldicott produced a pair of Red-legged Partridge. I did manage to grab a quick photo but to say it was pants is a wee bit of an understatement so, unless I get real bored, I'll leave it unposted.

The total has now reached 121.

'Garden Warbler'

A Blackcap singing in my carefully manicured bramble patch was the first seen, as opposed to heard, this year. Last year the same patch attracted a singing Gropper so, if it's going to keep up its average, it'll need to pick its game up.

Naffin' special

Spent a fair bit of time out and about today with nothing special to show for it. Little Ringed Plover and House Martin were additions to the year-list but Osprey eluded me and, as ever, Gwent is not producing the goodies turning up elsewhere. Oh well, 119 species, here's hoping tomorrow will bring the biggy.

First major dilemma

Dropped in at Llandegfedd Reservoir today, bagged a few bits 'n bobs and then, just as I got to the car-park, an Egyptian Goose flew past (heading towards Green Pool). Now this is a potential Gwent tick for me and, obviously, a new one on the Gwent year-list, but can I count it? Is the nearest feral population closer than the nearest wildfowl collection? Category C or category E? Answers on a postcard or just click on the 'comments' link below...

PS. It was fully winged and the running total is now either 116 (+1) or 117 (-1).

Channel-gazing

Did a few hours staring out from Goldcliff Point this morning and was rewarded with four Gannets and one Fulmar (Pendeen eat your heart out). However, the best bird was the first-winter Purple Sand feeding with the Turnstones at the point. A brief stop at the pools produced a whole lot of wind and the regular assortment trying to get out of it. The Gannets and Fulmar have edged the total to 116, ooooh, can barely control my excitement.