Dark-bellied Brent Goose in the dark

Spent the best part of the day at Caldicot Moor and Collister/West Pill, whilst looking for the reported Brents and Grey Partridges found: two Jack Snipe, two Red-legged Partridge, six Golden Plover, one Bar-tailed Godwit and a Stoat. Just before dark two Dark-bellied Brents appeared on the mudflats,... kerr-ching 178. And, in case you were wondering, this is what a Dark-bellied Brent in the dark looks like...

Desperate measures

OK, desperate measures are required. Today the local patch failed miserably to produce the slightest whiff of a year-tick, therefore, I need recent Gwent gen on: Grey Partridge, Red Kite, Hen Harrier, Barn Owl, Long-eared Owl, Lesser Spotted Woodpecker and Black Redstart. If you have any recent sightings or suggestions (NOT breeding locations, please don't put breeding sites of Schedule 1 species on a website) please click on 'comment' below and leave me some year-list enhancing information. Cheers all,... now don't fall over each other in the rush.

Two more

Finally! Wentwood produced Marsh Tit and Crossbill today, filling a couple of glaring gaps in the list. Unfortunately, the Lesser Spotted Woodpeckers at Goytre House Wood did not see fit to behave accordingly and a couple of numptee shotgun bearers f**ked up any chance of a recount of the Bewick's at Llangibby. Oh well, 177 in the bag, one week to go.

A bit of a grip back

Come late March I thought I'd blown Bewick's for the year, made all the worse when a couple of belated records came out of the woodwork. Luckily they have returned early this winter and despite fog, distance, hedgerows and fading light, I saw at least nine amongst the Mute herd in Llangibby Bottom this afternoon... sweet.

All change

Whoa! Don't worry, basically only the formatting has changed... as you were.

All gone

Two Bonxies off Goldcliff Point were all that remained of this week's seabird action; the Black Redstart and Brent Goose reported in the week had also disappeared, arse! Did get cracking views of a female Merlin though...

A tad windy

An overnight blow had me touring the local reservoirs either side of lunch, and produced absolutely diddly-squat. However, whilst I stood overlooking the dam at Llandegfedd, a chirpy sounding county recorder informed me he was watching a Leach's Petrel off Goldcliff. Some swearing, 30 whole British minutes and a few speeding violations later... and I was partaking of half a dozen Leach's, about a dozen Kittiwakes and a Bonxie, and the year-list had leapt to 174. I believe the exact quote was "Woohoo!" or something to that effect.

Wildfowlfest

Three new species of wildfowl today! Unfortunately, due to the wonderful array of species kept (at least until allowed to escape) in captivity nowadays, all lurk under the 'Cloud of unknown origin'. A smart male Mandarin on the Monmouth-Brecon Canal was fully-winged and quite skittish and goes straight on the list as category C (somebody check its legs for rings mind). The Whooper Swan at the Newport Wetlands is also on the list, though it will come straight back off if the bleedin' thing summers on the reserve. Finally, I'm umming and arring over the status of Barnacle Goose in the county. One or two notable members of the Gwent birding glitterati suggest they all derive from the category E birds in Cardiff but what if one or two are from the category C birds at Slimbridge/Frampton? Not on the list at present, but who knows how desperate I'll get come December 31st.

She's back

Got a tip-off of an interesting Aythya at Ynysfro yesterday, as a result my lunch-break consisted of eating crisps on the dam. The bird in question was still present and, after a 10 minute snooze, awoke to allow a few snaps to be grabbed. Having perused the pics it would appear to be the same individual that was at Uskmouth, Goldcliff and Slimbridge(?) last winter/spring (see entries for 5th March and 6th May). Structure and bare parts point to Pochard whilst overall darkness and tone to the plumage, particularly now it is definitely not a 1st-winter, suggest Tufted Duck (or maybe Fudge Duck?). I'm still opting for 'mostly Pochard', once again, Gwent produces another avian gem.

That's more like it

An Atlantic alcid, the perfect pick-me-up for those suffering from post-hols depression, drooping dampness of the spirits, dismal blue devil doldrums and dejected disconsolate despondency. What might prove even more amusing is any forthcoming tale of how the bird was found, temporarily duffed and finally identified, next month's Birding World (?),... can't wait.





PS. LONG-BILLED MURRELET, ON MY LIST! WOOHOO!