Brand new wooden-skin pill-box hide

Saltmarsh Lane and foreshore were dead-diddly-dead-dead this afternoon, probably not helped by the party of 20 passing ramblers or the fishyman on the saltmarsh with his Staffordshire Bull Terrier.

Goldcliff Lagoons were slightly better. At least six Greenshank were present over high tide along with two Spotted Redshank and 35 Grey Plover. Non-highlights included: one Black-tailed Godwit, one Snipe, 155 Lapwing, 47 Redshank, 23 Oystercatcher, 70 Dunlin and 12 Fieldfare heading east.

[NB. Yes, ladles and gentlespoons, birding in Gwent has inspired the coining and use of the new ornithological term 'non-highlight'.]

The view from the new hide. Look birds in the afternoon that aren't silhouettes!