John o'Sullivan
Well-known member
Two largely bird and birder forsaken resevoirs north of Newport comprise my local patch. I've been watching them for 13 years and my list has grown to a hard earned 136. Virtually everything outside of mallard, coot, greenfinch, blue tit and other similarly common birds are unusual. Collared doves only discovered them this year and bred for certainly the first time since i've been visiting. They are surrounded by fields yet even rooks are less than annually recorded.The most species I've seen in a year is 98. I've actually taken advice off people to try and stop visiting but I can't. Over the years it has got harder to find birds for two reasons;there is now a golf club on a hill that overlooks the resevoirs so that flighty birds leave as soon as the first golfer comes over the hill and a small but regular winter gull flock has gone since they cleaned up the offshore sewage outfalls about five years ago.The best thing about them is there is a field alongside which is devoid not only of birds but also crops and stock and I can let my spaniel puppy run itself into the ground without annoying anyone or anything.
Highlights include single sightings of slav and black neck grebe, long tail duck, common scoter, smew, barnacle goose ( I think probably a wild bird) family parties of whooper swans and bewicks swans, osprey, pheasant, woodcock, redshank, spotted red, knot, little stint, grey phalarope (found by some-one else of course), iceland gull, common tern, marsh tit, wheatear, redstart, reed warbler, crossbill, tree sparrow and snow bunting. There have also been 2 undoubtedly plastic but still rare in wales, red crested pochards and two ring billed gulls.
Species seen less than 5 times include med gull, ring-necked duck, pintail, shelduck, merlin, hobby, a whole range of waders, black and artic tern, whinchat, sedge warbler and brambling.
This years "highlights" have been the bewicks, the 4th hobby, 2nd ring billed gull, 3rd yellow legged gull and the 3rd whinchat. For some inexplicable reason sightings of Great black backed gull have gone up at the same time as all other gull species have virtually disappeared.
The ones that got away include brief views of what can only have been a black throated thrush (not submitted) and a Black kite which I saw heading off down the M4 behind the resevoirs which didn't bother to call in. One of the trout fisherman also described a bee eater that was around for a number of days in the early 50's poss 1954. He had spent time on national service in Kenya around this time and was certain it was a bee eater having described seeing lots abroad.
You will probably be glad to know that this thread won't be updated regularly but once every three months I'll report the best sightings and you will be able to bask in the glory of your own patch. This last comment is particularly directed at Jane Turner and edenwatcher. Yours John.
Highlights include single sightings of slav and black neck grebe, long tail duck, common scoter, smew, barnacle goose ( I think probably a wild bird) family parties of whooper swans and bewicks swans, osprey, pheasant, woodcock, redshank, spotted red, knot, little stint, grey phalarope (found by some-one else of course), iceland gull, common tern, marsh tit, wheatear, redstart, reed warbler, crossbill, tree sparrow and snow bunting. There have also been 2 undoubtedly plastic but still rare in wales, red crested pochards and two ring billed gulls.
Species seen less than 5 times include med gull, ring-necked duck, pintail, shelduck, merlin, hobby, a whole range of waders, black and artic tern, whinchat, sedge warbler and brambling.
This years "highlights" have been the bewicks, the 4th hobby, 2nd ring billed gull, 3rd yellow legged gull and the 3rd whinchat. For some inexplicable reason sightings of Great black backed gull have gone up at the same time as all other gull species have virtually disappeared.
The ones that got away include brief views of what can only have been a black throated thrush (not submitted) and a Black kite which I saw heading off down the M4 behind the resevoirs which didn't bother to call in. One of the trout fisherman also described a bee eater that was around for a number of days in the early 50's poss 1954. He had spent time on national service in Kenya around this time and was certain it was a bee eater having described seeing lots abroad.
You will probably be glad to know that this thread won't be updated regularly but once every three months I'll report the best sightings and you will be able to bask in the glory of your own patch. This last comment is particularly directed at Jane Turner and edenwatcher. Yours John.
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