RSPB Newport Wetlands

 Friday 21 July

RSPB Newport Wetlands from the hide looking west

Travelling to Barry in Glamorgan so that I can attend an aged aunt's funeral in the morning, I decided to leave a little earlier than necessary so that I could make a first visit to the RSPB reserve at Newport Wetlands.  A fist visit and coinciding with a receding tide so only limited rather hundreds of metres of mudflats! Lots of reeds and all looking green and fresh and despite leaving Warsash in warm sunshine dark clouds were gathering in Wales and a light breeze, so no sighting of either the local Bitterns nor the resident Bearded Tits.  Just under two hours wandering around the site and finally recording 25 species; all seemed very quiet other the the family of well-grown Moorhens on the pond in front of the Visitors Centre and at least a dozen Mallards on the main "river," where I had hoped to locate both of the above missing species, and from the opposite side of the bridge I could see a pair of Mute Swans.

Setting off to complete an anti-clockwise circuit, once at the lighthouse views of the Severn Estuary produced a number of Black-headed and Herring Gulls along with four Curlew and a single Whimbrel.  At the water's edge a quartet of Shelduck and  maybe a score or more Dunlin. A lone Common Tern was moving upstream low over the exposed mud.  Behind me above the reeds and on the shore a couple of Carrion Crow.

A distant Curlew Numenius arquata foraging on the shore

Eventually reaching the sole hide on the reserve all that could be seen were four Little Grebes.  Close by and observation post overlooking the main lake revealed the Mallards seen on the outward journey and another Little Grebe.  A second Little Egret put in a brief appearance whilst a male Kestrel moved slowly over the reedbed.

Continuing on I was entertained by a small flock of Barn Swallows over the field to my right and then the wooded path back towards the Visitors Centre.  First a distant Song Thrush to match the male Blackbird I had seen on the way in and then the first of two Robins looking suspiciously like moulting juveniles with the first signs of their red breasts. 

Song Thrush Turdus philomelos with young to feed

Once back at the Visitors Centre to pack everything away I noticed that alone Grey Heron had dropped in to forage in the shallow waters of the pond. a quartet of Canada Geese were resting on a small island and that the feeding station in the reeds off to the right was hosting a cock Pheasant.  No sooner had I noticed the partly concealed Pheasant than I became area of the half-dozen juvenile tits landing in the neighbouring trees; almost all Blue but at least two Great Tits.

Visitors Centre pool complete with a quartet of resting Canada Geese Branta canadensis

Leaving the site a couple more Robins and then a pair of resting Collared Doves followed by a single Woodpigeon.

Moulting Robin Erithacus rubecula

Birds seen:

Canada Goose, Mute Swan, Shelduck, Mallard, Pheasant, Little Grebe, Little Egret, Heron, Kestrel, Moorhen, Dunlin, Whimbrel, Curlew, Black-headed Gull, Herring Gull, Common Tern, Woodpigeon, Collared Dove, Barn Swallow, Robin, Blackbird, Song Thrush, Blue Tit, Great Tit, Carrion Crow.

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