Recent Sightings (18th-20th)

British Steel Hide

A beautiful 1st-summer Caspian Gull was on the NRA scrapes from 11am-11.15am on the 20th. This constitutes the first record for the site and probably the 2nd record for Carmarthenshire.

1st-summer Caspian Gull

 

Wader counts from the hide include 3 Common Sandpipers, 1 Green Sandpiper, 280 Redshank, 800+ Black-tailed Godwits, c.40 Knot and small numbers of Whimbrel have been out on the saltmarsh during times of high tide. Wildfowl have included 2 Mute Swans, 4 Canada Geese, 33 Greylag Geese, 2 Pintail, 5 Wigeon, 6 Shoveler, 2 Tufted Ducks, 5 Gadwall and 3 Teal. 3 Spoonbills were still present on the 20th, and a Sedge Warbler and a Blackcap were singing in the brambles in between the saline lagoons and the NRA scrapes. A Peregrine has regularly been attacking the wader flocks.

Common Sandpiper

 

Millennium Wetlands

Some beautiful morning walks as part of the breeding bird survey of the reserve have produced plenty of birdsong. A few notable birds have included a reeling Grasshopper Warbler, a Lesser Whitethroat, 2 Common Whitethroats, 2 Willow Warblers and lots of Sedge and Reed Warblers, Blackcaps and Chiffchaffs. Good wader numbers have  been on the Deep Water Lake in recent days, with Black-tailed Godwits, Redshank and Knot roosting on the main island. 10 Lapwing are still on the main island, with birds still on nests, and a Snipe was seen in the eastern scrapes. Also seen have been 3 Sparrowhawks, a Siskin, 2 Ravens and small numbers of Swallows.

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