The RSPB Community

Weekly sightings 03/06-09/06, with added moth photo!

Lisa Robinson — Mon, 10 Jun 2013 13:00:16 GMT

Hi all, here’s the recent sightings from last week, 3^rd to 9^th June.

Bearded tit, Blackbird, Blackcap, Buzzard, Carrion crow, Cetti's warbler, Chiffchaff, Coot, Cormorant, Cuckoo, Goldcrest, Goldfinch, Great crested grebe, Great spotted woodpecker, Great tit, Greenfinch, Greenshank, Grey heron, House martin, House sparrow, Kestrel, Lesser black backed gull, Lesser whitethroat, Linnet, Little egret, Little grebe, Little owl, Little ringed plover, Little tern, Magpie, Mallard, Moorhen, Mute swan + cygnets, Oystercatcher, Peregrine, Pochard, Raven, Reed bunting, Reed warbler, Sedge warbler, Shelduck, Song thrush, Spoonbill, Starling, Swallow, Swift, Tufted duck, Whinchat, Whitethroat, “Willowchiff” and fledglings, Willow warbler, Wood pigeon, Wren.

Also seen: Grass snake, Southern marsh orchid, Common blue damselfly, Blue tailed damselfly, Common blue butterfly, Small tortoiseshell, Emperor dragonfly.

We’re starting to see more dragonflies and damselflies at last, and the orchids are popping up in their usual places too. Also, just this morning, Mike spotted a massive moth in the corner of the visitor centre which we think is a Poplar hawk moth. Any moth experts who can confirm this?

Poplar hawk moth(?) in the Visitor Centre

Please note that we take our recent sightings list from the visitor sightings board that anyone can contribute to. This is great as everyone can get involved, but obviously can lead to potential errors too as they aren’t always verified! We try to keep this list as accurate as possible but if you see something unusual feel free to comment here!

2 weeks of recent sightings - including Woodchat shrike!

Lisa Robinson — Thu, 06 Jun 2013 14:29:00 GMT

Hi everyone, here’s a long overdue update on the recent sightings here at Newport Wetlands (20/05 to 02/06). We’ve been very busy with half term activities, plus we’ve had internet connectivity issues again so haven’t been able to post anything for a while! I can see there have been lots of posts on the forum in our absence, which is great, especially the discussion about the State of Nature report.

Without further ado, here’s the list of sightings for the past couple of weeks:

Birds: Bearded tit, Blackbird, Blackcap, Blue tit, Bullfinch, Buzzard, Canada goose, Cetti's warbler, Chaffinch, Chiffchaff, Coot, Cormorant, Cuckoo, Curlew, Curlew sandpiper, Dunlin, Dunnock, Gadwall, Garden warbler, Goldfinch, Great crested grebe, Great spotted woodpecker, Great tit, Greenfinch, Grey heron, Herring gull, Hobby, House martin, House sparrow, Jackdaw, Kestrel, Lapwing, Lesser whitethroat, Lesser black backed gull, Linnet, Little egret, Little grebe, Little owl, Little ringed plover, Magpie, Mallard, Marsh harrier, Moorhen, Mute swan + 6 cygnets, Oystercatcher, Pheasant, Pintail, Pochard, Raven, Redshank, Reed bunting, Reed warbler, Ringed plover, Robin, Rock pipit, Sand martin, Sedge warbler, Shelduck, Shoveler, Song thrush, Sparrowhawk, Swallow, Swift, Teal, Tufted duck, Whimbrel, Whitethroat, Willow warbler, Wood sandpiper, Woodchat shrike, Woodpigeon, Wren.

Other species: Weasel, Common spotted orchid, Southern marsh orchid, Burnet companion moth, Large white butterfly, Green veined white butterfly, Small tortoiseshell butterfly, Peacock butterfly, Large red damselfly, Hairy hawker dragonfly.

In case you passed over it in the above list, we had a woodchat shrike here on Tuesday 28^th May. It was amazing!

Woodchat shrike by John Marsh

Finally, there's a spoonbill down at Goldcliff that's been there since Monday which is definitely worth a look!

Weekly sightings 13/05 to 19/05/13

Lisa Robinson — Mon, 20 May 2013 10:37:00 GMT

Here’s the recent sightings from last week. 69 bird species and 2 others!

Avocet, Bearded tit, Black tailed godwit, Blackbird, Blackcap, Blue tit, Bullfinch, Canada goose + 6 goslings, Cetti's warbler, Chaffinch, Chiffchaff, Coot, Cormorant, Cuckoo, Curlew, Dunlin, Goldcrest, Goldfinch, Grasshopper warbler, Great crested grebe, Great spotted woodpecker, Great tit, Greenfinch, Grey heron, Hobby, House martin, House sparrow, Jay, Kestrel, Kingfisher, Lapwing, Lesser whitethroat, Linnet, Little egret, Little grebe, Little owl, Little ringed plover, Long tailed tit, Magpie, Mallard, Marsh harrier, Marsh warbler (unconfirmed!), Meadow pipit, Moorhen, Mute swan + 6 cygnets, Oystercatcher, Pheasant, Pied wagtail, Pintail, Pochard, Raven, Red breasted merganser, Redstart, Reed bunting, Reed warbler, Ringed plover, Robin, Sedge warbler, Shelduck, Shoveler, Starling, Swallow, Swift, Tufted duck, Wheatear, Whimbrel, Whitethroat, Wren, Yellowhammer.

Also: toad, grass snake.

Here's a brilliant picture of the cygnets on the scrape:

Mute swan and 1 day old cygnets by Andy Wattson

New arrivals at Newport Wetlands

Lisa Robinson — Thu, 16 May 2013 13:41:00 GMT

We’ve had some new arrivals on the reserve in the last few days! There are both avocet and lapwing chicks down at Goldcliff, easy to see from the hides. The Canada geese have hatched 6 fluffy little bundles of joy, and they spent yesterday wandering around the environs and showing off in front of the visitor centre. So cute!

Canada Goose and goslings (and window reflection!)

We’re eagerly awaiting the cygnets from the mute swan which has been nesting right by the visitor centre. They should hatch any day now, so we’re keeping a keen eye on the nest. It’s easy to see from the shop so come and have a look – maybe you’ll be lucky enough to see the eggs hatch! Expect an update here as soon as the cygnets appear.

Have you had any new arrivals in your gardens? Are you expecting some soon?

Three Goslings

Weekly sightings 06/05 to 12/05/13

Jenna — Mon, 13 May 2013 14:55:00 GMT

Avocet, Bearded tit, Black tailed godwit, Blackbird, Blackcap, Blue tit, Canada goose, Cetti's warbler, Chaffinch, Chiffchaff, Common gull, Coot, Cormorant, Cuckoo, Curlew, Dunlin, Gadwall, Goldfinch, Grasshopper warbler, Great crested grebe, Great tit, Greenfinch, Grey heron, Herring gull, Hobby, House martin, Kestrel, Lapwing, Lesser Whitethroat, Linnet, Little egret, Little grebe, Little ringed plover, Mallard, Mute swan, Oystercatcher, Pheasant, Pied wagtail, Pochard, Red breasted merganser, Redshank, Reed bunting, Reed warbler, Sedge warbler, Shelduck, Song thrush, Sparrowhawk, Starling, Swallow, Swift, Tufted duck, Wheatear, Whimbrel, Whitethroat, Willow warbler, Wood pigeon, Wren.

Unfortunately no live bats seen on the bat walk as we had miserable weather, but during the talk we did get to see some bat poo!

To see pictures by john_l_uk of the Red breasted merganser have a look on the forum here.

Name the Tiger Competition Winners

Lisa Robinson — Fri, 10 May 2013 10:30:00 GMT

As we can now upload photos again, I thought I’d share with you the pictures of our two Name The Tiger competition winners!

The first winner was Lewis (in the middle) who is 6, and named his tiger Bernard the Death Eater! Amazing – a Harry Potter fan perhaps?

Lewis (6) and friends

Iris, aged 5, was also a winner with her tiger named Stripes, and here she is collecting her lovely fluffy tiger prize:

Iris (5)

Well done to both our winners, and thank you to everyone else who entered!

Keep your eyes peeled for our next competition, and in the mean time there’s plenty to do as a family when you visit Newport Wetlands! There are free Bird Bingo sheets for you to borrow, where you tick off what you see as you walk around.

We also have our incredible Wildlife Explorer backpacks which you can see behind Iris in the second photo. These are absolutely brilliant – inside is a pair of binoculars, a bug pot with magnifying lens, and a Detective Challenge (like a scavenger hunt without the scavenging). To help you identify all the wildlife there’s also a bird book, a bug ID chart, and another chart which changes depending on the season. I’ve just put in the Butterflies of Britain chart since we’re starting to see a few lovely butterflies around!

The Wildlife Explorer backpacks are £3.50 to hire for the day for non-members, and they are free to hire for RSPB members! Just the thing to help you make the most of your day out at the Wetlands!

Weekly sightings 29/04 to 05/05/13

Lisa Robinson — Tue, 07 May 2013 14:02:09 GMT

Here's the weekly sightings:

Avocet, Bar tailed godwit, Bearded tit, Black tailed godwit, Blackcap, Blue tit, Bullfinch, Buzzard, Canada goose, Cetti's warbler, Chiffchaff, Common sandpiper, Coot, Cormorant, Cuckoo, Curlew, Dunlin, Dunnock, Gadwall, Goldfinch, Goosander, Grasshopper warbler, Great crested grebe, Great tit, Greenfinch, Greenshank, Grey heron, Hobby, House martin, Jay, Kestrel, Lesser Whitethroat, Linnet, Little egret, Little grebe, Little owl, Little ringed plover, Magpie, Mallard, Merlin, Moorhen, Mute swan, Oystercatcher, Pheasant, Pochard, Raven, Redshank, Reed bunting, Reed warbler, Ringed plover, Robin, Sedge warbler, Shelduck, Shoveler, Skylark, Sparrowhawk, Spotted redshank, Stock dove, Swallow, Swift, Teal, Tufted duck, Whimbrel, Whitethroat, Wigeon, Wood pigeon, Wood warbler, Wren.

Also, a stoat, and two otters seen early morning on two occasions!

Reed Bunting by Robbie Morgan age 9

Weekend events at Newport Wetlands

Lisa Robinson — Thu, 02 May 2013 12:00:00 GMT

There's 3 more exciting events at Newport Wetlands this weekend so come out and enjoy this sunny weather!

It's the Wildlife Explorers Club monthly meet up on Saturday 4th May at 10am - this month they are going out fossil hunting on the reserve! It's £2.00 for RSPB members and £3.00 for non members. The club is for 8 to 12 year olds, and you can just drop the kids off and pick them up after (or stick around for a coffee and a walk yourself!).

On Sunday 5th, if you're an early bird yourself (or can manage it just this once) there's a FREE guided walk around the reserve led by Darryl Spittle (organised by Natural Resources Wales) to listen to the dawn chorus and learn about the different bird species. Yes, it is a dawn chorus walk which means it starts at 5.15am! It's definitely worth the effort though.

Finally, a course for budding photographers - Wildlife Photography for Beginners from 10am - 12pm on Sunday 5th. It's £10.00 per person (50% off for RSPB members), and please book in advance on 01633 636363. It's a chance to learn basic techniques and get out on the reserve to put the theory into practice.

10% off RSPB Binoculars

Lisa Robinson — Wed, 01 May 2013 13:23:02 GMT

Need a new pair of binoculars to help you ID that wily warbler? Why not come to our shop here at Newport Wetlands and grab a bargain! There's 10% off RSPB binoculars until 21st May. The offer includes both compacts and full size - and our brilliant HD range too! Come along at any time (we're open 9am - 5pm) for a personal demo and consultation.

Weekly sightings 22 to 28/04/13

Lisa Robinson — Mon, 29 Apr 2013 14:33:14 GMT

Here’s the weekly sightings:

Avocet, Bar tailed godwit, Bearded tit, Black cap, Black tailed godwit, Black winged stilt, Blackbird, Blue tit, Bullfinch, Buzzard, Canada goose, Carrion crow, Cetti's warbler, Chiffchaff, Coal tit, Common sandpiper, Coot, Cormorant, Cuckoo, Curlew, Gadwall, Garden warbler, Goldcrest, Goldfinch, Grasshopper warbler, Great crested grebe, Great spotted woodpecker, Great tit, Greenfinch, Grey heron, Herring gull, House martin, Kestrel, Lesser whitethroat, Linnet, Little egret, Little grebe, Little owl, Magpie, Mallard, Moorhen, Mute swan, Pheasant, Pochard, Raven, Red kite, Reed bunting, Reed warbler, Sand martin, Sedge warbler, Shelduck, Spotted redshank, Stonechat, Swallow, Swift, Tufted duck, Wheatear, Whimbrel, Whinchat, White wagtail, Whitethroat, Wigeon, Willow warbler, Wood pigeon, Wren

That’s 65 bird species total.

Also seen: Peacock butterfly, Small tortoiseshell butterfly, Green veined white butterfly.

Wild Art and Walks at Newport Wetlands

Lisa Robinson — Thu, 25 Apr 2013 11:41:07 GMT

Looking for something to do this weekend? Look no further! We’ve got three fantastic events here at Newport Wetlands which should keep the whole family busy.

Firstly, we have the Big Wild Art event which is FREE for everyone and is now running all day Saturday and Sunday from 11am til 3.30pm – just drop in when you can for some nature related crafty fun! Be sure to wear old clothes because it will get messy! All ages welcome.

Secondly, there’s the monthly guided walk starting at 10am on Saturday. This is £6.00 per adult and £4.00 per child, and RSPB members get a 50% discount. The price also includes a hot drink from our lovely cafe. The walk will take in the wonderful wildlife and fascinating history of the reserve.

Finally, if you’re looking to learn, why not come along to Birdsong for Beginners on Saturday? This is a relaxed walk and talk to discover about the super songsters around our reserve and help you identify those Little Brown Jobs! The event is aimed at adults and is £6.00 per person with a 50% discount for RSPB members. It starts at 11am and if you fancy coming along please ring us to book a place on 01633 636363.

So as you can see there’s plenty to do and hopefully one of the three events will entice you along.

Weekly sightings 15 to 21/04/13

Lisa Robinson — Mon, 22 Apr 2013 15:58:03 GMT

Weekly sightings 15 to 21/04/13

Here’s the weekly sightings:

Bearded tit, Blackcap, Blue tit, Buzzard, Canada goose, Carrion crow, Cetti's warbler, Chiffchaff, Common tern, Coot, Curlew, Dunnock, Goldcrest, Goldfinch, Grasshopper warbler, Great crested grebe, Great spotted woodpecker, Great tit, Green woodpecker, Greenfinch, Grey heron, House martin, House sparrow, Kestrel, Lapwing, Little egret, Little grebe, Little owl, Long-tailed tit, Magpie, Mallard, Moorhen, Mute swan, Oystercatcher, Pheasant, Pochard, Raven, Redstart, Reed bunting, Reed warbler, Sedge warbler, Shelduck, Shoveler, Skylark, Sparrowhawk, Spponbill, Swallow, Teal, Tufted duck, Wheatear, Whimbrel, Willow warbler, Woodpigeon, Wren.

Goldcliff:

Arctic tern, Avocet, Black-tailed godwit, Commic tern, Dunlin, Gadwall, Greenshank, Herring gull, Knot, Linnet, Little ringed plover, Meadow pipit, Redshank, Ringed plover, Spotted redshank, Turnstone.

That’s 77 bird species total.

We also had a Peacock butterfly and a Small tortoiseshell butterfly seen, glad to see the warmer weather bringing out some insects!

Earth Day

Jenna — Fri, 19 Apr 2013 12:01:37 GMT

So Monday 22^nd April is this years Earth Day, what do you have planned to show your support for environmental protection?

Earth Day was first held on April 22, 1970 originally focused on the United States until 1990 when it went international. It is now celebrated in more than 192 countries every year, some communities have even gone one step further and now celebrate Earth Week, an entire week of activities focused on environmental issues. More than 1 billion people now celebrate Earth Day each year, and my favourite part is that there is even an Earth Day Anthem!

“Joyful joyful we adore our Earth in all its wonderment
Simple gifts of nature that all join into a paradise
Now we must resolve to protect her
Show her our love throughout all time
With our gentle hand and touch
We make our home a newborn world
Now we must resolve to protect her
Show her our love throughout all time
With our gentle hand and touch
We make our home a newborn world”

I’m sure you are all already members of the RSPB and taking part with all the actions in our stepping up for nature campaigns! If you do have some spare time why not see if there is anything on the actions that you can take to celebrate Earth Day and do more to help protect the environment: http://act.earthday.org/campaigns.html

Apologies for the lack of images still – Robbie aged 9 we have your photos ready to go up as soon as our network is fixed!!

Spring migrants

Lisa Robinson — Wed, 17 Apr 2013 16:03:48 GMT

It definitely feels like spring has arrived here at Newport Wetlands, at last! You can tell just from looking at the recent sightings from last week really, with spring migrants being seen and heard all over the place (reed warbler, chiffchaff, willow warbler and blackcap to name a few), the first cuckoo being spotted yesterday (photo verified!) and today Mat heard a sedge warbler by the visitor centre too.

We have quite a few coot chicks around the scrape and by the entrance ramp, although the adults are showing their typically bad parenting skills unfortunately. There’s also a pair of mute swans on a nest visible from the cafe – we think it’s about 30 days until their eggs should hatch, which is very exciting!

I can pinpoint exactly the moment I felt that spring was here – it was last Saturday afternoon, and I was standing in the visitor centre. I happened to glance up through the glass roof by the entrance, and spotted a lone swallow swooping around – my first one of the year. I was quite excited by that to be honest!

Is there anything in particular that makes you feel like spring is here?

Apologies for the lack of photos still – it’s a problem with our internet here! Check out the Newport Wetlands group, there’s loads of brilliant photos by our visitors on there.

Weekly sightings 08 to 14/04/13

Lisa Robinson — Mon, 15 Apr 2013 15:34:56 GMT

Here’s the weekly sightings:

Bearded tit, Blackbird, Blackcap, Blue tit, Bullfinch, Canada goose, Cetti's warbler, Chaffinch, Chiffchaff, Coot, Curlew, Dunnock, Gadwall, Goldcrest, Goldfinch, Great crested grebe, Great spotted woodpecker, Great tit, Greenfinch, House martin, Kestrel, Kingfisher, Little egret, Little grebe, Little owl, Long-tailed tit, Magpie, Mallard, Mute swan, Pheasant, Pochard, Redwing, Reed bunting, Reed warbler, Robin, Sand martin, Sedge warbler, Shelduck, Snipe, Song thrush, Swallow, Teal, Tufted duck, Wheatear, Willow warbler, Wren.

Goldcliff

Avocet, Bar-headed goose, Bar-tailed godwit, Grey heron, Lapwing, Oystercatcher, Pintail, Redshank, Shoveler, Skylark, Spoonbill, Spotted redshank, Stock dove, Water rail, Wigeon, Woodpigeon.

That’s 62 bird species total.

As you can see, there’s been quite a few migrants seen this week, it’s definitely felt more Spring-like! Sorry about the lack of photos recently, we're still having trouble uploading them.

Weekly sightings 1st to 7th April 2013

Lisa Robinson — Mon, 08 Apr 2013 13:27:00 GMT

Here’s the recent sightings for the past week at Newport Wetlands (1st to 7th April) with 54 bird species in total:

Blackbird, Blue tit, Bullfinch, Canada goose, Carrion crow, Cetti's warbler, Chiffchaff, Coot, Curlew, Dunlin, Dunnock, Fieldfare, Gadwall, Goldcrest, Goldeneye, Goldfinch, Great crested grebe, Great spotted woodpecker, Greenfinch, Grey heron, Grey plover, House sparrow, Kestrel, Knot, Little Egret, Little grebe, Little owl, Long-tailed tit, Magpie, Mallard, Marsh harrier, Moorhen, Mute swan, Osprey, Oystercatcher, Pheasant, Pintail, Pochard, Redshank, Redwing, Reed bunting, Robin, Shelduck, Siskin, Song thrush, Sparrowhawk, Spoonbill, Teal, Tufted duck, Water rail, Wheatear, Wigeon, Woodpigeon, Wren.

The Spoonbill has been down at Goldcliff for the last few days and is still there today apparently! The osprey was seen flying over on Tuesday 2nd April at the Goldcliff end of the reserve.

Weekly sightings 25/03 - 31/03

Jenna — Wed, 03 Apr 2013 16:15:27 GMT

Hi all, here’s the recent sightings list for Newport Wetlands over the last week.

Bearded tit, Blackbird, Blackcap, Black-headed gull, Buzzard, Canada goose, Carrion crow, Cetti’s warbler, Chiffchaff, Coot, Curlew, Dunlin, Dunnock, Gadwall, Goldcrest, Goldfinch, Great crested grebe, Great spotted woodpecker, Greenfinch, Grey heron, Grey plover, Hen harrier, Herring gull, Little egret, Little owl, Long tailed tit, Magpie, Mallard, Moorhen, Mute swan, Pheasant, Pochard, Raven, Redwing, Reed bunting, Robin, Sand martin, Shelduck, Snipe, Sparrowhawk, Teal, Tufted duck, Water rail, Woodpigeon, Wren.

A weasel and a small tortoiseshell butterfly.

At Goldcliff we also had the additional sightings of: Avocet, Bar-tailed godwit, Meadow pipit, Pintail, Redshank and Wheatear

53 species in total.

Just a reminder as well, if anyone has any good photographs from their day at the reserve and you don't mind us using them on the blog please send them to newport.images@rspb.org.uk

The origins of Easter

Jenna — Fri, 29 Mar 2013 16:20:50 GMT

There have been several ideas as to where Easter eggs originated from:

They may have originated from a pagan symbol, connected to the goddess Ostara, a suggested German version of Eostre. At the Passover Seder, a hard-boiled egg dipped in salt water symbolizes both new life and the Passover sacrifice offered at the Temple in Jerusalem. Ancient Persians painted eggs for Nowrooz, their New Year celebration falling on the Spring Equinox.

The most common belief however is that it was due to the Christian fast over lent, when they were not allowed to consume meat or animal products (such as eggs). Instead of the eggs going to waste they were often boiled or preserved, or as Easter was the end of the fast the foundation of many people’s meals would be eggs. Alternatively the eggs were decorated and given to children as gifts.... and if you had two yolks in an Easter egg it was a sign you are going to be rich soon.... Sounds good to me!

Why are Easter eggs made of chocolate?

The first chocolate eggs appeared in France and Germany in the 19^th century but were bitter and hard. As chocolate making techniques improved, hollow eggs were developed like the ones we are used to today. Jelly beans are also commonly hid by the Easter bunny for children to find. In Scotland around Easter time they now sell deep-fried chocolate eggs... not sure how I feel about that!

What's the Easter Bunny then?

The Story of the Easter Bunny also became common in the 19^th century. Rabbits and hares, like eggs, are fertility symbols of antiquity. Rabbits and hares both usually give birth to a large litter of babies, and since March is the start of their breeding season, became a symbol of new life in spring.

Legend has it that the Easter Bunny lays, decorates and hides eggs as they are a symbol of new life. He doesn’t do all the work alone though. In Switzerland Easter eggs are delivered by a cuckoo, in parts of Germany by a fox!

A rare beetle on the reserve

Lisa Robinson — Wed, 27 Mar 2013 15:31:00 GMT

We’ve had, allegedly, another exciting rarity spotted on the reserve by an expert! This time, it’s a beetle called Rugilus fragilis which, according to the National Biodiversity Network database, hasn’t been recorded in Wales before. Very exciting! The gentleman who spotted it (and definitely knows his stuff) is going to officially report the sighting as it is quite an exciting find. I asked if he was sure it was a Rugilus fragilis, and he told me he was 101% certain!

Remember to let us know if you see anything exciting (and if possible, get a photo!) out on the reserve, whatever it is!

Sorry that I haven’t found a picture of the beetle in question that I can put on here, but if you do an image search for it you’ll be able to see what it looks like. I think I would have just dismissed it as an earwig if I had seen it!

Weekly sightings 18th to 24th March

Lisa Robinson — Mon, 25 Mar 2013 11:58:59 GMT

Here’s the weekly sightings for the 18^th to 24^th March.

Bearded tit, Black headed gull, Blackbird, Blue tit, Bullfinch, Buzzard, Canada goose, Carrion crow, Cetti's warbler, Chiffchaff, Coal tit, Coot, Cormorant, Curlew, Dunnock, Gadwall, Goldcrest, Goldfinch, Great crested grebe, Great spotted woodpecker, Green woodpecker, Greenfinch, Grey heron, Grey plover, Hen harrier, Herring gull, Kestrel, Knot, Little egret, Little grebe, Little owl, Magpie, Mallard, Moorhen, Mute swan, Oystercatcher, Pheasant, Pochard, Reed bunting, Reed warbler, Robin, Shelduck, Sparrowhawk, Teal, Tufted duck, Wagtail, Water rail, Wheatear, Wigeon, Wood pigeon, Wren.

At Goldcliff:

Avocet, Bar-headed goose, Black tailed godwit, Dunlin, Gadwall, Green woodpecker, Greenshank, Lapwing, Little egret, Meadow pipit, Merlin, Oystercatcher, Pintail, Redshank, Shelduck, Shoveler, Skylark, Spoonbill, Spotted redshank.

A total of 70 bird species.

Chiffchaff

Easter holiday childrens activities

Jenna — Fri, 22 Mar 2013 11:30:00 GMT

Here’s an update on some of the fun activities we have planned for families across the Easter holidays (weeks days from the 25th March – 5th April);

Easter Trail – Throughout the whole of Easter we will be running a FREE trail so make sure you pick up an activity sheet from the Visitor Centre and head out on an Easter hunt. Search for 12 eggs on the reserve each with a picture of a resident from Newport Wetlands on the back, fill the words in on the activity sheet and find a hidden word down the centre. Bonus points for anyone that spots all the birds out on the reserve in real life!

Wildlife detective backpacks – Hire out a backpack for the day (FREE to RSPB members, £3.50 to non members) containing everything you need to have a good day searching for wildlife. In the bag there is a pair of children’s binoculars, a bug pot and some guides to help you decide what you are looking at. For big kids don’t worry we have some adult binoculars for hire too!

Outdoor activities – Join in on our races that we will be running around the picnic area, whether you fancy joining in with some egg and spoon racing or hopping like a bunny it’s going to be good fun! Look out for the hook-a-duck paddling pool to hook some ducks (only plastic ones just to clarify!!!). We will post the race and hook-a-duck times up on our facebook page for each day we are running the races so make sure to keep an eye out as we will also post the winners up on there too.

Face painting – We will run this most days but again keep an eye out on facebook if you have a burning desire to be turned into a bunny for the day! Suggested donations of £1 for small designs, £2 for a complete face design. So lot’s of options to suit everyone and of course the best bit is walking around the fantastic reserve so let’s just hope for some nice weather for us to get outside and get some sunshine!

A big well done to our under 8’s welly wanging (from February half term)champion Jack who came to collect his prize recently:

Spring Equinox -What's in a saying

Jenna — Wed, 20 Mar 2013 17:16:00 GMT

A guest blog by Adrianne Jones

What do we think of when we think of Spring... lighter nights, warmer days, Easter eggs maybe? Over the centuries Spring has been associated with many things. To our forefathers Spring meant the end of Winter, a life or death situation, which signalled hope and the end of famine. So no wonder it was such an important time of the year.

Every civilisation has it’s own understanding of Spring. The Roman’s and Celts regarded February as the start of Spring. The Anglo Saxons called February ‘Sol-monath’ which means cake month, because cakes were offered to the gods in that month so that the gods would smile on them in the coming year.

Because Spring is such an important time to plant new crops, Spring also gives rise to many old sayings associated with the weather. The weather conditions in the month of February gave an indication of what kind of Spring to expect, which were often proved right. ie ‘of all the months of the year, curse a fair February’

Candlemas Day which falls on 2^nd February, was the day in the year when all the candles were brought in to the church to be blessed, ‘mass of the candles’ Some people thought they gave protection against plague, illness and famine.

‘If Candlemas Day be fair and bright

Winter will have another fight

If Candlemas Day brings cloud and rain

Winter won’t come again’

Snowdrops appear in February which are a symbol of hope. According to legend the snowdrop became the symbol of hope when Adam and Eve were expelled from the garden of Eden. When Eve was about to give up hope that the cold winters would never end, an angel appeared. She transformed some of the snowflakes into snowdrop flowers proving that the Winters do eventually give way to Spring.

The month March was named after the Roman god Mars – the god of war. It used to be the first month of the year, but changed with the new style or Gregorian Calendar in 1752. The Anglo Saxons called March ‘Hlyd monath’ which means stormy month!

The Swallow makes it’s first appearance during April. In olden times, people were mystified by the disappearance of many birds during Winter and believed that the swallow spent the cold months hidden in the mud at the bottom of ponds. Traditionally April 15^th is Swallow Day!

In mid April we see the arrival of the cuckoo, another sign that Spring is here, in some areas Cuckoo Fairs are held to mark the occasion.

Cuckoo, John Bridges (rspb-images.com)

Weekly sightings 11 March - 17 March

Jenna — Mon, 18 Mar 2013 12:09:00 GMT

Hi all, here’s the recent sightings list for Newport Wetlands over the last week.

Bearded tit, Black headed gull, Blackbird, Blue tit, Canada goose, Carrion crow, Cettis warbler, Chaffinch, Chiffchaff, Coal tit, Coot, Cormorant, Curlew, Dunlin, Dunnock, Fieldfare, Gadwall, Goldcrest, Goldfinch, Great crested grebe, Great spotted woodpecker, Great tit, Green woodpecker, Greenfinch, Grey heron, Grey plover, Herring gull, Kestrel, Lesser black-backed gull, Little egret, Little grebe, Little owl, Long tailed tit, Magpie, Mallard, Merlin, Moorhen, Mute swan, Oystercatcher, Pheasant, Pochard, Redshank, Redwing, Reed bunting, Robin, Shelduck, Shoveler, Stonechat, Teal, Tufted duck, Wigeon, Wren.

And a rabbit!

At Goldcliff we also had the additional sightings of: Avocet, Black tailed godwit, Buzzard, Greenshank, Greylag goose, Lapwing, Meadow pipit, Merlin, Pied wagtail, Pintail, Snipe and Spotted redshank.

66 species in total.

Male Merlin, Chris Gomersall (rspb-images.com)

National Science and Engineering Week

Jenna — Thu, 14 Mar 2013 17:02:30 GMT

This week we are celebrating National Science & Engineering Week which shines the spotlight each March on how the sciences, technology, engineering and maths relate to our everyday lives, and helps to inspire the next generation of scientists and engineers with fun and participative events and activities. This year’s theme is invention and discovery to celebrate the ‘everyman’ scientist and inventor!

We have a special free family event planned on the 16th March to survey earthworms, dissect owl pellets and dip for pond life, phone 01633 636363 to book a place. If you can’t make the event but would like to find something to do for this week visit: http://www.britishscienceassociation.org/national-science-engineering-week/things-do-home-or-school

So with this theme in mind we’d like to know... What was the most memorable discovery you have ever made?

Weekly sightings 04 March - 10 March

Jenna — Mon, 11 Mar 2013 15:29:47 GMT

Hi all, here’s the recent sightings list for Newport Wetlands over the last week.

Bar-headed goose, Bearded tit, Black cap, Blackbird, Blue tit, Bullfinch, Canada goose, Cettis warbler, Chaffinch, Coot, Cormorant, Curlew, Dunlin, Dunnock, Gadwall, Goldcrest,Goldeneye, Goldfinch, Great crested grebe, Great spotted woodpecker, Great tit, Green woodpecker, Greenfinch, Grey heron, Grey plover, Kestrel, Little egret, Little grebe, Little owl, Long tailed tit, Magpie, Mallard, Marsh harrier, Moorhen, Mute swan, Oystercatcher, Pheasant, Pochard, Redshank, Redwing, Reed bunting, Robin, Shelduck, Song thrush, Stonechat, Teal, Tufted duck, Whimbrel, Whinchat, Wigeon, Wood pigeon, Wren.

A common newt and a frog – someone has obviously been pond dipping!

At Goldcliff we also had the additional sightings of: Avocet, Bar tailed godwit, Black headed gull, Greenshank, Knot, Lapwing, Pintail, Ringed plover, Shoveler and Snipe.

63 species in total.

Shoveler taken at Brownsea Island by Andy Hay (rspb-images.com)