If you’ve been lucky enough to get out and about recently no doubt you’ll have heard birdsong almost everywhere you turn.
The mating season is now well and truly underway and as we say ‘goodbye’ to our winter migrants, Britain’s summer visitors are reaching our shores from southern Europe and Africa. But sightings over the last couple of weeks here at Newport Wetlands have been an exciting mix of summer and winter migrants, as well as resident birds that stay in the UK all year round.
The ever-impressive marsh harrier was seen on several days last week, while there have already been four sightings of our resident bearded tits this week. The often nocturnal and secretive woodcock was spotted on Wednesday 16th March and just two days previously a whimbrel was heard on the reserve. This large wader is about a third the size of a curlew and is specially protected at all times due to a steady decrease in the breeding population over the last 40 years.
Despite the warmer weather in recent days, fieldfare is still being seen nearly every day though this winter migrant returns to Scandinavia between March and May. Another winter visitor spotted on the reserve is the much rarer whooper swan seen on Sunday 13th March. Slightly smaller than our resident mute swan, its neck is usually straight and it has a black and yellow bill, similar to that of a Bewick’s swan.
But these winter migrants are now giving way to visitors from Africa. House martin, swallow and sand martin have been seen in the last few days and chiffchaff has been seen every day for more than a week – listen out for its distinctive ‘zip-zap, zip-zap’ while out on the reserve.
But arguable the two most exciting sightings for Newport Wetlands over the last two weeks were red kite and firecrest. The red kite was seen flying over the reserve on Sunday, while the firecrest was spotted in the woods on Sunday 13th. Persecution drove red kites to near extinction in Britain at the beginning of the 20th century but protection has since helped the species recover. The native Welsh population together with birds from reintroduction schemes has resulted in more than 600 pairs breeding in the UK today. Only around 112 pairs of firecrest have nested in recent years and like the red kite, this small, colourful bird is specially protected.
So if you’ve got a few spare hours, come down to Newport Wetlands to see what you can find. And don’t forget to pop into the Visitor Centre and let us know what you’ve seen!
Hi Hannah,
The late staying Whooper Swan was still present on 22nd March when it flew into the back saline lagoon at Goldcliff, (Bec Lagoon). Same day the Avocet count was up to 24, Redshank roost stood at 115 with lots of lapwing and single migrant Spotted Redshank & Greenshank.
Lovely flock of Redshank visible from the lighthouse yesterday. The sea mist at high tide made them a little hard to to ID.
The Chiffchaff was singing loudly by the Powerstation. I was so busy watching him I almost tripped over the pheasant who had come out of the reed beds!