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.
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.
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.
