Only 5 out of the original group of 10 were able to make it on the day due to a variety of extenuating circumstances for this trip to the Newport area.

It was a glorious sunny day and we were greeted by many chiffchaff singing their hearts out and several Cetti’s warblers also making their presence felt. We spent a couple of hours slowly making our way along the series of bird hides and viewing platforms up to the sea wall at Goldcliff and then back again, pleased to find that the ground was dry despite the largely wet weather so far this year. The stars of the show are the avocets of which there were about 100. There were a few black-tailed godwit left - the rest had moved on by the time we got there, many common redshank and a solitary spotted redshank. We spotted the latter with the help of another birder with a big telescope. Lapwings always deserve a special mention and there were plenty of shelduck and shovellers.

We drove around to the Newport Wetlands and had a picnic lunch followed by another hour or so exploring there. We added a few more birds to our list including  curlew and there was also the opportunity for some to see a little owl with the aid of a telescope and a helpful ranger. Some of us were less fortunate in seeing the owl, but thanks to some crows homing in on the bird, we heard some very loud and distinctive calls and realised there were in fact 2 of them. We also heard the distant boom of a bittern. (Apparently, they bred successfully last year producing 12 chicks.)