Eighteen of us joined Steve Butler for this morning’s walk around the meadows. The birds managed an equally good turnout, with a record of 44 different species seen or heard. Highlights were a kingfisher flying down the Gavenny and up the Usk, and the first spotted flycatcher that any of us had seen this year. It was great to see one of these declining migrants, which only returned to Gwent a couple of days ago.

Full list: Blackbird, Blackcap, Blue Tit, Buzzard, Carrion Crow, Chaffinch, Chiffchaff, Coal Tit, Collared Dove, Common Sandpiper, Dipper, Dunnock, Goldcrest, Goldfinch, Goosander, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Great Tit, Greenfinch, Grey Heron, Grey Wagtail, House Sparrow, Jackdaw, Kingfisher, Lesser Black-Backed Gull, Long-tailed Tit, Magpie, Mallard, Mistle Thrush, Moorhen, Nuthatch, Pied Wagtail, Raven, Red Kite, Robin, Sand Martin, Song Thrush, Sparrowhawk, Spotted Flycatcher, Starling, Swallow, Swift, Treecreeper, Woodpigeon, Wren.