Newport Sat am

48 curlews on the mud with 1 Bar T Godwit that has been there several days & 9 Redshanks. c20 Ringed Plovers & 9 Dunlin hiding in a mass of dead leaves. 2 Little Egrets, a Kingfisher, & 55 Wigeon between the Parrog rocks & the mudflats.
Definite influx of Common & GBB Gulls but nothing more esoteric.
In the last few days there has also been a Knot & Snipe upstream, before the river rose again.
An adult Med Gull on Nov 4 was ringed as a pullus in Holland in June 05, went to Morocco in its 1st winter (Nov 05), wasn't seen in 06, spent the Summers of 07 & 08 in the Holland/Belgium/Calais area, but seems to have switched its Winter hols to the Uk-9/07 in Gloucestershire & this 11/08 sighting.
There are still reports of "tame" otters around, but from the rocks at the Parrog rather than the bridge.