Bees, bugs and lunar hornet moths
Plenty of small birds around this week with reed warbler, sedge warblers, chiffchaff, black cap and greenfinches. A great spotted woodpecker is still around in the Wood land Loop. We had a whitethroat singing a the back of the wet grassland on Saturday.
A common tern has been spotted fishing on Arun Riverlife lagoon and near Sand martin hide.
Last Friday we spotted a male marsh harrier, in its second year, being mobbed by crows near the Lapwing hide.
We have had lots of egrets in early - five little egrets and 18 cattle egrets in the morning. Cattle egrets are in their 'orange' breeding plumage still.
Reserve manager Suzi noticed two yellow loosestrife bees along the long path on Friday. This rare wetland bee is found in just a handful of sites in southern England. As well as collecting pollen the females of this species harvest oil from the yellow loosestrife to use as waterproofing in their nests.
Recent Wildlife sightings:
Tues 2 July
Ramsar and Sand martin hides: 2 little egrets, 2 cormorants, 2 mute swans, 14 gadwall, 9 tufted ducks, 11 mallards, 3 coots, 1 moorhen, 2 oystercatchers (flirting in pic above), 29 back-headed gulls, c30 sand martins, 1 greenfinch, 1 pochard, 1 mandarin.
Arun Riverlife: 1 shoveler
Scrape hide: 3 shoveler, 1 sedge warbler, 6 gadwall.
Mon 1 July
Lapwing hide: 3 carrion crows, 2 tufted ducks, 1 chiffchaff, 1 moorhen, 1 grey heron, 1 kingfisher
Ramsar and Sand martin hides: 4 little egrets, 5 mandarins, 4 shoveler ducks, 2 green finches, 1 cackling goose, 21 black-headed gulls, c 30 sand martins, 2 oystercatchers.
Scrape hide: 3 shoveler, 1 reed warbler, 1 teal,
Lakes and Forests: 1 kingfisher
Long path: 2 mute swans and cygnets.
Sun 30 June
Wetland Discovery: 1 black-headed gull, 4 mallards, 1 moorhen, 1 reed warbler, 1 chiffchaff, 1 greenfinch
Scrape hide: 1 pochard.
Ramsar & Sand Martin hide: 2 oystercatchers, c30 sand martins, 1 cattle egret, 2 little egret.
Waterside walk: 2 oystercatchers
Wildlife Garden: 2 lunar hornet moths (clearwings), mating.
Sat 29 June
Arun Riverlife: 1 grey wagtail, 7 black-headed gulls, 10 tufted ducks,4 mallards, 2 Canada geese
Ramsar & Sand Martin hides: 2 little egrets
Lapwing hide: 1 whitethroat singing at back of wet grassland
Long path (near tool shed): 18 green shield bug nymphs on willowherb leaf.
Fri 28 June
Long Path: 2 yellow loosestrife bees fighting over pollen!
Wood Loop: 12 mallards, 3 tufted ducks, 4 chaffinches, 2 moorhens, 1 mandarin, 1 chiffchaff, 1 black cap, great spotted woodpecker, 3 great tits
Reedbed: 4 tree creepers near Reed Chamber
Arun Riverlife: 1 common tern fishing
Lapwing hide: 1 2nd year male marsh harrier, chased of by crows
Ramsar hide: 5 little egrets & 18 cattle egrets at 9.15 am.
Thurs 27 June
Ramsar hide: 2 mandarin ducks, 1 teal, 4 black-headed gulls.
Sand martin hide: 1 common tern, 1 pochard,1 oyster catcher, c40 sand martins
Scarpe hide: 5 shoveler ducks, 1 grey heron.
Willow sphere: 1 blue tits, 2 mallards, 2 reed warblers, 1 sand martin, 6 black-headed gulls, 6 greylag geese, 30 mallards, 1 coot, 1 tufted duck,1 Canada goose, 1 mandarin
Reedbed: 2 wren, 2 woodpigeon, 1 moorhen
Wood loop: 5 moorhens.
