While working on cutting and clearing what the cattle didn’t eat this summer on the Wet Grassland between Lapwing hide and the Sand Martin hide I watched a pair of stonechats perching up then swooping down to pick up insects from our fresh cutting. We a
14 November 2020
Despite some colder temps his week we haven’t had a real cold snap required to drive big numbers of teal and shelduck onto the site. This mild weather has helped the insects stay active which has kept bats in our boxes – a quick check of two of the mo
4 November 2020
A female kestrel has taken up residence in our newest owl box on Wetlands Discovery. She can be spotted hovering above the islands hunting the abundant bank and field voles. She has also been spotted in car park perching on the wooden lighting pole near
17 October 2020
Monday morning I was greeted by the spectacle of approximately 400 house and sand martins swirling around a dark, moody sky, a truly fantastic sight. These fabulous aerobats are starting to gather before their epic migration to sub-Saharan Africa for the
4 September 2020
During this month’s dormouse survey, we spotted a brilliant emerald damselfly, which rather obligingly stayed still long enough for a quick photo shoot! We don’t get many of that species, so was really lovely to see. Sadly, no dormice were found
26 July 2020
Lead ban on hold yet again as last minute objection derails plans.
15 July 2020
The numbers of greenfinch onite has been dropping in recent years but our recent Breeding Bird Survey has good greenfinch news. This April through June we have recorded greenfinches singing from the treetops around the reserve. Now we are seeing juvenile
13 July 2020
Wildflowers Weeks of hot sun followed by a bit of rain here and there has produced a botanical bounty all around the reserve! Our wildlife hides are now open (except for the Sand Martin hide) and the views are spectacular. Oxe-eye daises are just going o
7 July 2020
Warden Suzi reports strong gusty winds and hail was putting off most of the birds except the gulls! The lapwing were hunkered down, still on nests on wet grasslands. Ramsar/Sand martin hide: around 750+ black-headed gull, 42 common gull, 2 lesser blac
30 March 2020
Warden Suzi Lanaway sent in these sightings from the past few days. Suzi is one of the dedicated team that are still working onsite for wildlife and managing the fragile wetland habitats. In the photo above Reserve Manager Paul Stevens photographed these
28 March 2020
On Wednesday 25 March Warden Suzi Lanaway reports lots of brimstone and red admiral butterflies and a couple of beeflies (pic above) in the sensory (herb) garden.There was also a pair of oystercatchers in the Bewick's Swan enclosure and grass snakes show
26 March 2020
On the wet grassland we now have 5 pairs of lapwing sitting on eggs. Other signs of spring include the newly hatched nest of moorhens on the Lakes & Forest exhibit. A pair of greylag geese have hatched 5 goslings along the channels of the Wetland Discover
25 March 2020
Lapwings and oystercatchers getting ready to nest and kingfisher have been spotted at the Arun Riverlife nesting bank .
23 March 2020
The last Harrier count of the winter for our wardens was Sunday evenng with five marsh harriers and one hen harrier spotted from the Reedbed Hide. A vagrant Greenland white-fronted goose has been onsite since late Friday aternoon, hanging out near the gre
16 March 2020
Pochard can be spotted from every hide most days. Lapwings are still displaying and two pairs of oystercatcher are starting to appear at Ramsar hide and on Arun Riverlife lagoon. Large numbers of black-headed gulls onsite but most are juveniles and will m
9 March 2020