News
May 28-June 5 is Wonderful Wildlife Week at WWT Arundel
Wriggling tadpoles, fledging kingfishers and fluffy oystercatcher chicks (above) are part of the wonderful wildlife hatching out of the ponds and meadows this half term at Arundel Wetland Centre from May 28-June 5, all part of Wonderful Wildlife Week.
23 May 2022
Mandarin ducklings, great egret & sand martin sightings
This week’s highlights include a marsh harrier sighting over the reedbeds at 1pm on Monday. Could they be nesting there? We also had a great white egret in on Wednesday at the Scrape hide. Kingfishers continue to pop in and out of nest hole number 5 on
19 May 2022
Damsels & dragons emerging
Damselflies are starting to emerge in earnest, with large red (pictured), common blue and blue-tailed damselflies flitting about. Hairy dragonflies are also emerging now. Warblers are singing all over the place, including sedge, reed, willow and Cett
12 May 2022
Busy breeding season is underway at Arundel
Head Keeper Sam McKinlay and the Collection Team once again have their hands full with breeding season underway among the threatened and endangered birds they care for at Arundel Wetland Centre. The Keepers have many species to track and will house the ha
11 May 2022
Singing and nesting around the reserve
Sand martins and kingfishers continue to show at the Sand martin hide. A pair of oystercatchers have been frequenting the fresh cobble islands out front (photo).Between Ramsar and Sand martin hides look out for lapwing and chicks, common gulls, Med gulls,
5 May 2022
Lapwing chicks near Ramsar hide
At least three lapwing chicks have hatched out opposite the Ramsar hide – now the adult lapwing's mission is protection. They are mobbing predatory crows or any greylag geese families that wander too close. An adult kingfisher was seen taking a faecal
27 April 2022
Sand martins arriving
Sand martins started filtering through this week. Last Tuesday we saw eight in the late afternoon, four on Thursday and 10 on Good Friday. There are likely more than this moving through –this is just what our wardens counted while working. Warblers si
16 April 2022
Top 10 to try during Easter holiday weekend
Our tips on things to try during your family visit this April.
11 April 2022
Second kingfisher pair nesting onsite
A second pair of kingfishers seem to be nesting in artificial bank of the Sand martin hide. They have beat the sand martins to the space this year but there is plenty of room on the other side of the bank. We should be seeing sand martins moving through s
7 April 2022
Oystercatcher pair about
A pair of oystercatchers are appearing regularly at the Sand martin hide and the old Tundra pen on the corner. They have nested at both sites in previous years so this may be that same pair. Kingfishers have been using the perch in front of the Sand marti
31 March 2022
Great egret & a crowd of cattle egrets
A great egret was back onsite last week making appearances at the Scrap hide through Sunday. Six cattle egrets spent the afternoon on the cobbled island opposite the Ramsar hide on Tuesday afternoon, photographed by volunteer Andy Burns.Kingfishers are s
24 March 2022
Busy Woodloop feeders a sign of spring
The bird feeders in the Woodland Loop have been getting busier as more songbirds arrive. The pair of kingfishers are still on the nesting bank on the Arun Riverlife lagoon. Lapwing sightings are increasing on the wet grassland -this photo from volunteer A
16 March 2022
New Play Park to Open for Easter holidays
A new play park will open at Arundel Wetland Centre just in time for the Easter holidays in West Sussex! This spring young visitors will be exploring bird boxes, wobbly lily pads and seesaws via a new pathway of balance beams, rope walks and a curved walk
13 March 2022
Kingfishers on Arun Riverlife delight visitors
The kingfisher pair continue to show well on the perches near their nesting bank on Arun Riverlife. At least one has been showing on the perch each day. Last Thursday both kingfishers were visible and a pair of oyster catchers were on the lagoon as well.
10 March 2022
Kingfisher pair back at the nesting bank
Pick up our Wildlife Observation cards to help us keep an eye on the kingfisher pair who have made the Arun Riverlife lagoon their territory. The pair were sitting on the far right perch in front on the nesting bank on Wednesday morning around 11 for q
3 March 2022