News
Lapwing chicks & a cuckoo calls
Kingfisher continue to be active around nest hole #5 in the artificial bank on the Arun Riverlife lagoon. Look out for the sand martins coming in and out of nest holes at the banks of the Sand martin hide. A cackling goose and a cackling barnacle cross se
9 May 2023
Bird song bonanza, great crested grebe & sand piper
Lots of bird song in the air from the likes of this sedge warbler and a black cap both captured by Rob Collins on a recent visit. We’ve had a nightingale on the back of the car park wild area that borders the wet grassland of the Lapwing hide off and on
28 April 2023
Kingfishers nest in Arun Riverlife bank again
A kingfisher pair are back in hole 5 of the nesting bank on Arun Riverlife. They favour this hole and have nested here before - see Mike Jerome's photo above.We are not sure about the pair of kingfishers who nested in the Sand Martin Hide last year –
19 April 2023
Goslings and ducklings hatched out for the Easter holidays
As if on cue for the Easter holidays greylag and Canada geese families are appearing with goslings in tow on the wet grasslands from the Ramsar and Sand martin hides, the Wetland Discovery area and on Waterside walk. Mallard ducklings are about as well on
11 April 2023
Lapwings and oystercatcher pairs
Lapwing males have been nest scraping and at least two females appear to be on nests opposite the Ramsar hide. One pair of oystercatchers have been flitting between Pelican Cove and Arun Riverlife lagoon - this is likely the pair that has been nestinhg
28 March 2023
Arundel spring bird ID guide
New to bird spotting or just want a handy reference guide? Download this free guide to Arundel's most common spring birds. Get the Bird ID guide
20 March 2023
Toads on the move, Kingfishers & oystercatchers active
Toad migration to breeding ponds picked up again last week on the days when the overnight temps were warmer and the weather was showery. On Monday Senior Reserve Warden Emma Jacob was on ‘Toad Patrol’ doing 'catch and release' of toads that were broug
16 March 2023
Cold weather slows down spring
The cold weather seems to have put spring on hold for the moment. Birds are singing and displaying, but not much else is going on. Lapwing are still onsite in good numbers and are starting to investigate usual territories, but have yet to starting mating
9 March 2023
Lots of lapwing still on site
Flock of 100+ lapwing still onsite most days, not broken up yet for spring. You will hear the occasional slide-whistle display calls when individual males taking to the air. Mixed groups of tits in the Woodland Loop (including a coal tit) with chaffinc
4 March 2023
Oystercatchers return
A pair of oyster catchers were spotted feeding in the grass around Pelican Cove yesterday. The pair moved over to the rocky island on Arun Riverlife lagoon in Tuesday afternoon. We think this is one of our regular nesting pairs - likely the pair who have
22 February 2023
Common, black-headed & Mediterranean gulls
Large numbers of common gulls have been onsite this week - they have arrived a bit late this winter. There are fewer Mediterranean gulls in the mix than usual -but with high gull numbers and the Med. gulls not all fully coloured up and often sitting wit
16 February 2023
Pintails, wigeon, pochards & teal
There was a pair of pintail at the Sand martin hide this morning along with 8 pochard and 4 wigeon. Good numbers of teal around and snipe back in front of Ramsar hide, Scrape hide and even one on the Arun Riverlife lagoon. Lots of lapwing still between Ra
8 February 2023
Lapwing, teal & gadwall numbers back up after the thaw
Now that our waterways have thawed lapwing numbers are back up with the highest count 120 last Saturday. We’ve pochards onsite too – on Arun Riverlife, Pelican Cove and Wetland Discovery. A pair of pochard nested on Pelican Cove last year so we are ke
31 January 2023
Bullfinches along Tranquil Trail
Bullfinches have been showing in the hedgerows along the Long path and Tranquil Trail. Sightings of these bright birds (the males) in the trees of the Reedswamp exhibit as well. Visitors reported spotting firecrests last weekend as well. They usually s
24 January 2023
Displaying teal on the icy scrape
Teal, gadwall and shoveler are present in good numbers from Ramsar, Sand Martin and Scrape hides, with shelduck dotted amongst them. Pair bonds are forming and the array of display between species is an often comical sight. Teal were calling and the males
17 January 2023