Cold weather slows down spring

9 March 2023

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 and nesting.

Kingfisher males are chasing each other around the site too and will hopefully settle back into last year’s territories at the Sand martin hide and on the Arun Riverlife lagoon - they are generally faithful to nest sites.

The first oyster catcher pair to arrive back on site are covering the whole site sporadically, but are likely to settle in their usual preferred place around the Pelican Cove/Coastal Creek exhibits.

The loud, staccato song of Cetti’s warbler is becoming more regular and widespread throughout the site as are the beautiful songs of robin, dunnock, blackbird, song thrush and a multitude of tits. We spotted a firecrest in the hedges by the Discovery hide on Tuesday, too. (previous photo above from Ken Turner while visiting Arundel)

- Suzi Lanaway, Reserve Manager

Please Note: these wildlife sightings are from morning counts taken by our wardens. Only certain sections of the site are counted each day, on a rotating basis. This is not a complete record of everything you may see on site.

Wed 8 Mar

Arun Riverlife: 5 pochards

Ramsar & Sand martin hides: 40 lapwing, 15 shelducks, 3 pochard, 1 great egret

Scrape hide: 10 Canada geese, 7 greylag geese, 9 shoveler, 11 mallards, 3 gadwall, 3 teal, 2 coots, 1 little grebe long path

Tues 7 Mar

Arun Riverlife: 9 pochard, 1 lapwing, 1 kingfisher

Ramsar & Sand martin hides: 5 cormorants, 11 shelducks, 7 pochard, 1 snipe, 50 lapwing, 9 gadwall, 14 mallard, 3 teal, 4 shoveler, 2 Mediterranean gulls, 6 tufted ducks, 2 carrion crow 2 Cetti’s warbler, 1 great egret, 2 mute swans, 3 greylag geese, 16 Canada geese, 19 common gulls, 26 black-headed gulls, 4 coots, 3 moorhens, 2 pochard, 1 great egret

Wetland Discovery: 2 pochard

Scrape hide: 26 snipe.

Discovery Hide: firecrest in the hedge

Mon 6 Mar

Lapwing hide: 4 mallards, 4 greylag geese

Arun Riverlife: 1 kingfisher, 1 pochard, 2 oystercatchers

Pelican cove: 3 pochards

Wetland Discovery: 3 pochards

Long path: 2 Cetti’s warbler

Ramsar & Sand martin hide: 149 lapwing, 28 common gulls, 3 Mediterranean gulls, 7 pochard, 1 great egret

Scrape hide: 10 snipe

Sun 5 Mar

Wetland Discovery: 22 mallards, 6 Canada geese, 1 coot, 1 robin, 1 Cetti's warbler, 4 wood pigeons, 8 pochards, 1 blackbird, 2 tufted ducks, 1 greenfinch, 1 kingfisher

Reedbed boardwalk: 2 snipe