Egrets and an Eagle
Egrets, egrets, egrets! Great white, little, and cattle!
We’ve had a few great white egrets still on site for the past week. The cattle egrets are roosting in the tree to the far right of Ramsar hide and further right than that is the leafy tree fully of noisy chicks in three nests. There are also one or two little egrets around in the mix.
Kingfisher sightings continue from Ramsar and Scrape hides. Gadwall numbers have dropped - this week’s warm daytime temperatures provide many more feeding opportunities in the Arun River Valley so the birds are more spread out.
White-tailed eagle made an appearance on Monday, surprising out boat driver Joel. The eagle flew quite low over the boat, thrilling the visitors, before climbing back up to the Ofham Hangar.
17 Sept
Ramsar and Sand Martin hide lagoon: 28 cattle egrets in the roosting tree, noisy chicks heard in a nearby tree., 1 grey heron, 1 great white egret, 21 mallards, 2 moorhens, 2 pochards, 1 Cetti’s warblers, 2 coots, 4 gadwalls, 6 teal, 1 kingfisher, 2 common gulls, 2 black-headed gulls, 1 grey wagtail.
Scrape hide: 1 kingfisher.
Long path: 1 water rail, 1 green woodpecker
Mon 16 Sept
Wetland Discovery: 1 white-tailed eagle low flying over then up to the Offham hangar, 1 kingfisher.
Lapwing hide: 2 mallards, 1 Cetti’s warbler, 1 pheasant, 1 coot, 1 kingfisher
Ramsar and Sand Martin hide lagoon: 5 common gulls, 2 cattle egrets and chicks heard.
Scrape hide: 5 shovellers, 4 teal.
Sun 15 Sept
Arun Riverlife lagoon: 1 grey wagtail, 1 water rail.
Ramsar and Sand Martin hide lagoon: 2 great white egrets, 4 cattle egrets, 1 little egrets, 3 pochards, 2 teal.
Wetland Discovery: 3 chiffchaffs, 2 blue tits, 1 sedge warbler, 3 mallards
Sat 14 Sept
Arun Riverlife lagoon: 28 mallards, 2 shovellers, 1 moorhen
Woodland loop: 1 firecrest.
Ramsar and Sand Martin hide lagoon: 1 great white egret, 6 cattle egrets, 2 little egrets, 1 heron, 1 water rail, 1 kingfisher
Scrape hide: 1 great white egret, 4 shovellers, 1 water rail, 1 sedge warbler
Reedbed boardwalk: 1 water rail, 1 green woodpecker, 1 hornet nest
Fri 13 Sept
Ramsar and Sand Martin hide lagoon: 1 great white egret, 4 little egrets, 2 cattle egrets.
Reserve: c30 hose martins
Scrape hide: 4 shoveller ducks.
Woodland loop: 12 mallards, 1 moorhen with 2 chicks, 2 robins, 6 chaffinches, 5 goldfinches, 2 wood pigeons, 3 great tits, 8 blue tits, 1 greenfinch, 1 jackdaw,
