Egrets in Breeding Plumage
On Saturday morning there were three great white egrets onsite, the male is in breeding plumage. We have also spotted up to 23 cattle egrets in the mornings, several with that Trumpian orange tinges on head and back that is their breeding plumes. Photo above by Andy Burns on Wednesday.
Many duck pairs onsite, with an oystercatcher pair about and looks like two lapwing are sitting on nests. Moorhen chicks have been sighted in the Bewick's Swan enclosure.
Exciting news - sand martins have been arriving and moving through since Thursday morning!
Sat 29 March
Ramsar and Sand Martin hide: 3 great white egrets (2 female, 1 male in mating plumage), 25 cattle egrets, 2 oystercatchers (pair), 5 lapwings (2 females sitting on nests), 4 shelducks, 6 sand martins, 1 little egret, 1 grey heron, 1 male marsh harrier circling near the Arun River,
Wetland Discovery: 4 pochards (2 pairs), 1 barn owl heard screeching
Old Trumpeters pond: 6 pochards
Scrape hide: 1 lapwing, 2 shelducks, 22 black-headed gull, 14 Canada geese, 2 gadwall, 9 mallards, 2 coots, 2 tufted ducks (pair)
Arun Rverlife lagoon: 1 lapwing, 2 mute swans, 1 pied wagtail.
Fri 28 March
Woodland Loop: 8 mallards (6 male, 2 female), 6 tufted ducks (4 males, 2 females) 4 moorhens 3 – 1 nest building and 1 on nest, 1 wren, 2 chiffchaff, 4 goldfinches, 1 nuthatch, 2 great tits, 2 blue tits, 2 greenfinches
Sand martin hide: 6 sand martins
Thurs 27 March
Arun Riverlife lagoon: 1 lapwing
Wetland Discovery channels: 3 pochards
Scrape hide: 2 shelducks, 1 lapwing, 1 pochard
Reedbed: 2 chiff chaffs, 1 robin, 1 wren, 1 moorhen, 5 wood pigeons, 2 great tits, 1 blackbird, 1 coot, 5 Canada geese, 4 greylag geese, 1 Cetti’s warblers, 1 pochard. 45 mallards.
Pelican Cove: 1 pochard, 2 oystercatchers
Sand martin and Ramsar hide large lagoon: 8 sand martins, 1 lesser black-backed gulls, 2 oystercatchers,1 pochard, 2 shelducks, 1 cattle egret
Wed 26 March
Wetlands Discovery: 9 pochards
Sand martin and Ramsar hide large lagoon: 23 cattle egrets, 5 lapwings, 2 oystercatchers, 8 Mediterranean gulls, 196 common gulls, 104 black-headed gulls, 4 shelducks, 1 water rail, 1 carrion crow (mobbed by lapwings), 1 marsh harrier, 3 sand martins
Old Tumpeters Pen: 1 pochard
Wet Grassland: 7 pochards
Woodland Loop: 1 nuthatch
Arun Riverlife lagoon; 1 lapwing
Scrape hide: 1 lapwing, 2 shelducks, 10 shovelers, 7 mallards, 4 teal, 11 tufted ducks, 2 mute swans, 8 Canada geese, 6 greylag geese, 2 black-headed gull, 2 coots, 2 moorhen, 1 marsh harrier, 2 pochards
Tues 25 March
Arun Riverlife: 2 oystercatchers, 1 lapwing, 4 pochards
Wetland Discovery: 3 pochards
Bewick’s Swan exhibit@ 7 pochard, on more with 4 chicks
Scrape hide: 1 marsh harrier, came up from reedbed and went back down
Ramsar and Sand Martin hide Large lagoon: 11 cattle egrets, 2 oystercatchers, 5 lapwing, 67 black-headed gulls,, 14 common gulls, 10 herring gulls, 1 lesser black-backed gull, 11 shovelers, 4 greylag geese, 17 Canada geese, 6 mallards, 8 teal, 17 gadwall, 2 wigeon, 2 Egyptian Geese, 1 pochard, 4 shelducks, 2 tufted ducks, 4 cackling x barnacle geese, 1 wren, 1 blackbird, 1 great tit, 1 coot, 1 chiffchaff.
