Firecrests, gold crests and redwings

6 December 2023

Current wildlife highlights include Lapwing numbers now exceeding 100 on the lagoon between the Ramsar and Sand martin hides most mornings. We are seeing shelduck re-appearing in double figures. Up to 10 marsh harriers and small flock of pied wagtails roosting in the reedbed in the late afternoons. We are seeing the odd wigeon dotted amongst the shoveler and teal - in all their finery. Goldcrests and firecrests are flitting around hedgerows and wooded areas, and flocks of redwings around.

Tues 5 Dec

Arun Riverlife: 1 little grebe, 2 pochards

Woodloop: 1 water rail

Scrape hide:2 gadwall

Sand martin hide & Ramsar hide: 5gadwall, 2 wigeon, 55 lapwing, 2 shelducks, 19 mallards, 36 Canada goose, 5 greylag geese, 5 tufted ducks, 12 teal, 2 coots, 1 moorhen, 34 black-headed gulls, 1 shoveler, 2 herring gulls, 5 redwing, 10 woodpigeon, 1 great white egret, 7 cackling geese, 19 snipe, 3 phesant

Wetland discovery: 1 kingfisher, 2 Cettis warbler

Wet grassland: 1 grey heron

Mon 4 Dec

And martin Ramsar: 16 snipe, 25 lapwing, 10 shelduck, 9 teal, 2 gadwall, 5 redwing, mistle thrush 1

Lapwing hide: 3 wren, 2 robins, 1 magpie, 1 blue tit, 1 great tit, 1 chaffinch

Scrape hide: 1 grey heron, 4 teal, 2 gadwall, 2 wigeon, 1 kingfisher

Wood loop: 25 goldfinches

Sun 3 Dec

Wetland Discovery: 2 Canad geese, 9 mallards, 1 coots, 1 cormorant, 1 blackbird, 1 grey heron, 2 blue tits, 1 great tit, 1 robin

Arun Riverlife: 2 pochard

Offham hangar: 1 red kite

Ramsar and Sand Martin hide: 86 lapwing, 38 common gulls, 9 shelducks, 1 wigeon.

Sat 2 Dec

Arun Rverlife lagoon: 3 mute swans, 10 Canada geese, 28 coots, 25 mallards, 6 black-headed gulls, 1 tufted duck

Ramsar and Sand martin hides: 10 shelducks, 1 little egret, 112 lapwing

Fri 1 Dec

Woodloop: 8 mallards, 5 redwings, 3 blue tits, 3 robin, 4 chaffinches, 2 great tits, 4 goldfinches, 1 firecrest, dunnock, 9 long-tailed tits, 1 water rail

Reedbed: 1 Cetti's warbler

Scrape hide: 4 teal, 1 Cetti's warber

Ramsar and sand martin hide: 9 shelducks, 1 little grebe, 18 lapwings.