Hawkers and common darters
Last week's dragonfly survey recorded over one hundred dragonflies and damselflies onsite.
Five species were recorded: mostly migrant hawkers and common darter dragonflies with good numbers of southern hawkers, brown hawkers, and willow emerald damselflies all spotted.
Fewer butterflies now with only 24 spotted in an hour on Fri 15 Sept. There was 1 large white, 4 small coppers, 7 brown argus, 8 red admiral and 4 speckled wood.
Kingfishers are still showing perching and fishing on Arun Riverlife lagoon, perching at the Scrape hide, flying over waters at the Sand martin hide and perching on the posts of the electri cattle fence opposite the Ramsar hide last week.
This is not a comprehensive list of current wildlife onsite. Our Reserve team observes different sections of the site on a rotating basis.
Tues 19 September
Ramsar & Sand Martin hide: 24 gadwall, 6 mallards,1 cormorant, 8 coots, 16 back-headed gulls, 1 marsh harrier (late afternoon)
Mon 18 September WeBS count
Sun 17 September Wetland Discovery: 1 pochard, 5 mallards, 6 long-tailed tits
Ramsar hide: 30 gadwall, 3 teal, 3 tufted ducks, 1 Cetti’s warbler, 2 cattle egret.
Scrape hide: 10 shoveler ducks, 1 kingfisher
Coastal creek pond:7 gadwall, 1 grey wagtail.
Sat 16 September
Arun Riverlife lagoon: 20 mallards, 2 black-headed gull, 1 Cetti’s warblers, 2 moorhens, 3 mute swans, 26 coots, 1 tufted duck, 2 gadwall.
Ramsar hide: 18 gadwall, 1 Cetti’s warbler,
Reedbed boardwalk: 1 tawny owl – 6 visitors spotted it in a tree.
Pelican cove: 2 gadwall
Fri 15 September
Wood Loop: 1 robin, 2 mandarin ducks, 5 mallards, 3 moorhens, 3 chaffinches, 1 wren, 2 great tits, 1 great spotted woodpecker.
Thurs 14 September
Willow sphere: 2 gadwall, 15 mallards, 2 blue tits
Reedbed boardwalk: 1 moorhen, 3 mallards
Reedbed hide: 1 great tit
Long path: 1 cattle egret flying over
Ramsar hide: 1 sand piper
Wed 13 September
Wood loop: 1 mandarin
Scrape hide: 2 gadwall, 8 shoveler, 25 mallards, 1 teal, 8 wood pigeon, 1 kingfisher, 1 chiff chaff, 2 goldfinches, 1 Cetti’s warbler, 2 coots, 1 chaffinch, 1 moorhen, 1 great tit, 1 blue tit
Sand martin hide: 1 kingfisher, 1 gadwall, 1 little egret, 2 Egyptian geese, 1 tufted duck, 3 gadwall.
Arun Riverlife lagoon: 3 mute swans (family)m 1 gadwall, 7 tufted ducks, 1 kingfisher
Pelican cove: 1 tufted ducks, 2 gadwall
Lakes & forests exhibit: 1 tufted duck, 4 long-tailed tits
Wood Loop: 4 mandarin ducks (1 female and 4 males)
