Kingfisher sightings & moulting ducks

3 August 2021

For the past week the kingfishers have been showing well down near the Lapwing hide and that end of the boat safari. This kingfisher photo was sent by visitor Susie Gander.

For the past week the kingfishers have been showing well down near the Lapwing hide and along the channels of the boat safari. This kingfisher photo was sent by visitor Susie Gander.The Reserve team think the youngsters on Arun Riverlife must have flegded, leaving the nest and moving out onto the site.

It is more difficult to spot wild ducks as they are now in eclipse plumage and go into hiding. Most wildfowl replace their feathers at least once a year by moulting. Ducks moult their flight feathers all at once and cannot fly for six weeks. This moult takes place between June and October after breeding season for each species. The drakes (male ducks) assume a dull or eclipse plumage and look like females, providing camouflage while they are flightless and vulnerable to predators. Females are permanently camouflaged so that they are harder to see while nesting. Our Wetland Breeding bird survey on Mon 26 July counted what wildfowl we were able to see that morning on the reserve.

Butterfly survey on Wed 28 July had 104 butterflies including an Essex skipper.

Sun 1 August

Wetland Discovery: 5 mallards

Scrape hide: 1 little grebe.

Sat 31 July

Arun Riverlife: 10 mallards, 11 Canada geese, 1 coot, 14 black-headed gulls, 3 moorhens

Ramsar hide: 4 shoveler, 1 pintail, 10 sand martins

Wetland Discovery: 1 four spotted chaser dragonfly

Fri 30 July

Wood Loop: 1 great spotted woodpecker, 4 moorhens, 7 chaffinches including 3 juveniles, 2 adult mallards with 4 youngsters, 6 goldfinches, 8 blue tits, 1 greylag, 1 great tit.

Thursday 29 July

11 male & 2 female glow worms along the car park edges and swales

Arun Riverlife: 1 kingfisher on the perch, bathing then flew off.

Ramsar and Sand Martin hides: 12 sand martins

Reedbed: 5 mallards, 6 gadwall

Wed 28 July

Arun Riverlife: 1 shoveler

Pelican cove: 1 pochard

Wood Loop: 1 great spotted woodpecker, 1 mistle thrush, 2 greenfinch

Scrape hide: 1 greylag goose, 1 shoveler, 9 mallards, 2 reed warblers, 1 goldfinch, 4 sand martins, 1 coot, 1 blue tit, 1 black cap, 1 Cetti’s warbler, 1 greenfinch

Sand martin hide: 20 sand martins, 2 tufted ducks

Ramsar hide: 2 tufted ducks, 2 shoveler

Wetland Discovery: 1 tree creeper

Perimeter fence: 1 sparrowhawk

Butterfly Survey

9 species for a total of 104 butterflies

1 Essex skipper
6 large white
4 small white
1 common blue
9 red admirals
21 peacocks
1 speckled wood
21 gatekeepers
39 meadow browns

Tues 27 July

Ramsar and Sand Martin hide: 1 little egret, 1 shoveler, 3 mallards, 24 black-headed gulls, 2 common gulls, 2 coots, 2 moorhens, 9 Canada geese, 1 tufted duck, 6 Sand martins

Scrape hide: 2 teal