Lapwing chicks near Ramsar hide
At least three lapwing chicks have hatched out opposite the Ramsar hide – now the adult lapwing's mission is protection. They are mobbing predatory crows or any greylag geese families that wander too close.
An adult kingfisher was seen taking a faecal sac out of nesting bank on Arun Riverlife which indicates thy have hatchlings in the nest on the Arun Riverlife lagoon.
A singing nightingale was spotted onsite last Thurs from 7.50-10.30am in the far end of the car park. Staff saw it again on Tues 26 April.
A pair of oystercatchers were spotted mating near Sand martin hide and another pair are nesting in front of the Coastal Creek aviary where they successfully raised a chick last spring.
Many warblers singing onsite - reed, sedge & Cetti's. Black cap spotted as well.
Wed 27 April
Meadow pond: 1 pair of gadwall
Long path: song thrush was smashing a snail on the reptile tin!
Scrape hide: a pair of shelducks, 7 adult mallards and 7 ducklings, 6 pairs of Canada geese with 9 goslings, 34 black-headed gulls, 7 pochards, 2 coots, 1 carrion crow, 7 pairs of tufted ducks, 2 gadwall, 2 reed warblers, 2 sedge warblers, 1 Cetti’s warbler, 1 moorhen, 1 reed bunting, and 1 wren
Sand martin hide: one pair of oystercatchers, 2 pairs of tufted ducks, 9 gadwall, 1 cormorant, 4 shoveler, 30+ sand martins, 1 kingfisher, 1 house martin. 2 cattle egrets
Ramsar hide: 3 pairs of tufted ducks, 5 gadwall, and a pair of lapwing with 3 chicks, 1 male teal, and 1 swift
Lapwing hide: 1 whitethroat, 6 tufted ducks, 1 gadwall, 3 lapwings, 6 tufted ducks, 1 cuckoo, 1 lesser whitethroat, 1 swallow, 1 water rail
Arun Riverlife: 4 tufted ducks, 5 pochards, 3 gadwall
Pelican cove: 1 grey wagtail. 7 tufted ducks, 2 gadwall, 1 oystercatchers.
Tues 26 April
Ramsar hide: 7 mallards, 3 moorhens, 2 shelduck, 2 oystercatchers, 2 lesser-black backed gulls, 7 Canada geese with 4 goslings, 10 greylag geese with 15 goslings, 4 cackling geese, 37 black-headed gulls, 2 coots, 1 wren, and 10 sand martins
Wetland Discovery staff pathway: 1 nightingale
Arun Riverlife: 1 pochard, 2 kingfishers in and out of nesting hole 5
Wetland Discovery: 1 female pochard
Scrape hide: 3 pochards one female and two ales
Lapwing hide: 2 male lapwing
Ramsar hide: 6 shoveler, 8 tufted ducks, 3 lapwing mobbing crows, 4 gadwall, 1 cormorant, 2 shelducks
Mon 25 April
Sand martin hide: 9 sand martins investigating holes in the nesting bank, 1 kingfisher on the perch
Lapwing hide: 1 lapwing, 4 Canada geese, 3 pairs of greylags with 5 goslings, 2 grey herons preying on ducklings, 3 pairs of tufted ducks, 1 female mallard with 4 ducklings, 1 male gadwall
Wetland Discovery: 1 water rail
Ramsar hide: 1 cattle egret, 1 lapwing
Scrape hide: 1 lapwing
Sun 24 April
Scrape hide: 2 pochard
Wetland Discovery: 2 pairs of tufted ducks, 1 pochard, 8 Canada geese, 7 male mallards, 3 gadwall, 1 robin, 1 sedge warbler
Ramsar and Sand martin hide: 2 lapwing mobbing a crow, heard 1 kingfisher, a pair of oystercatcher, 10 sand martins
Lapwing hide: 1 lapwing, 1 little egret
Sat 23 April
Ramsar and Sand Martin hide: 1 lapwing mobbing a greylag family, 2 oystercatchers mating, 1 greater black-backed gull, 2 lesser back-backed gulls, 4 sand martins, and a pair of shelducks
Arun Riverlife: 3 oystercatchers having a row! 3 mute swans, 1 coot, 9 mallards, 4 male pochards, 31 black-headed gulls, 8 Canada geese, 4 tufted ducks
Pelican cove: 1 oystercatcher
Woodland Loop: 1 great-spotted woodpecker
Scrape hide: 4 pochards
Sedge warbler singing in the hedgerow. Photo by Media Volunteer Andy Burns
