Little crake causes big fuss...
A small bird has caused a big fuss as hundreds of keen birdwatchers swooped to WWT Arundel to catch a glimpse of the rare wader.
The last recorded UK sighting of the little crake was in 2008 at Exminster marshes in Devon, the last recorded sighting of the little crake in Sussex was in 1985.
Hundreds of keen birdwatchers visited WWT Arundel on Sunday 10 April hoping to catch a rare sight of the crake on British shores.
The bird has been showing well in the reed bed since.
Paul Stevens, Reserve Manager at WWT Arundel said: “The sighting of this bird is hugely exciting for the centre. WWT Arundel's regular reed bed maintenence - cutting reed on a six year cycle, removing scrub willow and cutting channels - is clearly paying off.
“Two weeks ago, bearded tits made a return to the reserve after an eight year absence but we never expected to attract such a rare species as the little crake.
“The little crake winters in Africa, migrating to Eastern Europe in search of reed bed breeding habitats. It is believed that this vagrant is a young female who has either been blown off course or is an explorer seeking out new territory.“
WWT Arundel has also recently completed an eight month habitat restoration project. The new reed bed grassland created is essential for successfully attracting larger numbers of wading birds to the reserve.
