Nesting lapwing pair a sign of Spring
Recent sightings
On Wetlands Discovery
- Barn Owl in large owl box on pole in Wetland Discovery (6.30 am)
- Fewer owl pellets in the hides
- Kingfisher
- Water voles
Around the Reserve
- Female marsh harrier morning hunting over reedbed, (pair are still roosting in reedbed showed up on survey 2 weeks ago)
- Grass snakes ( some seen in water likely hunting toads)
- Buff-tailed bumblebees collecting nectar from flowering catkins
- Brimstone butterflies (2 males, emerged from winter hibernation)
- 1 pair of lapwing nesting, 2 pairs lapwing display and nest scraping on wet grassland as seen from the Lapwing hide
- 2 pairs of lapwing displaying on Wet Grassland across from Ramsar hide
- 1 pair of lapwing displaying on Arun Riverlife lagoon.
- A pair of Oystercatchers hanging around Tundra Pen where they nested last year
- 1 pair oystercatchers on Wet grassland across from Ramsar hide
- Water vole signs throughout the reedbed
- Influx of small birds onsite
- More Reed bunting singing in reed bed
- More chiff chaff singing onsite
- Pair of pintail still onsite near Sand Martin hide
Flowering on site:
- Primrose
- Coltsfoot
- Red Dead nettle
Anticipating:
- Sand martins, house martins and swallows – usually around Easter
Fewer:
- Water rail
- Snipe
- Teal