Oystercatchers are back and kingfisher nest hunting

28 February 2024

A male kingfisher has been inspecting nest holes at the Kingfisher bank. Regular visitor Mike Jerome took these lovely photos. We recently removed some trees near the kingfisher nesting bank. Our Reserve team manage this wet grassland habitat at Arun Riverlife lagoon for breeding waders and for the kingfishers. Trees were cut to reduce perches for predatory corvids as part of this winter’s hedgerow management. Extra perches have been put out for the kingfishers in the area.

Oystercatchers are definitely back onsite with a pair sighted regularly, primarily near the Sand Martin hide. This may be the pair that favour nesting on the roof of the hide.

Tues 27 Feb

Wet Grassland: 1 lapwing, 2 shoveler, 4 gadwall

Wildlife garden: 1 bullfinch

Scrape hide: 2 pochard, 1 kingfisher, 1 Cetti’s warbler.

Ramsar hide: 13 snipe, 2 oystercatchers, 15 lapwing, 2 mute swans, 8 gadwall, 9 teal, 5 pochard, 4 cormorants, 6 shovelers, 88 black-headed gulls, 28 Canada geese, 5 coots, 2 moorhens, 2 tufted ducks, 20 mallards, 1 Cetti’s warbler, 1 water rails

Sand martin hide: 9 gadwall, 4 shoveler, 2 grey wagtail, 1 pochard

Arun Riverlife: 4 pochards, 2 snipe

Wetland Discovery: 5 pochards

Mon 26 Feb

Ramsar/Sand martin hides: 3 little egrets, 25 snipe, 6 cattle egrets, 2 oystercatchers, 30 lapwing4 shelducks, 2 pochards, 25 shoveler, 2 Egyptian geese

Lapwing hide: 7 mallards, 4 Canada geese, 2 coots, 2 gadwall

Scrape hide: 1 marsh harrier

Arun Riverlife lagoon: 2 oystercatchers, 12 pochards

Robin gate: great spotted woodpecker, 1 greenfinch

Sun 25 Feb

Wetland Discovery area: 26 mallards, 5 Canada geese, 1 blackbird, 8 blue tits, 1 chaffinch, 2 moorhens, 13 tufted ducks, 5 goldfinches, 2 greylag, 1 woodpigeon, 1 wren, 1 Carrions crow, 2 pochards.

Ramsar and Sand martin hide: 4 cattle egrets, 2 little egrets, 16 snipe, 2 oystercatchers, 15 lapwing, 4 shelducks, 1 pochard, 3 Egyptian geese, 1 greater black-backed gull

Scrape hide: 16 shoveler

Lapwing hide: 2 lapwing (pair)

Arun Riverlife: 7 pochards.

Sat 24 Feb

Arun Riverlife: 2 oystercatchers, 14 mallards, 5 Canada geese, 2 moorhens, 1 coot, 1 Carrion Crow

Pelican cove: 2 pochards

Scrape hide: 2 kingfishers

Ramsar hide and Sand martin hide: 20 lapwing, 21 snipe, 2 oystercatchers. 20 lapwing