Peregrine young on Offham hangar
On Tuesday we recorded on our daily sightings that our regular pair of peregrine, who nest each year on the Offham Hangar, were seen with two youngsters overflying the reserve and perching up. Sharp-eyed visitor Mike Jerome spotted the youngsters with an adult the day before on the dead beech tree on Ofham Hangar and took these photos, while Alec Pelling caught the adult peregrine in action nabbing a black-headed gull to feed the family (below).
About 40 plus sand martins swirling around the Sand martin hide - dont miss popping in when you visit. We will miss them when they migrate at the end of August but are keen to count how many nesting holes have been used this year.
Summer flowers are ramping up now, domination of the oxeye daisies is on the wane and we are seeing meadow rue, valerian and meadowsweet with the beginnings of purple loosestrife and hemp agrimony. A variety of bee species are enjoying the abundance of flowering plants, but as always evident in the “buzzing tree” – the Alder Buckthorn near the boat jetty! This tree provides both nectar and pollen and has a long flowering period, which provides vital food for these industrious insects
Recent Wildlife Sightings:
Wed 26 June
Sand Martin hide: c 40 sand martins, 8 gadwall, 4 tufted ducks, 5 mute swans – 1 pair with 3 cygnets, 1 pochard
Ramsar hide: 2 little egrets, 3 tufted ducks, 1 teal, 8 gadwall, 1 cormorant, 3 mandarin, duck
Lapwing hide: 3 gadwall, 2 linnet.
Scrape hide: 1 greenfinch, 2 reed warblers, 7 gadwall, 7 mallards, 1 moorhen, 1 reed bunting, 5 shoveler ducks, 2 woodpigeon, 6 tufted ducks, 3 goldfinches, 3 teal, 2 sand martins, 1 chiff chaff, 1 sedge warbler.
Woodland Loop: 1 great spotted woodpecker. Wood meadow pnd: 1 gadwall, 2 tufted ducks.
Lakes & Forest exhibit: 3 Egyptian geese.
Arun Riverlife: 6 tufted ducks, 1 pochard
Lakes & Forest exhibit: 1 mandarin duck.
Tues 25 June
Ramsar and Sand martin hides: 1 Cetti’s warbler, 3 coots, 21 black-headed gulls, 7 tufted ducks, 10 mallards, 1 moorhen, 2 mandarin ducks, 2 wood pigeons, 2 pochards, 6 gadwall, 3 teal, 1 grey heron, 4 little egrets, 2 cattle egrets, c 40 sand martins, 1 sedge warbler, 1 carrion crow, 1 pied wagtail.
Wood loop end of reedbed: 1 swift
Scrape hide: 7 shoveler ducks
Pond near Scrape hide: 2 mute swans with three cygnets
Offham Hanagar + flyover: 4 peregrine – 2 adults and 2 youngsters
Sun 24 June
Wet grassland: 1 reed warbler, 2 goldfinches, 1 chiffchaff, 1 robin, 2 mallards, 1 black-headed gull, 1 cormorant
Large lagoon (Ramsar & Sand martin hides): 8 black-headed gulls, 1 grey heron, 1 pochard, 1 cattle egret, 1 wood duck, 1 sedge warbler
Scrape hide: 5 tufted ducks
Pond near Scrape hide: 2 mute swans with three cygnets
Adult peregrine hunting - Photo: Alec Pelling
Feeding the young, peregrines on Offham Hangar Photo: Mike Jerome
