Redwings, fieldfare and woodpeckers

16 December 2021

There is a good mix of small birds on site currently in the hedgerows of the Tranquil trail with handfuls of field fare, redwings and some siskin spotted this week.

The feeders at the Wood loop are also busy with chaffinch, nuthatches tits and more redwing and fieldfare. We’ve spotted Cetti’s, reed and sedge warblers on site as well.

Stonechats are still around (like this female in the photo above by volunteer Andy Burns) and we’ve had the marsh harriers coming in as well. Easy chance to see herons and cormorants. Snip and Scrape hide and water rails all around.

Lots of action still on the lagoon at the Scrape hide with good mix of ducks and geese there.

Wildlife sightings

Wed 15 Dec

Scrape hide: 23 greylag geese, 17 Canada geese, 1 coot, 8 male and 5 female mallards, 3 male and 2 female shoveler, 3 male and 2 female shelducks, 2 wood pigeons

Lapwing hide: a pair of stonechat, 1 pair of pheasants, 1 moorhen, 1 little egret, 1 red wing, 1 water rail, 1 sedge warbler, 4 cattle egrets

Reed swamp exhibit: 1 song thrush

Water fall exhibit – opposite: 2 water rails

Long path: 1 coat tit, 1 kingfisher (at the crossroads)

Entrance Reedbed: 1 grey heron

Mon 13 Dec

Tranquil Trail: 2 male and 1 female blackbirds, 2 redwings, 2 robins, 5 siskins

Wetland Discovery: 1 grey wagtail

Arun Riverlife: 8 shelducks, 1 grey heron, 3 pochards, 7 tufted ducks, and a pair of mute swans

Sand martin hide: a pair of shelducks a water rail

Wildlife garden 4 goldfinches

Reedbed hide: a water rail

Sun 12 Dec

Wetland Discovery: 1 kingfisher, 7 male and 5 female mallards, 3 coots, a pair of gadwall, 1 water rail

Arun riverlife lagoon: 2 male shoveler, 3 pairs of shelducks, a pair of gadwall, 2 pairs of pochards, 3 female tufted ducks, 1 little grebe, 1 grey heron

Tranquil trail hedgerows: 3 male and 2 female blackbirds, 2 redwings, 1 Cetti’s warbler

Scrape hide: 5 male and 4 female shoveler

Reedbed hide: 1 reed warbler

Pelican Cove: 1 pair of tufted ducks, 1 pair of gadwall

Ramsar and Sand martin hide: 1 pair of shelducks, 5 teal, 2 male and 1 female shoveler

Wood loop: 3 fieldfare, 5 redwing, 2 male and 1 female chaffinch, 1 water rail, 2 goldfinch

Lapwing hide: 1 cormorant, 1 moorhen, 1 pheasant, 2 shoveler

Sat 11 Dec

Arun Riverlife: 1 grey heron, 24 Canada geese, 4 male and 3 female shelducks, 15 male and 7 female mallards, 11 coots, 5 moorhens, 13 black-headed gulls, 1 male and 8 female tufted ducks

Lapwing hide: 1 little egret

Scrape hide: 1 female tufted duck, 2 male and 1 female shoveler, a pair of shelducks, 12 Canada geese, 17 greylag geese

Wetland Discovery: 1 kestrel, 1 grey heron, 1 male shoveler, 1 little egret, 1 cormorant

Tranquil Trail: 1 green woodpecker, 2 goldfinches

Sand martin hide: 1 grey wagtail

Long path: 1 little grebe

Reedbed: 1 marsh harrier at 15.50

Fri 10 Dec

Tranquil trail: 1 stonechat, 1 pochard

Ramsar hide; 1 lapwing

Sand martin hide: 1 water rail

Scrape hide: 3 snipe, a pair of shelducks, 1 great egret, 2 male shoveler and 1 female

Arun Riverlife: 7 shelducks

Wood loop: 18 mixed flock of redwings and fieldfare, 11 blue tits, 1 great spotted woodpecker, 2 moorhens, 1 dunnock, 1 nuthatch, 2 chaffinches, 1 water rail, 1 pheasant

Arun Riverlife: 2 little grebes

Reedbed: 2 marsh harrier around 2.30pm