Sand martins have returned
On Monday 5 April six sand martins were checking out the holes in the Sand martin hide nesting banks. House martins and a sprinkling of swallows have also started moving through the reserve.
A pair of oystercatchers have nested on top of the hide and another pair has been sighted both in the old Tundra Pen and in Arun Riverlife.
Thurs 8 April
Ramsar hide: 8 greylag geese, 2 shelducks, 3 tufted ducks, and 7 Canada geese.
Lapwing hide: 2 lapwings, 4 greylag geese, a pair of shelduck, 4 Canada geese.
Sand Marting hide: 2 shelducks, 2 tufted ducks, 9 Canada geese, 2 greylag geese.
Scrape hide: 4 pochards, pair of tufted duck, 4 Canada geese, 1 lapwing, 3 greylag geese, pair of shovelers, 1 teal
Arun Riverlife: 2 male and 3 female pochards, 1 lapwing, 1 oystercatcher
Wed 7 April
Lapwing hide: 1 lapwing
Ramsar and Sand martin hide: 4 pochards, 2 snipe, 2 lapwing - male displaying
Scrape hide: 8 teal, 1 pochard, 6 greylag geese, 2 gadwall, 4 Canada geese, 1 moorhen, 3 coots, 9 male and 2 female mallards, 1 male lapwing. 55 black-headed gulls
Arun Riverlife: a pair of lapwings with female sitting on the nest
Tues 6 April
Wetlands Discovery: 1 male pochard
Lapwing hide: 2 male lapwings
Ramsar & Sand Martin hides: 6 male and one female mallards, 3 male and one female shovellers, 2 male and 1 female lapwing, 4 shelducks, 3 greylag geese, 8 Canada geese, 1 mute swan, 32 black-headed gulls, 20 herring gulls, 2 common gulls, 2 oystercatchers, 2 lapwings.
Mon 5 April
Arun Riverlife: a pair pf pochards, a pair of lapwing, 2 snipe, 2 swallows, 1 kingfisher on left and middle perches
Willow arbour: 1 singing sedge warbler, 3 grass snakes at survey tin on track behind arbour.
Lapwing hide: 4 male and 3 female lapwing – displaying and nest scraping, 3 greylag geese, 3 Canada geese, 1 Cackling goose, 2 shovelers, 2 shelducks, 2 gadwall, 3 male and 1 female mallard, 4 black-headed gulls
Ramsar and Sand Martin hides: 1 pair of lapwing, a pair of oystercatchers nesting in Sand martin hide roof, 6 sand martins checking out holes in the nesting bank, 2 Mediterranean gulls, 1 lesser black-backed gull
Long path: 2 sedge warblers and one Cetti’s warbler singing between Scrape hide and Reedbed hide, 1 Cetti’s warbler singing between Reedbed hide and Willow screen.
Sun 4 April
Wetlands Discovery: 29 mallards, 5 male and 4 female tufted ducks, greylag goose pair with 4 goslings, 2 black-headed gulls, 1 coot, 2 long-tailed tits, 4 Canada geese, 3 chiff chaffs, 2 dunnock, 2 gadwall,1 bullfinch, 1 green woodpecker, 2 grass snakes.
Lapwing hide: 2 pairs of lapwings
Ramsar hide: 1 lapwing, 1 cattle egret.
Old Tundra pen: 2 oystercatchers
Sand martin hide: 6 house martins.
Arun riverlife: 1 kingfisher, 6 pochards.
Sat 3 April
Arun riverlife: 2 kingfishers in holes 5 & 8, 2 male and one female lapwing sitting on eggs, 5 pochards, 2 sedge warblers singing in hedgerow at the back, 2 tufted ducks, 1 moorhen, 1 coot, 3 black-headed gulls, 3 Canada geese, 1 greylag goose, 2 mute swans, 9 mallards.
Ramsar hide: 1 pair of lapwing with male displaying and mobbing gulls.
Lapwing hide: 2 pairs of lapwings, 4 teal
Old Tundra pen: 2 oystercatchers
Scrape hide: 1 female lapwing in fen on left side.
Fri 2 April
Wood Loop: a male and female pheasant, 3 wood pigeons, 2 mandarin ducks, 3 blackbirds, 5 blue tits, 3 great tits, 1 chiff chaff, 2 moorhens, 1 dunnock, 2 goldfinches, 2 mallards, 3 chaff finches. 1 water rail
Arun Riverlife: 1 male pochard, 1 pair of lapwing with the male mobbing gulls, 1 sedge warbler
Reedbed: a male and a female marsh harriers circling reedbed together at 2 pm
Sand martin hide: 6 house martins.
Ramsar hide: a pair of lapwing with the male mobbing crows
Lapwing hide: 3 male and 1 female lapwing displaying and nest scraping. Tranquil; trail: 2 Sand martins
Reedbed: 1 marsh harrier flying away towards river at 10.20 am and noonish
6 sand martins checking out holes in the nesting bank
