Sightings wrap up of wc Sept 19
We are still seeing a juvenile osprey around the reserve five weeks after the first sightings in August. We believe it is the same bird but it isn’t ringed so we can confirm. Initially this young raptor was seen throughout the day, hovering and diving for fish around the reserve. Over the weeks he has learned where the best fishing spots are and drops in long enough to catch a meal.
On Monday morning I went out on the wet grassland to adjust the sluices to raise the water levels for our winter migrants to enjoy. My tromp through the field flushed 17 snipe into the air and spooked 10 teal as well. That is a definite increase in snipe numbers from last week.
Our grounds staff a used gas powered strimmers and are trialling battery powered strimmers to complete the cut of reeds and vegetation from the centre of the islands on Wetlands Discovery. I have been using a low-tech approach this year to do the autumn cut on the wet grasslands and close to the hides. I have been cutting with a scythe. It has taken me a while to get the proper technique flowing but it saves on petrol, is quieter for our visitors and gets me closer to the wildlife. While cutting in front of the Scrape hide I came across a harvest mouse nest and I found another while cutting the Meadow Maze area.
Last week I came back late one evening to lock up the visitors centre after the Arundel Wetland Supporter’s group monthly talk. I took the opportunity to look for bats and saw several Daubenton’s and lots of pipistrelles feeding over Arun Riverlife lagoon. During daylight checks of our bat boxes around the site the next day I counted 46 pipistrelles in the boxes! All seven bat boxes in our car park had pips in them. The brown long-eared bat is back roosting in the Sand Martin hide again as well.
On Monday morning we had a great crested-grebe on Arun Riverlife lagoon. A yellow-browed warbler was seen by David, one of our Guide-in-the-Hides. I spotted a water rail at the Scrape hide, six buzzards on the Offham hangar and kingfishers showing off everywhere.
