Singing cuckoo & a stunning small copper
A cuckoo in the reedbeds, sand martins and house martins visiting, singing warblers and a butterfly count.
Recent sightings by WWT wardens around the reserve:
Mon 13 May
Arun Riverlife lagoon: 5 pochard, 2 tufted duck, 1 gadwall, 1 Egyptian goose, 2 lapwing, 2 oystercatcher.
Woodland Loop: 2 chaffinch.
Reedbed hide: 1 reed warbler.
Long path: Cetti’s warbler, sedge warbler.
Scrape hide: 8 tufted ducks, 2 shelducks, 5 shoveler, 2 swallow, 1 gadwall, 2 pochard.
Wetland Discovery: 1 tufted duck, 3 pochard
Tues 14 May
Butterflies Survey, one hour, 15 degrees:
5 brimstone butterflies, 1 small white, 2 green veined white, 2 orange tip butterflies, 1 small copper, 2 red admiral, 1 small tortoiseshell, 1 peacock butterfly.
Wed 15 May
Scrape hide: 3 shelducks, 4 tufted ducks, 2 gadwall, 1 Egyptian goose, 2 pochard, 2 swallows, 1 grey heron, 2 shoveler.
Reedbed hide: 1 reed warbler
Willow screen: 1 mandarin, 1 gadwall.
Thurs 16 May was Breeding Birds Survey
Fri 17 May
Wetlands Discovery: 4 pochard, 1 tufted duck, 2 sedge warblers
Lapwing hide: 3 lapwing, 2 gadwall, 1 shoveler, 1 tufted duck.
Ramsar/Sand martin hides: 1 cackling goose, 1 shelduck, 14 tufted ducks, 2 shoveler, 2 pochard,3 gadwall, 1 common sandpiper, 2 lapwing, 2 oystercatchers, 40 house martins.
Scrape hide: 5 tufted ducks, 2 shoveler, 2 gadwall, 2 pochard, 2 swallows
Redbed hide: 1 reed warbler
Willow Screen: 4 mandarin, 1 gadwall
Arun Riverlife lagoon: 8 tufted ducks, 1 gadwall, 1 Egyptian goose, 1 oystercatcher.
Sat 18 May
Arun Riverlife lagoon: 2 lapwing
Ramsar hide: 18 house martins, 1 marsh harrier, 4 pochard.
Reedbed: 1 cuckoo singing.
Lapwing hide: common sandpiper.
Wetlands Discovery: 2 brown argus butterflies.
Sun 19 May
Arun Riverlife lagoon: 1 lapwing
Lapwing hide: 1 teal
Sand martin hide: 2 sand martins, 1 cuckoo singing, and 1 oystercatcher on nest.
A brown argus butterfly spotted by Reserve Manager Paul Stevens on Wetlands Discovery area on Sat 18 May.
