Thousands of Gulls on Sunday!
Last Sunday morning over 4000 gulls were on the water, wet grassland and islands between the Sand Martin hide and the Ramsar hide. It was likely the largest number of gulls we have seen on-site at once! There were over 2000 common gulls and 2000 black-headed gulls. Mediterranean gulls and a greater blacked backed gull were in the mix. Numbers have decreased but we are having a nice mix of gulls moving through.
They oystercatcher pair are still around and getting active. They have been spending time near the Sand Martin hide. This morning they were nest scraping on the gravel island of Arun Riverlife lagoon before swinging over to probe the mud on Pelican Cove. Plenty of pochard sightings around the site. Snowdrops, violets, red dead nettle primrose and coltsfoot are all flowering. Birdsong is currently dominated by blue and great tits, greenfinch, robin, song thrush, chiffchaff and Cetti’s warbler.
Lapwing numbers have gone down as pairs are establishing, with display flights and nest scraping going on.
Wed 12 March
Wetland Discovery area: 1 pochard, 2 Egyptian geese.
Ramsar and Sand Martin hides on Large Lagoon: 2 oystercatchers, 8 shelducks, 18 Mediterranean gulls, 152 common gulls, 275 black-headed gulls
Scrape hide: 18 shovelers, 6 teal, 1 gadwall, 7 pochard, 5 mallard, 3 tufted ducks, q mute swan, 12 greylag geese, 8 Canada geese, 2 shelducks, 1 wood pigeon, 1 carrion crow, 8 black-headed gull, 1 lapwing.
Arun Riverlife lagoon: 3 pochard, 2 oystercatchers (nest scraping), 1 shelduck
Tues 11 March
Arun Riverlife lagoon: 2 pochards, 1 lapwing.
Ramsar and Sand martin hide lagoons: 24 Canada geese, 10 greylag geese, 1 Egyptian goose, 2 oystercatchers, 13 mallards, 17 gadwall, 9 shovelers, 1 teal, 6 tufted ducks, 7 lapwing, 8 shelducks, 1 cattle egret, 14 herring gulls, 254 black-headed gulls, 6 Mediterranean, 100 common gulls, 4 moorhen, 2 coots
Scrape hide: 21 shoveler, 2 shelducks, 1 lapwing, 1 bullfinch
Mon 10 March
Lapwing hide: 2 greylag geese, 2 Canada geese, 1 pheasant, 2 tufted ducks
Ramsar and Sand Martin hide: 2 oystercatchers, 23 cattle egrets, 10 lapwing ( 2 females nest scraping, 2 males displaying) 2 wigeon, 265 back-headed gulls, 58 common gulls, 18 herring gulls, 1 greater black-backed gull
Wetland Discovery: 2 pochards (pair)
Scrape hide: 6 pochards.
Sun 9 March
Arun Riverlife lagoon: 4 pochards, 1 lapwing
Reedswamp exhibit: 2 pochards
Wetland Discovery area: 1 pied wagtail, 1 black-headed gull, 8 mallards, 8 greylag geese, 2 Cetti’s warblers, 2 wood pigeons, 1 chiff chaff, 6 Canada geese, 1 blackbird, 5 tufted ducks, 1 great tits.
Ramsar and Sand martin hide: 7 lapwings, 8 cattle egrets, c 2000 common gull, c2000 black-headed gulls, 20 herring gulls, 1 greater black-backed gull
Scrape hide: 1 lapwing
Sat 8 March
Arun Riverlife lagoon: 40 back-headed gulls, 3 wood pigeons, 1 pheasant, 1 lapwing
Wetland Discovery: 4 pochards
Offham Hangar: 2 peregrines in their usual tree.
Ramsar and Sand Martin hide: 31 cattle egrets, 5 lapwing 1 male displaying and nest scraping, 12 shelducks, 3 cackling geese, 2 Mediterranean, 104 common gulls
Scrape hide: 2 shelducks, 13 shovelers, 1 great white egret in breeding plumage, 1 lapwing
Reedbed: 1 male lapwing
Wetland Discovery and Offham Hangar: 6 buzzards circling
Ramsar and Sand martin hides: 2 greater black-backed gulls at day's end, 7 lapwing, 10 cormorants.
