White tailed eagles and kingfishers

11 March 2024

Two white tailed eagles have been back over the Reserve a few times this month. The pair were flying up and down the Offham hangar and over the car park and visitor centre on both March 2 and March 4.

A kingfisher male has been very active on the nesting bank on Arun Riverlife lagoon, especially around hole #5 which seems to be their favourite. A male was also checking out the sand martin hide so not sure what that means. A pair were calling to each other while hanging out in the the Wetland Discovery boat safari area as well last week.

Lots of lapwing courting behaviour with males displaying and pairs nest scraping on the ground.

Sun 10 March

Wetland Discovery: 13 mallard, 3 coots, Canada/greylag X, 4 Canada geese, 2 greylag geese, 3 pochard, 8 wood pigeon, 13 goldfinches, 1 great tit, 2 moorhen, 2 tufted ducks, 2 dunnocks, 2 bullfinches, 2 gadwall1 blackbird, 1 carrion crow, 1 blue tit

Lapwing hide: 2 lapwing both males displaying.

Ramsar and Sand martin hide: 12 snipe, 7 Mediterranean gulls, 8 lapwing – 2 pairs nest scraping, 1 pochard,

Scrape hide: 1 lapwing, 6 pochard 3 pairs

Arun Riverlife: 9 pochard 6 males 3 females

Pelican Cove: 2 oystercatchers.

Sat 9 March

Arun Riverlife lagoon: 18 Canada geese, 2 greylag geese, 7 pochards, 1 grey wagtail, 9 mallards, 3 gadwall, 14 black-headed gulls, 2 coots, 2 moorhen, 3 tufted ducks, 1 mute swan, 1 kingfisher male sitting in entrance to hole number 5, then perching on top of the bank

Ramsar and Sand martin hide: 8 lapwing – two males displaying and 1 pair nest scraping.

Friday 8 March

Scrape hide: 1 Cetti’s warbler, 1 pochard, 1 marsh harrier

Reedbed: 1 reed bunting

Wetland Discovery: 2 barn owls, 4 pochards

Arun Riverlife: 12 pochard – 7 males 5 females.

Wood Loop: 1 mallard, 1 jackdaw, 4 wood pigeon, 2 wren, 3 chaffinches, 1 moorhen, 1 blackbirds, 7 blue tits, 1 coal tit, 3 great tits, 3 robins, 6 goldfinches

Ramsar hide: 5 snipe, 6 lapwing

Sand martin hide: 5 teal.

Thurs 7 March

Ramsar hide: 3 shelducks, 1 shoveler, 6 lapwing, 14 snipe, 15 common gull.

Wetland Discovery: 3 pochards, 2 kingfishers calling

Scrape hide: 1 pochard, 1 kingfisher, 1 Cetti’s warbler

Reedbed hide: 2 reed buntings singing, 1 mallard

Willow sphere: 2 teal, 4 mallards

Reedbed boardwalk: 4 mallard, 1 blue tit, 2 great tit , 1 black bird, 1 robin, 2 greylag, 3 moorhens, 2 Canada geese

Wood Loop: 2 coal tits

Arun Riverlife lagoon: 15 pochards, 2 oystercatchers, 1 kingfisher, 3 snipe, 1 Cetti’s warbler

Robin gate: 1 greenfinch, 2 siskins

Waterside walk: 2 oystercatchers

Lapwing hide: 4 lapwing 2 males displaying

Wed 6 March

Wetland Discovery: 1 pochard

Ramsar hide: 7 lapwing, 2 oystercatchers, 11 snipe

Wet grassland: 3 lapwing

Waterside walk: 2 Egyptian geese

Scrape hide: 1 Cetti's warbler, 1 chiffchaff, 1 pochard, 3 shoveler, 2 shelducks, 1 kingfisher, 15 mallard, 4 Canada geese, 1 moorhen, 10 greylag geese, 2 coots, 1 gadwall, 4 black-headed gulls, 3 shoveler, 2 shelducks, 1 kingfisher, 15 mallards, 4 Canada geese, 1 moorhen, 10 greylag geese, 2 coots, 1 gadwall, 4 black-headed gulls

Arun Riverlife lagoon: 5 pochards.

Tue 5 March

Ramsa and Sand Martin hides: 10 shovelers, 7 lapwing - one pair nest scraping, 2 coots, 6 moorhens, 75 black-headed gulls, 1 common gull, 8 shelducks, 1 pochard,

Scrape hide: 1 pochard, 1 chiff chaff

Arun Riverlife: 2 oystercatchers, 5 pochard

Wet;ands DIscovery: 2 pochard

Lapwing hide: 4 mles displaying

Ramsar hide: 12 snipe, 2 oystercatchers, 4 greylag geese, 2 cormorants, 14 teal, 11 tufted ducks, 23 mallards.