Wildlife day walks revealed grass snakes and warblers
This is WWT Arundel Grounds Manager Paul Stevens' weekly column from the Observer series of weekly newspaper from June 22 edition.
WE CELEBRATED Sussex Day last Thursday with a series of wildlife walks and talks at Arundel Wetland Centre. I took 14 visitors out for a Reptile Ramble, leading them into areas only our wardens usually venture into. The morning had been cool and cloudy so the snakes were more likely to be trying to find warmth under the tin sheets we dot around the grounds.
I found two grass snakes under one tin along the path behind the Wetland Discovery reedbed channels. On the fenland along Arun Riverlife we found a male grass snake, the yellow on its neck collar was exceptionally bright! Under one tin I also came across a caterpillar of the dingy footman moth. These caterpillars eat lichen and prefer damp ground so under a square of tin on wet fen is a natural spot to find them.
Thursday’s Warbler Walk lead by our wetland centre manager Dave Fairlamb found sedge, reed and Cetti’s warblers along with chiff chaffs and blackcaps. This week I spotted both a family of fledged reed warblers and a nest of freshly hatched reed warblers in Wetlands Discovery area. New broods of tufted ducks, pochards and shelducks have been hatching out near the hides. I startled a lapwing into the air when I walked the land on Arun Riverlife; its uncertain flight giving away how young the birds still was.
A water vole came out of the reeds at the Pond Explorer station last Saturday and charmed the children during their pond dipping session by sitting nonchalantly on the deck for 10 minutes munching the sedge. Water vole sightings have increased this week on the channels where our boats run. I found several vole feeding platforms along the ditch of the long central path that cuts through the reserve.
There are eight marsh orchid spikes flowering in the Meadow Maze. A bee orchid appeared along the path opposite the waterfall exhibit. A couple of
painted lady butterflies have been seen on the reserve and I saw a female hairy dragonfly clinging to a floating reed while egg laying on the water on Wetland Discovery.
