Toadlets emerge and survey results

3 July 2021

This warm, damp weather signalled to tiny toadlets to emerge from their birth ponds. We have had to rescue a few toadlets that found their way into the visitor centre on their search for a damp, shady to settle in. Toads take about two years to mature, with most of their growth in year one. Then they will try to return to our ponds in early spring to mate.

The black-headed gull chicks on Arun Riverlife and at Sand martin hide are fully feathered juveniles now and are exercising their wings.

It’s wild orchid season on the wetlands. An Orchid survey on Wed 30 June recorded 52 orchids. There were four main type, most commonly the southern marsh orchid, followed by common spotted orchids, been orchids and a few pyramidal orchids. A few appeared to be common spotted/southern marsh hybrids.

During our evening Bat survey on Thurs 1 July we recorded 7 species! The detectors caught passes by soprano, common and Nathusius' pipistrelles with the sopranos in the highest numbers. Six passes by noctules were recorded and 3 Natterer’s bats. One whiskered bat and one Serotine bat showed up as well.

Flipping the tins during our Reptile survey on Sat 3 July revealed 7 grass snakes, ant nests with pupae and larvae, vole nests and pygmy shrew nests.

Lots of broad bodied chaser dragonflies about over the weekend.

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Recent sighting by WWT wardens, this is not a complete list of all wildlife currently onsite.

Sun 4 July

Sand Martin hide: 8 fully feathered juvenile black-headed gulls, 2 Egyptian geese, 10 sand martins

Sat 3 July

Arun Riverlife lagoon: 2 mute swans, 7 Canada geese, pair of gadwall, pair of coots with 2 chicks, a pair of tufted ducks, 17 male mallards and 3 females, 17 black-headed gulls

Offham hangar: 3 peregrines 1 adult with 2 juveniles.

Friday 2 July

Ramsar hide: 7 tufted ducks, 1 gadwall, and 2 sedge warblers

Sand Martin hide: 9 sand martins

Scrape hide: 2 tufted ducks, 2 gadwall

Wood loop: 2 juvenile coots, 2 goldfinches 3 blue tits, 1 long tailed tit

Arun Riverlife lagoon: 2 kingfishers on the perches, one going into hole 5.

Thurs 1 July

Wetlands Discovery: 5 black headed gull chicks, 2 grey wagtails

Sussex screen: 3 tufted ducks

Lakes & Forest exhibit: 3 oystercatchers – pair and a juvenile

Reedbed boardwalk: 6 reed warblers, 3 wrens

Scrape hide: 3 tufted ducks

Offham hangar: 3 peregrines 1 adult and 2 juveniles

Sand martin hide: 3 black headed gull chicks, 4 sand martins

Ramsar hide: 2 back headed gulls, 4 tufted ducks

Lapwing hide: 2 sedge warblers, 1 reed warblers

Black poplar memorial: 1 bullfinch

Wednesday 30 June

Arun Riverlife: a pair of gadwall, 5 black-headed gull chicks

Pelican cove pond: 3 male and 2 female tufted ducks

Lakes & Forest exhibit: 3 oystercatchers,

Wood loop: 9 moorhen, 2 adults with 7 chicks.

Reedbed boardwalk: 2 grey wagtail

Scrape hide: 7 male and 5 female mallards,

1 coot, 1 goldfinch, 7 black-headed gulls with 1 chick, 1 greylag goose, 4 male and 1 female tufted ducks, 2 sedge warblers, 2 sand martins, 1 male reed warbler, 1 moorhen.

Sand Martin hide: 7 black headed gulls chicks, 4 male and 1 female tufted ducks, and 20 sand martins, 2 male and 1 female gadwall.

Plus tufted ducks on Wetland Discovery, the Lapwing hide and in the old Tundra pen.

One grass snake on top of reptile tin #8.

Tues 29 June

Lapwing hide: 1 female tufted duck with 1 chick

Ramsar hide: 1 shoveler, 14 mallards, 2 mite swans, 2 adult Canada geese with 3 fully feathered juveniles, three pairs of tufted ducks with 4 half-grown ducklings, 4 coots, 2 greylag geese, 12 sand martins, 2 mandarins, 7 adults black-headed gulls with 7 juveniles, 1 barnacle X cackling goose, a cackling goose and 1 gosling

Old Tundra Pen: 1 adults sedge warbler with 4 fledglings. Scrape hide: 1 female pochard, one female tufted duck with one duckling, lots of toadlets all over.