Windy Sunday
Warden Suzi reports strong gusty winds and hail was putting off most of the birds except the gulls! The lapwing were hunkered down, still on nests on wet grasslands.
Ramsar/Sand martin hide: around 750+ black-headed gull, 42 common gull, 2 lesser black-backed gull and 13 herring gull! 1 lapwing was visible but sitting females are difficult to spot – presumably because their tufty hair-dos are blown flat in the wind! 1 Egyptian goose is still lurking in front of Sand Martin hide but his mate still eludes me! 6 cackling goose (2 of which are barnacle crosses) are still around announcing their presence with their noisy calls and 2 pairs of pochard also seen from here.
Scrape hide: 130 black-headed gulls – overspill from the main scrape!!!
Lapwing hide: 6 lapwing still showing well from lapwing hide.
Woodland Loop: There was a greenfinch on one of the feeders in the wood loop today – a nice sight as we don’t see anywhere near as many of those as we used to.
Arun Riverlife Lagoon: flushed up 8 snipe as I was checking for nests, there were also 2 oystercatcher (hopefully they will pick an area soon and get on with producing beautiful chicks!), 1 female pochard and of course mrs.lapwing incubating her 4 eggs.
Wetland Discovery area: 16 mallard (15:1), 1 wood pigeon, 1 moorhen, 3 carrion crow, 8 Canada geese, 2 greylag, 14 tufted duck (6:8), a wren and a chiffchaff both singing. There was still a grass snake under Survey tin 6, presumably not moved since yesterday as he’s probably struggling to get enough heat to move – I know how he feels!!
