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Latest sightings

Roosting Cormorants

Roosting Cormorants

From the Ramsar hide a small flock of nine cattle egrets arrived around 3.30 pm yesterday, six landing on the large gravelly island while the last three stopped on the point of the wet grassland, opposite. These early arrivals for the evening roost drew m

16 January 2025

Kingfishers, Egyptian geese & Cold Weather

Kingfishers, Egyptian geese & Cold Weather

We had lots of ice on Wednesday morning – low temperatures are predicted for the rest of the week and will keep things chilly. Some of our water bodies are icing over. Lapwing flock numbers are up and down depending on the time of day. We had 150 on

8 January 2025

18 wigeon on New Year's Day

18 wigeon on New Year's Day

We were closed to visitors because of high winds on the first day of 2025 but our outdoor teams were in Jan 1 2025. Stopping into Ramsar , Sand martin and Scrape hides despite the winds to count 42 lapwing and 18 wigeon on the large lagoon. Saw a kingfis

1 January 2025

Barn owl, teal & lapwing flocks

Barn owl, teal & lapwing flocks

We are seeing up to 25 teal from Ramsar & Sand Martin hides this week. The lapwing flock numbers were as high as 220, depending on the time of day. Last Thursday the peregrines were at it again, flushing up 118 lapwing from the islands between the two hid

23 December 2024

Bullfinches & Winter waterbird  flocks

Bullfinches & Winter waterbird flocks

Bullfinches have been spotted in the hedgerows on the Tranquil Trail path near the Ramsar hide entrance.

18 December 2024

Bittern is back at the Scrape hide

Bittern is back at the Scrape hide

Last Friday a visitor spotted a bittern from Scrape hide and our Warden Megan saw it again Monday morning

12 December 2024

Teal, lapwings and kingfisher

Teal, lapwings and kingfisher

On the the daily morning walk round on Tuesday, a flock of amorous Teal were displaying in the morning sun – a beautiful sight and sound. Lapwing numbers are increasing, the ubiquitous Kingfisher is showing at Scrape and Ramsar hides and we are hearing

4 December 2024

Lapwing flocks

Lapwing flocks

Up to 56 lapwings in the mornings on the island of the large lagoon between Ramsar and Sand Martin hide.

27 November 2024

Kingfishers and Goldcrests

Kingfishers and Goldcrests

Kingfishers can still be seen fishing at the Ramsar hide- we also see them at the Scrape hide and on the Arun Riverlife Lagoon as the birds make a circuit around the site to feed. The times and locations are not predictable,.Visitors are reporting goldcre

21 November 2024

Marsh Harriers and cattle egrets roosting

Marsh Harriers and cattle egrets roosting

We are seeing less Cattle egrets through the day, but good numbers are coming in to roost in the evenings. Our monthly harrier roost counts have resumed, with the first count of the season showing nine Marsh harriers roosting in our reedbeds. .

7 November 2024

Nifty noon fly

Nifty noon fly

Why are we featuring a fly and where are the cattle?

24 October 2024

Egrets and Marsh Harriers

Egrets and Marsh Harriers

This week we have had two marsh harrier sightings and this Sunday the Reserve Team will begins their autumn/winter monthly harrier surveys for 24/25.

17 October 2024

Cattle egret chicks

Cattle egret chicks

While checking the Cattle Egret nests last week, the Reserve Team saw that there were seven nests. All chicks are now fledged and exercising their wings in the trees.

9 October 2024

House martin flocks moving through

House martin flocks moving through

Small flocks of 30-100 house martins have been moving through the reserve since last Friday. There may be a few sand martins and swallows mixed in but the flocks are primarily made up of house martins. Great egrets are still onsite - one seems to be in b

2 October 2024

Little grebe & great white egret

Little grebe & great white egret

On Sunday our Reserve Manager Suzi spotted a little grebe on the water from the Scrape hide.

24 September 2024