Bullfinches & Winter waterbird flocks
Bullfinches have been spotted in the hedgerows on the Tranquil Trail path near the Ramsar hide entrance.
On Wednesday morning there were 10 lapwings on the island at Sand Martin hide and 100 in the air above, circling, landing then taking off again. Two peregrines shot through the group, worrying the airborne waders and the group split so only about half came in. That morning we also had 60 cattle egrets on the farthest islands but as soon as we entered the hide they took off!
A little grebe has been visible from time to time, and a handful of wigeon spotted for a few days at Ramsar and Sand Martin hides.
Bullfinches have been spotted in the hedgerows on the Tranquil Trail path near the Ramsar hide entrance.
Kingfishers are showing at Ramsar, Sand Martin and Scrape hides.
Wed 18 Dec
Arun Riverlife: 10 tufted ducks
Ramsar and Sand Martin hide: 60 cattle egret, 10 shelducks, 1 little grebe, 5 wigeon, 1 marsh harrier, 110 lapwing, 2 peregrines
Scrape hide: 2 shelducks, 4 Canada geese,1 kingfisher, 11 shovelers, 1 coot, 2 teal, 50 mallards. 1 chaffinch
Tues 17 Dec
Woodland Loop: 2 blackbirds, 4 blue tits, 2 great tits, 2 robins, 1 goldcrest, 3 moorhens, 4 woodpigeons
Scrape hide: 9 shoveler, 2 shelducks, 4 Canada geese, 20 mallards, 2 wigeon, 2 water rails
Sand martin & Ramsar hides: 4 shelducks, 57 Canada geese, 45 mallards, 2 mute swans, 6 wigeon, 19 teal, 3 cormorants, 6 greylag geese, 7 gadwall, 3 shoveler, 1 juvenile herring gull, 2 kingfisher
Tranquil Trail: 2 bullfinches
Wetland Discovery: 2 pochards, 3 tufted ducks, 2 shelducks
Arun Riverlife: 2 shelducks, 8 tufted ducks, 26 mallards, 2 cormorants, 1 little egret, 4 pochards.
Mon 16 Dec
Arun Riverlife: 34 mallards, 2 coots, 1 moorhen, 4 mute swans, 3 tufted ducks, 3 pochards, 11 Canada geese, 8 greylag geese, 1 grey heron, 1 little egret,
Pelican Cove: 7 mallards,9 coots, 7 moorhens, 4 tufted ducks, 3 Canada geese
Lakes and Forests exhibit: 6 coots, 6 moorhens, 2 Egyptian geese
Reedswamp exhibit: 1 mallard, 8 coots, 2 moorhens, 2 mute swans, 2 black-headed gulls, 2 herring gulls
Trumpeter Swan exhibit: 13 mallards, 2 coots, 6 moorhens,
Reedbed boardwalk: 87 mallards, 5 coots, 1 moorhen, 1 mute swan, 1 pochard, 1 Canada goose,
Scrape hide: 18 mallards, 3 greylag geese, 4 Canada geese
Pond beside Scrape Hide: 6 gadwall, 1 kingfisher, 1 Egyptian geese, 1 water rail
Sand Martin hide:189 mallards, 2 coots, 1 moorhen, 11 tufted ducks, 6 shelducks, 4 gadwall, 1 mandarin duck, 46 Canada geese, 96 greylag geese, 4 shoveler, 4 wigeon, 2 lapwings, 2 kingfisher, 2 pintails
Ramsar hide: 3 mallards, 1 coot, 7 Canada geese, 42 lapwings, 1 little egret, 4 cormorants.
Sun 15 Dec
Wetland Discovery: 10 mallards, 2 Canada geese, 2 goldfinches, 2 blue tits, 1 robin, 1 kingfisher, 2 great tits, 1 chiffchaff, 1 long-tailed tit
Ramsar & Sand martin hide: 1 water rail, 1 kingfisher, 5 cackling geese, 2 cackling X Barnacle, 38 lapwings, 2 shelducks
Arun Riverlife: 100 greylag geese landed mid-day.
