Latest sightings
Teal & lapwing back on Arun lagoon as project finishes
The Arun Lagoon Project is almost complete. Water has been allowed to slowly flow back into the lagoon since Fri 4 Feb and already birds are moving in. Good numbers of Lapwing have returned (110), eight Mediterranean Gulls are also present amongst other g
10 February 2022
Flock of lapwing & a flush of snipe
Our wardens spotted the glossy ibis back at the Scrape hide on Monday morning at 8 am. That was the last recorded sighting of it here onsite. Monday’s warm sun also brought a red admiral butterfly out of hibernation along the reedbed boardwalk among the
3 February 2022
Glossy ibis drops in for a long visit
A glossy ibis dropped into the fen at the left hand side of the Scrape hide last Sunday morning and has been spotted there off and on this week. We are seeing the ibis in the mornings and late afternoons to roost and it seems to be ranging about during th
26 January 2022
Shelduck and teal numbers up
There is still an abundance of stonechats on and around the wet grassland, redwing and goldfinch amongst the hedgerows and egrets (both little and cattle) roosting in trees from dusk onwards. The odd wigeon is making an appearance from the Scrape Hide
19 January 2022
Water rail at three spots onsite
Our Media volunteer Andrew Burns spotted water rail at three places yesterday (Wed 12 Jan). There were two water rail in the old Trumpeter Pen on the approach to the Scrape hide, one to the left of the Lapwing hide and the water rail that frequents the Wo
13 January 2022
Happy New Year!
Swans and ducks took last week's spring-like weather to heart and engaged in territory battles and mating behaviours. The cold weather this week has cooled things down a bit with birds back focused on feeding and staying warm. Listed here are recent sight
5 January 2022
Great egret & cattle egrets around
Lots of sighting of the great egret this week and some were cattle egret seen at the Scrape hide as well. This photo of a great egret perched in a tree was taken by Debra Flynn Ducks are pairing up with more teal around over the past week. Works continue
29 December 2021
Bewick's swans in the valley
On our WeBS (Wetland Bird Survey) this week on Mon 20 Dec volunteer Andrew saw two Bewick's swan on the Burpham loop. Shelducks were showing on Arun Riverlife, Scrape and Ramsar hides. Andrew also record 6 snipe at the Scrape hide. Tufties, gadwall and po
22 December 2021
Redwings, fieldfare and woodpeckers
There is a good mix of small birds on site currently in the hedgerows of the Tranquil trail with handfuls of field fare, redwings and some siskin spotted this week. The feeders at the Wood loop are also busy with chaffinch, nuthatches tits and more redwin
16 December 2021
Goosander, stonechats and barn owls
The Arun lagoon project will be completed in the coming weeks and the Reserve team are cutting the Wet Grassland at the same time, with the aim of completing all works at that end of the reserve together. Coordinating these works should allow wintering wi
6 December 2021
Kestrel and Great white egret still around
Our favourite peregrine was posing nicely today one of our car park light poles today. Also still around site is the great white egret who has been popping up around different hides through the day. A black swan is still hanging around the site as well.
27 November 2021
Egrets & herons enjoying project mud
The water on the Arundel lagoon project has been drained down slowly, much to the delight of little, cattle and great white egrets who have been helping to de-fish the lake remnants!
8 November 2021
Great egret still onsite this week
A great egret has been onsite for the past week. The low water levels of the Arundel Lagoon project have lured the great egret to the Ramsar and sand martin hides during the day and it has been dropping into Arun Riverlife lagoon in the late afternoons. T
2 November 2021
Clouded yellows & migrant hawkers
With daytime temps still in the high teens, on sunny breaks we are seeing migrant hawker dragonflies and common darter dragonflies come out. Checking our Black Rabbit triangle area we spotted a pair of clouded yellow butterflies on Monday!The digger and p
20 October 2021
Bat surveys finishing soon as weather turns colder
Paul Stevens, our former Reserve Manager and licenced Batman, was on site last week to check all of our site bat boxes. In total we found 17 Soprano pipistrelles and one Brown long-eared bat - all roosting and producing a build up of droppings! Two ba
13 October 2021