Harriers, kestrel and more raptors
A kestrel has been spotted all over the site - he has been perched up on the owl next box near Lapwing Hide sheltering from the rain last weekend. Plenty of birds of prey around now – red kites, peregrines, buzzards, sparrowhawk.
Harrier Count survey on Sunday showed five marsh harriers and a solo female hen harrier came into roost in the reedbeds. We also spotted a small flock of linnets, a yellow hammer, and half a dozen fieldfare. A male kestrel has been staying onsite for a couple of weeks now. He was using the owl nestbox to shelter from the rain during Storm Dennis. There are lots of other birds of prey around too like red kites, peregrines, buzzards and the odd sparrowhawk.
Recent morning sightings:
17 Feb
lapwing hide: 2 lapwing
16 Feb
Sand Martin hide: 150 lapwing
Reedbed hide: 9 linnet, 1 yellow hammer, 5 marsh harrier, 1 hen harrier
15 Feb
Ramsar hide: 1 cattle egret, 5 pochards,2 cackling geese, 1 little grebe.
Lapwing hide: 2 lapwing
Lakes & Frest: 1 tree creeper, 2 gold crests.
Arun Riverlife: 3 tufted ducks, 3 pochard.
14 Feb
Arun Riverlife lagoon: 1 lapwing
Wetland Discovery : 8 pochard
Ramsar/Sand martin hide: 10 snipe, 1 kingfisher, 27 lapwing, 8 pochard, 1 little grebe.
Scarpe hide: water rail.
Woodland Loop: 14 blue tits, 2 great tits, 2 chaffinch, 1 goldfinch
13 Feb: Wetland Discovery: 4 pochard
Lapwing hide: 4 lapwing, 1 kestrel
Ramsar/Sand Martin hide: 25 lapwing, 12 snipe, 3 pochard
13 Feb
Wetland discovery: 4 pochards
Lapwing hide: 4 lapwing, 1 kestrel
Ramsar hide: 25 lapwing, 12 snipe, 3 pochard
Reedbed: 3 mandarin ducks, 2 blue tits
12 Feb
Ramsar/ Sand Martin hide: 17 pochard, 5 snipe, 47 Lapwing, 1 little egret, 1 kingfisher
Scrape hide: 2 shelducks, 8 teal, 4 shoveler, 7 gadwall, 1 kingfisher
