Lapwing chicks wander wet grasslands
There are lovely lapwing chicks now in three spots on the wetland reserve. Three females have been spotted with at least one chick each at from the Lapwing hide. Across from the Ramsar hide two chicks have been spotted. If you use your binoculars you may see 4 chicks wandering on the wet grassland across from the café windows on the Arun Riverlife lagoon. Lapwings are good parents and have been mobbing hungry grey herons who prey upon chicks, ducklings and goslings at this time of year.
Recent sightings by WWT wardens. This list does not include common species like mallards, moorhens, coots, greylag geese, Canada geese and herring gulls.
Sun 21 April
Sand martin hide: 1 shelduck, 9 tufted ducks, 1 lapwing
Scrape hide: 3 gadwall
Ramsar hide: 2 lapwings, 2 oystercatchers.
Lapwing hide: grey heron, 1 shoveler duck, 2 teal, 6 lapwing, 2 tufted duck.
Tranquil Trail: 2 Cetti’s warblers singing.
Mon 22 April
lArun Riverlife: 5 lapwing (3 chicks), 2 pochard, 1 shelduck
Ramsar hide: 14 tufted duck, 2 pochard, 3 lapwing (1 chick), 1 whitethroat singing, 1 cuckoo calling from across the river, 1 cattle gret roost (evening)
Lapwing hide: 8 lapwing (3 chicks), 2 tuf5ted ducks, 1 shoveler duck, 4 teal (2 pairs), 1 shelduck.
Wetland Discovery areas: 2 linnet, 5 tufted ducks, 2 lapwing, barn owl on main box (evening), 4 serotine bats (evening)
Reedbed: 1 Cetti’s warbler nest building, 1 pochard, 1 male marsh harrier roosting 8.30pm
Sand Martin hide: 8 sand martins 8pm
Butterflies species now out:
- brimstone butterfly
- peacock butterfly
- holly blue butterfly
- comma butterly
- small tortoiseshell butterfly
- orange tip butterfly
