Spring mallard ducklings hatching out
Wardens spotted our first spring clutch of ten mallard ducklings swimming around the edge of the Arun Riverlife lagoon following their mother last Sunday. The kingfishers are still at the nesting bank here especially in holes 10 and 8!
Arun Riverlife seems to be the current hot spots as a pair of lapwing are definitely on the nest to on the fen cut and a pair of oystercatchers looking for a nesting spot too.
Sun 28 March
Arun Riverlife lagoon: 1 female mallard with 10 ducklings, a pair of oystercatchers, 2 kingfishers in and out of various nesting bank holes, a pair of lapwing with one on the nest, 11 pochard in the afternoon,
Wetland Discovery: 7 Canada geese, 22 mallards, 7 tufted ducks, 1 greylag goose, 1 pheasant, 1 moorhen, 1 wren singing, 2 Cetti's warblers singing, 1 chiffchaff singing, 4 black-headed gulls
Lapwing hide: 2 pairs of lapwing (4)
Ramsar hide: 2 lapwing up in the air mobbing a crow, 2 Mediterranean gulls, and 106 common gulls
Sat 27 March
Arun Riverlife lagoon: 11 Canada geese, 2 greylag geese, 10 tufted ducks, 2 oystercatchers on gravel island, 2 lapwing female sitting and male displaying, 10 mallards, 1 pochard, 1 coot, 1 shelduck, 48 black-headed gulls.
Sand Martin hide: 4 Mediterranean gulls, 1 oystercatchers on front island, 1 pochard
Ramsar hide: 2 lapwing (we think there have a nest there), 5 cackling geese,
Offham hangar: 1buzzard
Lapwing hide: 3 lapwing
Fri 26 March
Arun Riverlife: lapwing pair (male sitting), 2 oystercatchers, 3 pochard
Lapwing hide: 4 lapwing – 2 pairs with a male displaying
Ramsar hide: 2 lapwing, 1 little egret
Wood Loop: 2 wrens, 2 blackbirds, 2 dunnocks, 2 moorhen, 1 robin, 1 goldcrest, 3 long-tailed tits, 3 blue tits, 3 great tits, 2 chaffinch, 1 treecreeper, 2 wood pigeon, 1 pheasant, 1 mallard
Wed 24 March
Arun Riverlife: 1 lapwing pair male sitting on nest, 8 pochard
Lapwing hide: 3 lapwings, 2 males one female
Ramsar hide: 2 lapwing – male nest scraping, female looking heavy, 3 oystercatchers chasing off gulls
Scrape hide: 1 lapwing female, 8 Canada goose, 4 greylag geese, 1 kingfisher, 7 mallards, 3 gadwall, 2 moorhens, 35 black-headed gulls, 1 coot
Tuesday 23 March
Ramsar and Sand martin hides: 5 coots, 3 moorhens, 1 little grebes, 3 teal (one pair), 24 mallards, 3 shelducks (one pair), 1 mute swan, 6 shovelers (4 males, 2 females), 3 male gadwall, 9 tufted ducks (6 male, 3 female), 66 black-headed gulls, 1 Mediterranean gull, 32 common gulls, 45 herring gulls.
Arun Riverlife: 8 pochards, 1 kingfisher on perch beside nesting bank, 1 lapwing.
Lapwing hide: 3 pairs of lapwing
Ramsar and Sand Martin hides: 2 lapwing, 1 oystercatcher, 19 Canada geese, 5 cackling geese, 9 greylag geese.
Mon 22 March
Arun Riverlife lagoon: 6 pochards, 1 little egret, 1 lapwing
Ramsar hide: 2 lapwing, 3 cackling geese, and 118 common gulls
Lapwing hide: 4 Canada geese, 1 cackling goose, 1 greylag goose, 9 gadwall – 5 males 4 femals,2 coots, 10 black-headed gulls,5 mallards, 2 pairs of lapwing a male displaying, 1 wood pigeon, 2 moorhen, a pair of teal, 2 pheasants, 2 snipe.
Sun 21 March
Wetland Discovery area: 1 stoat along path by the Outlook In building, 7 pairs of tufted ducks(14), 16 mallards – 14 males 2 females, 2 black-headed gulls, 4 Canada geese, 3 greylag geese, 5 pheasants (1 male, 4 females)1 robin, 1 blackbird, 1 dunnock, 2 coots
Lapwing hide: 6 lapwing
Ramsar hide: 5 cackling geese
Sussex screen: 1 kingfisher
Arun Riverlife lagoon: 7 pochards, 2 lapwing.
