Peregrines, sparrowhawk and kestrel onsite
Birds of prey sightings this week include our regular kestrel visiting a few times and sightings of a peregrine and a sparrow hawk.
A great spotted woodpecker is showing frequently in the Wood Loop now and this week we had a green woodpecker at the far end of the Wetlands Discovery area.
Still strong numbers of lapwing and snipe. Lots of chaffinches, great and blue tits about too all around the site – for pics try the feeders in the Wood Loop or trees in the Wildlife Garden. A goldcrest was showing in the hedgerows approaching the Sand Martin hide last Saturday too.
Chaffinch photo above is by media volunteer Andy Burns, on Jan 11 in the wildlife garden.
Below is not a list of all wildlife onsite. It is the recorded wildlife sightings by WWT staff noted on the morning walk around, with different areas recorded on different days.
Tues 10 Jan
Arun Riverlife: 6 pochard, 1 grey heron
Woodland Lodge: 1 water rail under the feeders
Scrape hide: 1 kingfisher, 5 snipe in far fen cut, 1 grey heron
Wetland Discovery: 4 pochards, 1 sparrow hawk.
Ramsar & sand martin hides: 63 lapwing, 2 snipe, 21 teal, 11 gadwall, 18 black-headed gulls, 17 Canada geese, 3 Egyptian geese, 7 coots, 10 shelduck, 6 tufted ducks, 4 cormorants, 6 shoveler, 1 pochard, 29 mallards, 1 carrion crow, and 1 wigeon.
Mon 9 Jan
Lapwing hide: 1 kestrel, 1 moorhen, 2 mallards.
Ramsar & Sand martin hide lagoon: 1 peregrine, 122 lapwing, 8 snipe, and 11 little egret (roost)
Wetland Discovery: 4 pochards, 1 green woodpecker.
Sun 8
Wetland Discovery: 17 mallards, 4 coots, 2 woodpigeon, 1 pheasant, 5 tufted ducks, 1 pochard, 1 moorhen, 2 blackbird, 4 Canada geese, 1 kingfisher
Scrape hide: 1 pochard, 6 snipe
Ramsar & Sand martin hide: 19 snipe, 121 lapwing, 6 pochard,
Arun Riverlife: 1 kestrel, 1 kingfisher, 3 pochard
Wood loop: 1 great spotted woodpecker.
Sat 7 Jan
Arun Riverlife: 2 cormorants, 7 coots, 1 grey heron, 15 black-headed gulls, 54 mallards, 16 Canada geese, 2 gadwall, 14 tufted ducks, and 2 pochard
Ramsar & Sand Martin hides: 22 snipe in fen cut to right of Ramsar hide, 95 lapwing, 6 pochard, 2 goldcrest at approach to Sand martin hide
Scrape hide: 3 snipe
Arun Riverlife: 1 little egret
Fri 6 Jan
Wood Loop: 1 moorhen, 2 pheasants, 1 blackbird, 1 dunnock
Ramsar hide: 14 snipe, 2 wigeon
Wood Loop: 4 great tits, 7 blue tits, 4 chaffinches, 2 robins, 2 mallards
Thurs 5 Jan
Ramsar hide: 1 grey heron, 3 cormorants, 19 snipe, 11 shelducks, 11 gadwall, 7 Canada geese, 61 lapwing, 57 teal, 1 kingfisher, and 6 tufted ducks
Sand Martin hide: 6 tufted ducks, 11 lapwing, 10 shelducks, 2 cormorants, 8 Canada geese, 2 shelducks, 19 shovelers, 22 teal
Wood Loop: 2 gadwall, 5 blue tits, 2 pheasant, 2 goldfinch
Arun Riverlife: 14 coot, 2 pochard, 1 grey heron
