Strong lapwing numbers
With a few catkins, snowdrops and primroses starting to flower and even the odd daffodil in bud, we are reminded that spring is just around the corner. Birds are starting to sing in earnest and there is much displaying from drakes in their finest plumage.
We have good numbers of shoveler, teal, gadwall and shelduck, but numbers of pochard and tufted duck are lower than usual at this time of year. Kingfishers are still darting around all over the place and we have had a lot more water rail than usual throughout the winter.
Firecrests and bullfinches have been showing particularly well around brambly hedges.
Tues 4 Feb
Arun Riverlife Lagoon: 9 pochards, 102 black-headed gulls
Ramsar and Sand martin hide: 2 snipe, 50 Canada geese, 20 greylag geese, 43 lapwings, 1 cormorant, 6 pochard, 4 shelducks, 11 gadwalls, 21 shovelers, 6 teal, 29 mallard, 1 coot, 5 moorhen, 184 black-headed gulls, 130 common gulls, 2 herring gulls
Scrape hide: 2 pochards, 2 shelducks
Mon 3 Feb
Ramsar and Sand martin hide: 21 cattle egrets, 93 lapwings, 13 shoveler, 9 shelducks, 3 teal
Scrape hide: 1 pochard
Long path: 1 kingfisher
Woodland loop: greenfinch, 1 great spotted woodpecker.
Sun 2 Feb
Long path (near tool shed): 1 firecrest
Scrape hide: 1 kingfisher, 4 teal, 4 shoveler, 2 shelducks
Ramsar and Sand Martin hide: 53 lapwings, 10 teal, 2 little egret, 16 shoveler
Wetland Discovery: 17 mallards, 8 greylag geese, 1 cormorant, 1 woodpigeon, 9 tufted ducks, 3 pochard
Tranquil Trail: 1 bullfinch
Sat 1 Feb
Ramsar and Sand martin hide: 14 gadwall, 19 shoveler, 1 pochard, 4 shelducks, 3 cormorants, 13 lapwing, 58 Canada geese, 16 greylag geese, 11 teal, 32 mallards, 2 little egrets, 1 kingfisher
Lapwinghide: 1 water rail, 3 teal
Wetland Discovery: 14 tufted ducks, 14 greylag geese, 1 kingfisher,
Scrape hide: 10 shoveler, 12 teal, 2 shelducks, 4 greylag geese, 6Canad geese, 1 pochard, 15 mallards, 5 tufted ducks, 4 gadwalls
Arun Riverlife lagoon: 3 bullfinches, 6 pochards, 17 Canada geese, 12 greylag geese, 22 mallards, 3 coots, 1 kingfisher, ` sparrowhawk.
Woodland Loop: 1 robin, 9 blue tits, 5 great tits, 3 chaffinches, 1 coal tit, 1 moorhen
Long path: 1 grey wagtail, 1 green woodpecker, 5 mute swans.
Offham hangar: 2 peregrines, 2 buzzards
