Tawny owlet and sand piper
A tawny owlet started branching on Mon 13 May from its box on an island in Wetlands Discovery. Tawny owls leave the nest to scramble around branches before they can fly. This is the first time that tawny owls have used one of our nest boxes at this end of the reserve.
Around 40 sand martins can be seen hawking over the large lagoon, with many in and out of nest holes. Warblers including sedge, reed, Cetti’s and willow warbler, chiffchaff, blackcap, whitethroat and lesser whitethroat can be heard singing across reedbeds and hedgerows. A cuckoo has been back on site for the past couple of weeks and is a welcome return. If you’re lucky, you may hear the nightingale singing behind the Lost Reedbed from the Scrape Hide – although all the warblers warbling dominates somewhat!
The kingfishers have been more active over the last week. They are in and out of the nest hole, fishing a lot and taking in food. Maybe feeding some hungry chicks?
A common sand piper was in at the Sand martin hide on Monday and Tuesday this week.
Wed 15 May
Arun Riverlife lagoon: 5 tufted ducks, 2 gadwall, 1 grey wagtail
Pelican cove: 3 tufted ducks, 3 pochards – 1 female with two ducklings
Lakes and forests exhibit: 1 male mandarin
Woodland Loop: 1 great spotted woodpecker
Meadow pond: 1 male mandarin, 1 gadwall
Long path: 1 whitethroat
Sussex Screen: 5 tufted ducks, 1 pochard
Scrape hide: 1 herring gull, 1 blue tit, 1 blackcap, 2 pochards, 1 chiff chaff, 1 carrion crow, 1 sedge warbler, 2 Cetti’s warbler, 1 reed bunting, 11 Canada geese, 11 mallards, 8 greylag geese, 1 blackbird, 6 tufted ducks, 6 black-headed gulls, 1 manadrin duck, 4 gadwall, 2 wood pigeon, 6 sand martins
Sand martin hide: 6 tufted ducks, 3 shoveler, 1 kingfisher, 1 common sandpiper
Ramsar hide: 7 tufted ducks, 4 gadwall, 4 lapwing, 2 shoveler, 1 cormorant, 1 reed bunting
Ramsar hide: 1 mandarin, 1 oystercatcher, 1 cattle egret
Lapwing: 4 gadwall, 2 tufted ducks,, 2 gadwall
Wetland Discovery: 2 tufted ducks, 2 gadwall
Tues 14 May
Wetland Discovery area: Tawny owlet branching from owl box on island along boat safari
Ramsar & sand martin hides: 3 moorhens – adult and two chicks, 6 tufted ducks, 1 cormorant, 2 lapwing, 3 shoveler ducks, 1 common sandpiper, 12 Canada geese, 2 greylag geese, 1 lesser black-backed gull, 1 mute swan, 41 black-headed gulls, 8 mallards, 1 oystercatcher, 1 gadwall, 2 Cetti’s warbler, 1 wren, 1 reed warbler, 1 chiffchaff, 20+ sand martins
Scrape hide: 2 sheducks, 1 pochard
Reedswamp exhibit: 2 pochards
Pelican cove: 1 female pochard with two ducklings
Mon 13 May
Wetland Bird survey
Wetland Discovery area: Tawny owlet branching from owl box on island along boat safari
Raised pond: emperor dragonfly exuviae
Waterside walk mute swan pair and one cygnet
Pelican cove: 1 pochard and 2 ducklings
Willow sphere: w pochard and 2 ducklings
Sun 12 May
Wetland Discovery: 1 pied wagtail, 4 tufted ducks, 5 mallards, 1 black-headed gull, 2 blue tits, 2 sedge warblers, 1 reed warbler, 1 Cetti’s warbler, 2 Canada geesem 1 pochard
Arun Riverlife: 1 pochard, 1 oystercatcher
Waterside walk: 1 oystercatcher, 2 murte swans with 2 cygnets
Ramsar hide: 2 lapwing, 1 grey heron, 1 kingfisher
Lapwing hide: 2 grey heron
Long path: 1 pochard and 5 ducklings
