Latest sightings
Emerald damselfly during dormouse survey
During this month’s dormouse survey, we spotted a brilliant emerald damselfly, which rather obligingly stayed still long enough for a quick photo shoot! We don’t get many of that species, so was really lovely to see. Sadly, no dormice were found
26 July 2020
Butterflies, reptiles and bird surveys
The numbers of greenfinch onite has been dropping in recent years but our recent Breeding Bird Survey has good greenfinch news. This April through June we have recorded greenfinches singing from the treetops around the reserve. Now we are seeing juvenile
13 July 2020
Fabulous wildflowers and Marsh Harrier update
Wildflowers Weeks of hot sun followed by a bit of rain here and there has produced a botanical bounty all around the reserve! Our wildlife hides are now open (except for the Sand Martin hide) and the views are spectacular. Oxe-eye daises are just going o
7 July 2020
Windy Sunday
Warden Suzi reports strong gusty winds and hail was putting off most of the birds except the gulls! The lapwing were hunkered down, still on nests on wet grasslands. Ramsar/Sand martin hide: around 750+ black-headed gull, 42 common gull, 2 lesser blac
30 March 2020
Pochards pairing up
Warden Suzi Lanaway sent in these sightings from the past few days. Suzi is one of the dedicated team that are still working onsite for wildlife and managing the fragile wetland habitats. In the photo above Reserve Manager Paul Stevens photographed these
28 March 2020
Bee flies & grass snakes
On Wednesday 25 March Warden Suzi Lanaway reports lots of brimstone and red admiral butterflies and a couple of beeflies (pic above) in the sensory (herb) garden.There was also a pair of oystercatchers in the Bewick's Swan enclosure and grass snakes show
26 March 2020
Moorhen chicks a sign of spring
On the wet grassland we now have 5 pairs of lapwing sitting on eggs. Other signs of spring include the newly hatched nest of moorhens on the Lakes & Forest exhibit. A pair of greylag geese have hatched 5 goslings along the channels of the Wetland Discover
25 March 2020
Kingfishers are checking out the nesting bank
Lapwings and oystercatchers getting ready to nest and kingfisher have been spotted at the Arun Riverlife nesting bank .
23 March 2020
Spring is in the air
The last Harrier count of the winter for our wardens was Sunday evenng with five marsh harriers and one hen harrier spotted from the Reedbed Hide. A vagrant Greenland white-fronted goose has been onsite since late Friday aternoon, hanging out near the gre
16 March 2020
Pochard on every pond
Pochard can be spotted from every hide most days. Lapwings are still displaying and two pairs of oystercatcher are starting to appear at Ramsar hide and on Arun Riverlife lagoon. Large numbers of black-headed gulls onsite but most are juveniles and will m
9 March 2020
Lapwings displaying and nest scraping
Regular sighting of lapwings from the Lapwing hide - likely some of the regular breeding pairs that spend spring and summer at Arundel.
3 March 2020
Harriers, kestrel and more raptors
A kestrel has been spotted all over the site - he has been perched up on the owl next box near Lapwing Hide sheltering from the rain last weekend. Plenty of birds of prey around now – red kites, peregrines, buzzards, sparrowhawk.
18 February 2020
First flowers blooming
Large number of lapwing flock in and coltsfoot, primrose and snow drops are flowering.
11 February 2020
Brown long-eared bats hibernate in a hide
Survey of wintering bat population on Sunday showed four brown long-eared bats using the Sand Martin hide, along with other wildlife.
27 January 2020
Abundance of goldcrests and a few firecrest too
We continue to have big numbers of goldcrests onsite as wintering birds come down from the north to swell the ranks. Birds of prey were showing well over the weekend with a barn owl over Arun Riverlife Lagoon, buzzards on the hangar, with sparrow hawk an
13 January 2020