Latest sightings

Visit the Scrape hide to look for snipe

The number of snipe onsite have increased. The Scrape hide seems to be the hot spot for picking them out on the edges of the main island. The stripey markings of the snipe's feathers help them blend into the reeds and grasses. A family of Egyptian gees

12 October 2022

Kestrel, egyptian geese and kingfishers

On Tuesday a staff member on a lunchtime walk came across a cluster of visitors on the long path. They were watching a kestrel perching on the Wetland Secrets building. The kesterel then moved onto the Reedbed hide roof between spots of hovering for prey.

6 October 2022

Snipe, kingfishers and cormorants

Regular snipe sightings especially from the Scrape hide now. There's at least one cormorant and one grey heron between Sand Martin & Ramsar hides. Regular kingfisher sightings continue including at the Lapwing hide. We have been seeing a good array of dra

25 September 2022

Herons, bullfinches and house martins

Reports of kingfishers sightings daily and visitors are still sending in their shots so chances are you'll spot one at the Scrape hide, Arun Riverlife lagoon or on the large lagoon between the Ramsar & Sand martin hides.Looks like the oystercatcher pair n

28 August 2022

Kingfishers fledge & martins move through

The juvenile kingfishers seem to have fledged this week – as a result we have been seeing a lot of kingfisher air traffic at the Sand martin hide and on the Arun Riverlife lagoon. Visitors are reporting 3-4 sightings during their stops in at Sand Marti

18 August 2022

Kingfishers & cattle egrets

The Sand martin hide kingfisher pair are still feeding young, although judging by the size of fish being taken into the nest hole, this second brood should be nearly fledged. The nesting sand martins have all but disappeared, but it was only last month th

11 August 2022

Both kingfisher pairs are trying for second broods

Both pairs of kingfishers have already hatched out youngsters that have left the nest but both pairs are trying for second broods in the nesting banks. Breeding kingfishers are very territorial. When the chicks are grown and can fly they must find t

3 July 2022

Fledglings, dragonflies and butterflies

The hot weather has accelerated the wildflowers onsite. As the cowslip and ragged robin start to disappear, common valerian, various umbellifers and bird’s-foot trefoil appear in abundance, with southern marsh and common spotted orchids flourishing on t

22 June 2022

Oystercatcher chick and juvenile kingfisher

On Sunday Reserve Warden Suzi Lanaway spotted two fledged lapwing chicks with their parents across from the Ramsar hide. This was good news because we hadn’t had a chick sighting for weeks. That isn’t unusual when the vegetation gets tall - it's diffi

9 June 2022

Mandarin ducklings, great egret & sand martin sightings

This week’s highlights include a marsh harrier sighting over the reedbeds at 1pm on Monday. Could they be nesting there? We also had a great white egret in on Wednesday at the Scrape hide. Kingfishers continue to pop in and out of nest hole number 5 on

19 May 2022

Damsels & dragons emerging

Damselflies are starting to emerge in earnest, with large red (pictured), common blue and blue-tailed damselflies flitting about. Hairy dragonflies are also emerging now. Warblers are singing all over the place, including sedge, reed, willow and Cett

12 May 2022

Singing and nesting around the reserve

Sand martins and kingfishers continue to show at the Sand martin hide. A pair of oystercatchers have been frequenting the fresh cobble islands out front (photo).Between Ramsar and Sand martin hides look out for lapwing and chicks, common gulls, Med gulls,

5 May 2022

Lapwing chicks near Ramsar hide

At least three lapwing chicks have hatched out opposite the Ramsar hide – now the adult lapwing's mission is protection. They are mobbing predatory crows or any greylag geese families that wander too close. An adult kingfisher was seen taking a faecal

27 April 2022

Sand martins arriving

Sand martins started filtering through this week. Last Tuesday we saw eight in the late afternoon, four on Thursday and 10 on Good Friday. There are likely more than this moving through –this is just what our wardens counted while working. Warblers si

16 April 2022

Second kingfisher pair nesting onsite

A second pair of kingfishers seem to be nesting in artificial bank of the Sand martin hide. They have beat the sand martins to the space this year but there is plenty of room on the other side of the bank. We should be seeing sand martins moving through s

7 April 2022