News
Birds of prey and great white egret
A few sightings of birds of prey on site this week from the Scrape hide. We are still seeing the marsh harrier there most days, thanks to Alec Pelling for this amazing photo above. A red kite was spotted on Tues 13 May, and a hobby was sighted on Wed 14 M
Ducklings, Chicks and Cygnets
On Saturday afternoon, a female pochard swan out of the reeds on the Arun Riverlife lagoon with a duckling in tow, then another popped out of the reeds, and another, ... eventually eight ducklings emerged then hugged the reed edge tightly as their mother
Sand pipers and Lapwing Chicks
One of the most exciting days so far this spring was 1st May when we saw a Wood Sandpiper and three Lapwing chicks from the Ramsar hide, an Osprey fly over the reserve, and the first sound of a Cuckoo. The wood sand piper sighting from the Ramsar hide was
Flurries of sand martins
There is a lot of martin activity around the sand martin hide, with birds popping in and out of the burrows in the nesting bank "arms" surrounding the central viewing windows. Sand martins are hunting insects over the water and soaring in the skies abo
Hatching and Nesting
Most mornings we see a male marsh harrier in the "Lost Reedbed". It rises up from the same section of the reedbed and heads off down the river (to hunt?). We have recorded a female marsh harrier as well, but we haven’t seen her recently. Could she be on
Warblers returning
The numbers of resident warblers (Cetti's and chiffchaffs) have been boosted by migrants, all singing loudly! We are seeing (and hearing) blackcaps and a couple of sedge and willow warblers have been appearing over the last week. If you want to witness e
Mallard ducklings hatching out
The Reserve team spotted 54 ducklings with 7 different female mallards on Sunday. They are sprinkled around the site. Numbers will dwindle as there are many carrion crows and predatory herring gulls around as well and mallards aren't the most attentive pa
Egrets in Breeding Plumage
On Saturday morning there were three great white egrets onsite, the male is in breeding plumage. We have also spotted up to 23 cattle egrets in the mornings, several with that Trumpian orange tinges on head and back that is their breeding plumes. Photo ab
Spring displays
This week we have been watching a pair of marsh harriers, seen rising up from the lost reedbed in the mornings. The male has been displaying a bit, then the pair head down the river, the female a bit later then the male. Could they be a pair staying on w
Thousands of Gulls on Sunday!
Last Sunday morning over 4000 gulls were on the water, wet grassland and islands between the Sand Martin hide and the Ramsar hide. It was likely the largest number of gulls we have seen on-site at once! There were over 2000 common gulls and 2000 black-he
Gulls moving through and oystercatchers arrive
Big numbers of black-headed gulls continue to move through this week, still a few common gulls, a Med. gull and a greater black-backed gull was in the mix.
Water rails and an Oystercatcher
A pair of water rails have been sighted in front of the Coastal Creek Aviary this week.
Snipe at Ramsar hide & Gulls moving through
We've seen big numbers of black-headed gulls (240) and common gulls (110) on the reserve, moving through, most on their way north after wintering in warmer climates. Some of the black-headed gulls do stay and form a colony on the islands near the Sand Mar
Good winter for lapwing
We are already starting to see the males giving display flights on warmer days.
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.