What’s Wild this June

Marsh harriers, barn owls and nesting egrets are ones to watch this month.  

Tues 2 June:   It’s toadlet emergence day! That perfect mix of mild weather and spring showers has triggered something special… our baby toads are on the move!After weeks of watching tadpoles transform in the front ponds, they’re now tiny, fully formed toadlets beginning their journey onto land If you’re visiting today, please take care: Watch your step — they’re tiny and blend into the pavement Path from the car park to the visitor centre is a busy crossing pointOur reserve team and volunteers have been out helping move them to safety — thank you!Let’s give these little ones the best start 

Fri 5 June:  Our Reserve Team briefly hold four wild barn owlets just after getting their leg rings from licensed ringer Stuart Card on Friday morning. They were then walked up the ladder and returned to their owl box. We estimate the youngsters are 35-44 days old. The team have named them after the letters on the leg rings, choosing ‘Bread’ as the naming theme. Meet Cupcake, Loaf, Naan and Panini.

Tues 9 June: A male was seen near the Scrape hide carrying prey, which is a great sign they’re breeding nearby. (Thanks to Mike Jerome for the photo above) Last Tuesday, one of the pair was also seen mobbing a visiting white‑tailed eagle. This kind of behaviour shows they’ve firmly established their territory and highlights just how important the reedbed habitat is for them.

It was a real treat to see the white‑tailed eagle on 9 June, circling over the reedbed before drifting off towards Offham Hangers. These huge birds of prey are always an impressive sight and have previously nested elsewhere in the Arun Valley. Seeing it being challenged by a marsh harrier was a great reminder of how lively things can get between resident birds and visiting raptors.

Cattle egrets: There’s also been some fantastic breeding news from the egrets. Both little egrets and cattle egrets are nesting, with up to five little egrets seen in a nesting tree alongside a cattle egret. It looks like a small mixed colony may be developing. Even better, little egret chicks have been spotted, which is really encouraging for species that have only relatively recently started breeding regularly in the UK.

So many sand Martins: 

Black-headed gulls:  are also having a strong season, with plenty of chicks on the islands near the Sand Martin hide. Their busy, noisy colonies are always a sign that summer is in full swing, and it’s great to see so many young birds doing well. wel camo chicks - abbies startle ceanng hide window chickcs left island to take to water 64 of them manyable to fly. 

• Share this article