Arundel News
Hope for redshank to return
LAST WEDNESDAY I collected tubes from our latest water shrew survey from around the reedbeds and drainage ditches of the reserve. To detect water shrew activity we put out short sections plastic pipe with one end capped and bait them with fly pupae from t
23 March 2013
Ducks need your plant donations
Flooding devastated the plants in the exhibit that is home to Argentine red shovelers, Australian wood ducks and Cape shelducks. WWT Arundel is asking gardeners to donate plants this spring to replace those lost dur
23 March 2013
Novices & pros will enjoy Arundel Birdwatching Weekend
WWT Arundel Wetland Centre and Viewpoint Optics announce the first Arundel Birdwatching Weekend on March 23 & 24. The weekend of infomation and workshops boasts exhibitors like Zeiss Sports Optics, Swarovski, Manfrotto, and Opticron. Sponsored
18 March 2013
Avocet at Arundel is the first since 1989
The first avocet to visit Arundel since 1989 was spotted last Sunday near the Ramsar hide. An avocet spent the day on the islands near the Ramsar hide on Sunday. We have only had one of these small black and white wad
12 March 2013
The morning feed
Feb 12 by Paul Stevens I am doing the morning feed today. Water levels are high on the reserve after heavy rains. Wild gulls and mallard can interfere with the morning feed, scaring away the captive birds in our collection to get at the food. The gull
18 February 2013
Child’s plea for penguins will follow in the footsteps of Captain Scott
A letter written by six-year old Joe Hill of Alresford, Hampshire is on its way to Antarctica as part of a Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust competition to inspire future generations to get close to nature and protect our environment. The competition celebrat
12 February 2013
Families find Aliens & Invaders this Feb half-term
Families will find nature’s Aliens and Invaders during February half term at WWT Arundel Wetland Centre. Discover some of the alien wildlife that has made its home in the UK and learn about the invading plants in our habitats. Follow the hands-on Disc
11 February 2013
WWT staff save black-necked swans eggs in wild winter weather
Lara & Arnie on their nest in the snow Arnie and Lara, the black-necked swan pair at WWT Arundel Wetland Centre, produced 6 eggs during the weeks of snow, rain and ice at WWT Arundel Wetland Centre in January.
11 February 2013
National Nest Box week starts on Feb 14
Female reed bunting on bramble Walk on Feb 4 2013 The air has a spring-like quality today and carries the songs of blue tits and chaffinches as I walk towards the Woodland Loop this morning. I hear the repeating no
11 February 2013
Fircrest & bittern delight Mike
Simon Wotton watches Mike Dilger take the boat for a spin around Wetlands Discovery. TV Nature presenter Mike Dilger visited WWT Arundel last Friday. The TV nature presenter's day at WWT Arundel was the first
1 February 2013
Snow makes birds bolder in hunt for food
Notes and photos from a Jan 20 2013 The water near the Ramsar and Sand Martin hides is frozen over - just small areas of water remain open in the centre. Birds crowd the water here making counting difficult. Today I arrived early to see the 27 Bewick’s
24 January 2013
Cold weather flushes bitterns & water rails
Notes and photos from a walk on Jan 15 2013 The cold weather has emboldened reclusive wildfowl like bitterns and water rails, exposed by their need to feed to stay warm as temperatures drop below zero at night. For the past few days there has been bitte
17 January 2013
Snipe on the increase again
Bird count taken on Jan 8 2013 Two song thrush sing against each other in the hangar overlooking Arundel Wetland Centre. The spring-like weather this morning will be replaced by wintery rains again by the time this column appears in the paper. In this mo
10 January 2013
High waters brings in the teal & lapwing
This very wet year and lots of rain in December have raised the water levels throughout the reserve. Higher water changes the makeup of the wildfowl population on the reserve. Shelduck numbers have dropped but teal numbers are booming. Snipe have decreas
3 January 2013
Wildlife sightings highlights of 2012
The year started with mild temperatures creating an early spring that confused plants and animals. The real spring arrived - cold and wet then stayed that way on into the summer. This weather delayed development in many species with some showing spring, s
31 December 2012