The Reserve team and volunteers enjoyed have been busy with wildlife surveys this summer and the morning bird counts, each in a different part of the reserve across different days.
The highlights include continued success for the egret colony and regular sightings of kingfishers across the site. The Ramsar and Sand Martin lagoons proved particularly rewarding, with up to 12 cattle egrets recorded, including fledglings, alongside great white egret, grey heron, little grebe and cormorants. Kingfishers were reported from the Arun Riverlife Lagoon, Ramsar Hide and Scrape Hide. The reedbed and woodland habitats were also busy, supporting reed and sedge warblers, wrens, chaffinches, blue tits, great tits and a great spotted woodpecker.
The weekly butterfly survey on 7 August recorded 104 butterflies from 11 species, demonstrating good activity across the reserve despite variable summer weather. Large White was the most abundant species with 41 individuals recorded, followed by Meadow Brown (19), Red Admiral (11) and Common Blue (10).
Nocturnal wildlife surveys revealed a similarly diverse picture. The bat survey recorded eight species, including Soprano, Common and Nathusius' Pipistrelles, as well as Noctule, Serotine, Daubenton's, Brandt's and Whiskered Bats, highlighting the importance of the reserve's wetlands, hedgerows and woodland edges for foraging bats. The moth survey recorded an impressive 64 species, with Clouded Border, Mother of Pearl, Dingy Footman, Yponomeuta species and Common Rustic among the most numerous. Notable records included Jersey Tiger, Poplar Hawk-moth, Elephant Hawk-moth, Ruby Tiger, Cream-bordered Green Pea and Tree-lichen Beauty, underlining the rich diversity of moths currently present across the reserve.
Mon 10 Aug
Lapwing Hide: 1 wood pigeon
Ramsar Hide & Sand Martin Hide Lagoon: 2 cattle egrets nesting, 2 cormorants, 1 great white egret, 1 little grebe
Arun Riverlife Lagoon: 1 kingfisher
Sun 9 Aug
Wetland Discovery: 3 wood pigeons, 1 Cetti's warbler, 1 blackbird, 2 robins, 6 goldfinches, 2 gadwall, 2 mallards
Ramsar and Sand Martin Hide: 1 cattle egret on nest, 1 great white egret, c.50 sand martins
Sat 8 Aug
Arun Riverlife: 1 kingfisher on a perch in front of the bank
Ramsar and Sand Martin Hides: 1 cattle egret on nest, 16 greylag geese, 54 Canada geese
Scrape Hide: 1 pochard
Fri 7 Aug
Woodland Loop: 3 great tits, 3 blue tits, 3 moorhens, 1 coot, 8 mallards, 1 great spotted woodpecker heard, 1 greylag goose, 1 mandarin duck, 3 chaffinches, 1 wren, 1 wood pigeon.
Thurs 6 Aug
Ramsar & Sand Martin Hide: 12 cattle egrets, including fledglings, 1 swift, 5 cormorants, 1 grey heron, 1 kingfisher, 2 house martins
Scrape Hide: 6 greenfinches on the approach, 1 kingfisher, 4 reed warblers, including 2 fledglings
Reedbed: 4 wrens, 3 sedge warblers, 7 reed warblers, 2 robins, 1 greenfinch, 2 mallards, 1 blackbird, 1 linnet, 3 moorhens, 1 blue tit, 1 wood pigeon.
Wed 5 Aug
Arun Riverlife Lagoon: 2 sand martins
Pelican Cove: 2 gadwall
Woodland Loop: 3 mandarin ducks
Long Path: 2 linnets
Willow Screen: 1 tufted duck, 1 gadwall
Ramsar Hide: 1 kingfisher
Wetland Discovery: 4 mute swans, including 1 pair with 2 cygnets.
Wildlife Surveys
Butterfly Survey – 7 August
104 butterflies of 12 species recorded:
- Large White (41)
- Meadow Brown (19)
- Red Admiral (11)
- Common Blue (10)
- Painted Lady (8)
- Comma (7)
- Gatekeeper (3)
- Clouded Yellow (2)
- Green-veined White (1)
- Holly Blue (1)
- Peacock (1)
Bat Survey – 6 August
The following bat species were recorded:
- Soprano Pipistrelle (Pipistrellus pygmaeus)
- Common Pipistrelle (Pipistrellus pipistrellus)
- Nathusius' Pipistrelle (Pipistrellus nathusii)
- Noctule (Nyctalus noctula)
- Serotine (Eptesicus serotinus)
- Daubenton's Bat (Myotis daubentonii)
- Brandt's Bat (Myotis brandtii)
- Whiskered Bat (Myotis mystacinus)
Moth Survey – 5 August
64 species recorded:
- Clouded Border (10)
- Mother of Pearl (10)
- Dingy Footman (10)
- Yponomeuta spp. (10)
- Common Rustic (10)
- Jersey Tiger (8)
- White Point (7)
- Webb's Wainscot (7)
- Common Wainscot (6)
- Poplar Hawk-moth (6)
- Common Wave (6)
- Flame Shoulder (5)
- Single-dotted Wave (5)
- Rush Veneer (5)
- Small China-mark (5)
- Burnished Brass (4)
- Agriphila selasella (4)
- Crescent (4)
- Canary-shouldered Thorn (3)
- Green Silver-lines (3)
- Ruby Footman (3)
- Lesser Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing (3)
- Setaceous Hebrew Character (3)
- Agriphila tristella (3)
- Ringed China-mark (3)
- Brown China-mark (2)
- Buff Footman (2)
- Common White Wave (2)
- Small Mottled Willow (2)
- Pyrausta purpuralis (2)
- Ethmia quadrillella (2)
- Small Seraphim (2)
- Chrysoteuchia culmella (2)
- Nascia cilialis (2)
- Silver Y (2)
- Cyclamen Tortrix (2)
- Pebble Prominent (1)
- Scorched Wing (1)
- Coronet (1)
- Dark Spectacle (1)
- Portland Ribbon Wave (1)
- Tree-lichen Beauty (1)
- Eudonia mercurella (1)
- Elephant Hawk-moth (1)
- Ruby Tiger (1)
- European Corn Borer (1)
- Anania coronata (1)
- Acrobasis advenella (1)
- Cream-bordered Green Pea (1)
- Clay Triple-lines (1)
- Anania crocealis (1)
- Nutmeg (1)
- Large Yellow Underwing (1)
- Sharp-angled Peacock (1)
- Gold Spot (1)
- Anania perlucidalis (1)
- Black Arches (1)
- Frosted Orange (1)
- Straw Dot (1)
- Least Yellow Underwing (1)
- Epinotia nisella (1)
- Rhomboid Tortrix (1)
- Uncertain (1)
