Bittern sighting and young marsh harriers
The past week has produced some excellent wildlife sightings across the reserve, with juvenile birds continuing to be a strong feature of many observations. Marsh harriers were particularly prominent, with juveniles recorded on several occasions from both the Scrape Hide and the Ramsar and Sand Martin Hide. Watching these young birds develop their hunting skills over the wetlands is always a highlight of late summer, and their regular appearances suggest another successful breeding season in the local area. An adult marsh harrier was also seen hunting over the wet grassland and, unusually, one bird was observed walking around on the edge of the marsh, giving visitors an excellent opportunity to appreciate this impressive raptor at close range.
One of the most exciting sightings of the week came from Lapwing Hide on 29 July, where a bittern was spotted. Bitterns are notoriously elusive and spend much of their time hidden amongst dense reedbeds, making any sighting a special occasion. Their exceptional camouflage often means they remain unseen even when nearby, so this unexpected observation was a welcome surprise for staff, volunteers and visitors alike.
The reserve continues to demonstrate its importance as a breeding and nursery habitat, with a wide variety of juvenile birds recorded throughout the week. Young little egrets, little grebes and shovelers were all noted, while adult reed warblers and sedge warblers were observed actively feeding fledglings in several locations. Moorhens with juveniles were recorded in the reedbeds, and the sight of a tufted duck accompanied by five ducklings at Willow Sphere provided further evidence of successful breeding across the wetlands.
Elsewhere, large gatherings of waterfowl, including gadwall, mallards, greylag geese and Canada geese, continued to make use of the reserve. The sand martin colony remains busy, with up to 100 birds recorded and active use of the nesting bank still being observed. Combined with regular sightings of kingfishers, Cetti's warblers, cattle egrets and a brown hawker dragonfly, it has been another rewarding week for wildlife watchers, showcasing the rich diversity of species thriving across the reserve during the height of summer.
Mon 3 Aug
Lapwing Hide: 1 marsh harrier hunting over wet grassland, 2 linnets, 1 blackbird, 1 adult reed warbler seen, 2 chicks heard, 1 wood pigeon, 2 mallards
Scrape Hide: 1 kingfisher
Dragonfly Pond: 1 tufted duck
Sun 2 Aug
Wetland Discovery Area: 2 wood pigeons, 1 blackbird, 4 mute swans, 1 reed warbler, 1 robin
Scrape Hide: 1 kingfisher
Ramsar and Sand Martin Hide: 1 sand martin, 1 juvenile marsh harrier
Sat 1 Aug
Arun Riverlife: 1 wood pigeon, 2 sand martins going into hole 5 on Kingfisher Bank
Willow Sphere: 1 tufted duck with 5 ducklings
Ramsar and Sand Martin Hide: 1 marsh harrier walking around on the edge of the wet grassland, 1 juvenile little egret, 1 cattle egret in tree, 23 Canada geese, 71 greylag geese, c100 sand martins
Fri 31 Jul
Woodland Loop: 3 wood pigeons, 2 jackdaws, 1 mallard, 4 moorhens, 3 mandarins, 3 blue tits, 1 great spotted woodpecker, 2 great tits, 3 chaffinches
Thurs 30 Jul
Ramsar and Sand Martin Hide: 1 cattle egret in the nest tree, 2 little egrets in the roosting tree
Scrape Hide: 2 juvenile shovelers, 1 juvenile little grebe, 2 juvenile marsh harriers, 2 adult reed warblers feeding a fledgling
Willow Sphere: 3 coots, 3 mallards, 3 gadwall, 2 Canada geese, 1 wood pigeon, 1 goldfinch, 1 green woodpecker, 1 adult sedge warbler feeding fledglings
Reedbed: 2 Cetti’s warblers, 3 reed warblers, 3 gadwall, 2 robins, 3 goldfinches, 2 great tits, 6 blue tits, 2 adult moorhens with 2 juveniles, 1 brown hawker dragonfly
Pelican Cove: 2 juvenile sedge warblers
Wed 29 Jul
Lapwing Hide: 1 bittern
Scrape Hide: 1 sedge warbler, 1 great tit, 2 blue tits, 11 mallards, 4 gadwall, 3 teal, 3 reed warblers, 1 blackbird, 1 adult moorhen with 1 juvenile, 1 coot, 3 shovelers, 2 wood pigeons
Reedbed and Sand Martin Hide: 1 shoveler, 4 cormorants, 3 little egrets
Tues 28 Jul
Ramsar and Sand Martin Hide: 1 Cetti’s warbler, 1 blackbird, 4 cormorants, 1 little egret, 1 cattle egret, 48 greylag geese, 14 Canada geese, 3 reed warblers, 46 gadwall, 18 mallards, 6 coots, 1 moorhen, 2 black-headed gulls, 2 goldfinches, 1 shoveler, 1 mandarin, c60 sand martins
Scrape Hide: 2 shovelers, 1 teal, 1 little grebe, 2 juvenile marsh harriers.
