Chiffchaffs song announces spring
With temperatures in the teens this week, it definitely feels like spring.
The stars so far have been the common toads in our newly desilted entrance ponds. The annual amphibian migration is in full swing, with toads now heading back to the woods after visiting their natal ponds. Strings of eggs they laid and fertilised crisscross the underwater plants near the edges of the little island in the entrance pond. Toads have suffered a 60% decline over the past 30 years, so every amphibian rescued from car tyres by WWT Arundel’s Toad Patrol this February and March is incredibly important.
More flowers are emerging now, with white and red dead-nettle, primrose, marsh marigold, and blackthorn all in bloom. On sunny days, several bee species have been buzzing about as the queens emerge, and we’ve also spotted a few peacock and brimstone butterflies.
Many birds have been singing for weeks, but for me the real sign of spring is hearing the chiffchaffs — and they are indeed in full voice. The large numbers of lapwing seen throughout winter have now settled down to the usual five or so breeding pairs, some of which are already nest-scraping on the wet grassland.
Geese have been prospecting for nest sites over the past couple of weeks, and the overly amorous ducks are always entertaining to watch, displaying in all their finery. Oystercatchers have returned too, noisily checking out their favourite spots on site. The cattle egret roost remains strong at around 70–100 birds, and we’re eagerly waiting to see how many nests appear this year.
Highlights: 3 sand martins!, great white egrets, snipe, common gulls, Mediterranean gulls, oystercatchers
Thurs 5 March
Reedbed: 1 chiffchaff, 7 black-headed gulls, 1 mallards, 17 greylag geese, 1 goldcrest, 2 robins, 1 coot, 4 Canada geese, 1 chaffinc, 1 goldfinch, 5 blue tits, 2 longtailed tits, 2 snipe, 1 woodpigeon, 2 redpol, 1 gret tit, 2 moorhens.
Arun Riverlife lagoon: 1 Cetti’s warbler
Ramsar and Sand martin hides: 3 sand martins, 54 cattle egrets1 great white egret, 9 lapwing, 1 oystercatcher, 3 common gulls, 1 Mediterranean gull, 1 shelduck, 24 snipe
Waterside walk: 1 bullfinch
Wetlands Discovery area: 9 pochard
Wed 4 March
Arun Riverlife lagoon: 2 female pochards
Wetland Discovery: 2 male and 3 female pochards
Ramsar and Sand martin hide: 32 snipe, 34 cattle egrets, 8 lapwing, 1 cormorant, 1 great white egret, 1 Egyptian goose
Scrape hide: 2 great egret, 8 Canada geese, 7 greylag geese, 23 mallards, 4 male and 3 female teal, 1 pair of shoveler, 1 male pochard, 3 male and 3 female gadwall, 1 coot, 3 moorhens, 3 blue tits, 1 cormorant
Reedbed East ditch: 5 pochard
Pelican Cove: 2 oystercatchers
Tues 3 March
Ramsar and Sand martin hide: 2 cattle egrets, 29 greylag geese, 27 Canada geese, 2 cackling X barnacle geese, 7 pochard, 10 mallard, 4 gadwall, 9 teal, 11 shoveler, 4 tufted ducks, 2 coots, 6 moorhens, 79 black-headed gulls, 1 Mediterranean gull, 37 common gull, 2 herring gulls, 25 snipe, 2 oystercatchers, 8 lapwing, 6 cormorants, 1 great white egret, 1 dunnock, 2 carrion crow, 1 kingfisher, 1 shelducks, 1 wood pigeon
Arun Riverlife lagoon: 1 pochard, 1 goosander
Wetland Discovery: 3 pochards
Mon 2 March
Arun Riverlife lagoon: 2 pochard
Wetland Discovery area: 6 pochards
Lapwing hide: 3 mallards, 1 great white egret, 2 Canada geese, 2 chiffchaff
Ramsar and Sand martin hide: 65 cattle egrets, 20 snipe, 10 lapwing, 2 oystercatchers, 70 common gulls, 3 Mediterranean gulls, 5 pochards, 1 great white egrets
Waterside walk: 3 pochard, 1 goosander
Scrape hide: 2 shelduck, 1 pochard
Sun 1 Mar
Wetland Discovery: 20 mallards, 6 greylags, 1 carrion crow, 8 Cnada geese, 1 chaffinch, 1 moorhen, 3 wood pigeons, 3 tufted ducks, 2 pochard, 1 coot, 2 gadwall, 1 blue tit, 1 robin, 1 blackbird
Waterside walk: 1 pochard
Ramsar and Sand martin hide: 5 Mediterranean gulls, 1 great white egrets, 4 cacklingXbarnacle geese, 17 lapwing, 46 snipe, 2 shelducks, 4 cattle egrets, 1 pochards, 1 oystercatcher
Scrape hide: 8 pochard, 2 Egyptian geese
Flying over the Reserve: 2 oystercatchers
Arun Riverlife lagoon: 1 goosander, 2 pochards
Reedswamp exhibit: 2 pochard.
Spring birds at Robin's gate get a sunflower snack.
