Cold weather slows down spring
The cold weather seems to have put spring on hold for the moment.
Birds are singing and displaying, but not much else is going on. Lapwing are still onsite in good numbers and are starting to investigate usual territories, but have yet to starting mating and nesting.
Kingfisher males are chasing each other around the site too and will hopefully settle back into last year’s territories at the Sand martin hide and on the Arun Riverlife lagoon - they are generally faithful to nest sites.
The first oyster catcher pair to arrive back on site are covering the whole site sporadically, but are likely to settle in their usual preferred place around the Pelican Cove/Coastal Creek exhibits.
The loud, staccato song of Cetti’s warbler is becoming more regular and widespread throughout the site as are the beautiful songs of robin, dunnock, blackbird, song thrush and a multitude of tits. We spotted a firecrest in the hedges by the Discovery hide on Tuesday, too. (previous photo above from Ken Turner while visiting Arundel)
- Suzi Lanaway, Reserve Manager
Please Note: these wildlife sightings are from morning counts taken by our wardens. Only certain sections of the site are counted each day, on a rotating basis. This is not a complete record of everything you may see on site.
Wed 8 Mar
Arun Riverlife: 5 pochards
Ramsar & Sand martin hides: 40 lapwing, 15 shelducks, 3 pochard, 1 great egret
Scrape hide: 10 Canada geese, 7 greylag geese, 9 shoveler, 11 mallards, 3 gadwall, 3 teal, 2 coots, 1 little grebe long path
Tues 7 Mar
Arun Riverlife: 9 pochard, 1 lapwing, 1 kingfisher
Ramsar & Sand martin hides: 5 cormorants, 11 shelducks, 7 pochard, 1 snipe, 50 lapwing, 9 gadwall, 14 mallard, 3 teal, 4 shoveler, 2 Mediterranean gulls, 6 tufted ducks, 2 carrion crow 2 Cetti’s warbler, 1 great egret, 2 mute swans, 3 greylag geese, 16 Canada geese, 19 common gulls, 26 black-headed gulls, 4 coots, 3 moorhens, 2 pochard, 1 great egret
Wetland Discovery: 2 pochard
Scrape hide: 26 snipe.
Discovery Hide: firecrest in the hedge
Mon 6 Mar
Lapwing hide: 4 mallards, 4 greylag geese
Arun Riverlife: 1 kingfisher, 1 pochard, 2 oystercatchers
Pelican cove: 3 pochards
Wetland Discovery: 3 pochards
Long path: 2 Cetti’s warbler
Ramsar & Sand martin hide: 149 lapwing, 28 common gulls, 3 Mediterranean gulls, 7 pochard, 1 great egret
Scrape hide: 10 snipe
Sun 5 Mar
Wetland Discovery: 22 mallards, 6 Canada geese, 1 coot, 1 robin, 1 Cetti's warbler, 4 wood pigeons, 8 pochards, 1 blackbird, 2 tufted ducks, 1 greenfinch, 1 kingfisher
Reedbed boardwalk: 2 snipe
Sat 4 Mar
Wetland Discovery:4 pochards
Ramsar & Sand martin hides: 121 lapwing, 22 common gulls, 2 Mediterranean gulls, 1 wigeon, 7 pochard, 10 shelducks
Scrape hide: 13 snipe, 4 pochards
Long path: 1 little grebe
