Common Cranes and Barn Owls

Wildlife activity across the reserve last week had three standout sightings.

On 10 January three common cranes were flushed up by a helicopter and flew over the Sand Martin Hide area—an unusual sighting that was confirmed by a visitor Jan-Paul Charteris's photos. Nine cranes were seen a Pagham harbor around the same time. The common crane is one of Europe’s most iconic wetland birds and has become a flagship species for UK wetland restoration. Once extinct in Britain for around 400 years, it has made a remarkable comeback thanks to habitat protection and major conservation work, including WWT’s reintroduction efforts. WWT’s Great Crane Project (2010–2014) hand‑reared and released 93 cranes onto the Somerset Levels, doubling the UK population and helping re‑establish a breeding group in the southwest.

On 11 January two peregrines were seen at Offham Hangar. This could be the breeding pair that favour the tall trees on this steep, wooded chalk cliffs as a feeding perch and nesting area.

Mid‑week activity brought a special encounter for our Facilities Manager Sue Payne.  During our end of day closing down walk,  Sue surprised two barn owls perched up inside the Lapwing hide on 13 January!

Teal numbers were especially strong, with counts including 21 at the Scrape on 14 January, 50 at the Scrape on 13 January, and an impressive c.100 teal on 10 January. Additional teal were noted among the large mixed flocks at Ramsar and Sand Martin Hide.

Across the wider reserve, regular species such as lapwing, snipe, pochard, shelduck, mallard, and various egrets formed the backbone of daily counts.

Highlights: common cranes, barn owls, peregrine falcons, teal

Thurs 15 Jan

Reedbed: 2 moorhen, 1 blue tit, 13 mallard, 1 great tit, 1 great tit, 2 mute swan, 20 snipe, 2 coots
Scrape hide: 18 snipe, 4 pochard, 2 shelduck
Ramsar and Sand Martin hide: 6 pochard, 4 lapwing, 4 shelducks, 19 lapwings, 2 great white egrets, 1 cattle egret
Arun Riverlife lagoon: 2 shelducks, 23 snipe

Wed 14 Jan

Waterside walk: 1 little egret
Arun Riverlife: 2 shelducks, 1 pochard, 2 Egyptian geese
Ramsar and Sandmartin hides: 13 pochard, 2 great white egret, 1 little, 13 lapwing, 7 snipe.
Scrape hide: 2 shelducks, 21 teal, 4 snipe, 5 mallards, 3 shoveler, 1 kingfisher, 1 robin, 2 wood pigeon, 1 coot, 8 Canada goose
Reedbed boardwalk: 1 water rail.

Tues 13 Jan

Lapwing hide: 2 barn owls in lapwing hide late afternoon.
Ramsar and Sand Martin hide: 2 great white egret, 1 magpie, 14 Canada geese, 8 cormorant, 15 pochards, 26 lapwings, 19 tufted ducks,1 carrion Crow, 72 mallards, 6 black-headed guls, 3 moorhens, 2 coots, 17 gadwall, 12 shoveler, 79 teal, 3 shelducks, 3 snipe, 1 robin, 6 woodpigeon
Scrape hide: 15 snipe, 50 teal.

Mon 12 Jan

Ramsar and Sand Martn hide: 27 lapwing, 4 shelducks, 5 pochard, 1 goosander
Lapwing hide: 1 grey heron, 1 blue tit,1 robin
Wetland Discovery: 2 jays
Scrape hide: 1 little egret

Sun 11 Jan

Ofhham hangar: 2 peregrines
Ramsar and Sand martin hides: 3 lapwing, 6 shelducks
Wetland Discovery area: 7 mallards, 2 blackbirds, 1 carrion crow, 19 woodpigeons, 2 blue tits, 2 robins.

Sat 10 Jan

Sand Martin hide: 3 common crane flushed up by a helicopter flying over confirmed by visitor photo
Scrape hide: c100 teal
Arun Riverlife: 10 mallards, 1 black-headed gulls, 2 gadwall
Ramsar hide / Large lagoon: 2 Egyptian geese, 2 great white egret, 12 lapwing, 1 goosander

Fri 9 Jan

Ramsar and Sand Martin hide: 2 wigeon, 1 goosander, 1 lapwing 1 shelducks
Woodland Loop: 1 carrion crow, 10 goldfinches, 5 woodpigeon, 5 chaffinches, 2 robins, 2 morhens, 2 blackbirds, 4 mallards, 20 blue tits, 4 great tits.

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