Cuckoo, Barn Owl and sand martin chicks
We've been hearing and seeing a cuckoo this week. On Friday a cuckoo was heard and seen perched atop a tree near our perimeter fence opposite and right down from the Lapwing hide. On Sunday we heard it again at the back of the Scrape Hide area, where we heard it last year. Cuckoos use reed warbler nests here at WWT Arundel, and with at least 10 reed warblers on site, the cuckoos have plenty of choice.
On Thursday a barn owl was seen flying along the back of the wet grassland towards the Lapwing Hide area. On Thursday we spotted 2 black-headed gull chicks on the island of the Arun Riverlife lagoon.
On Wednesday our volunteer Media Photographer Andy Burns got some snaps of sand martin chicks starting to poke hungry heads out of the nest bank holes. The Reserve Team surveying volunteer Andrew was also in on Wednesday and did a thorough count around the site and from the hides, so check out Andrew's Wednesday’s sightings below.
Mon 26 May
Wetland Discovery: 2 mallard, 2 blackbird, 1 sedge warbler, 2 tufted ducks, 3 wood pigeon
Sand Martin Hide: 2 lapwings, 1 oystercatcher
Scrape hide: 3 pochards
Sun 25 May
Arun Riverlife lagoon: 2 pochards, 6 mallards, 3 gadwall, 15 tfted ducks, 1 wood pigeon, 3 Canada geese, 23 black-headed gulls, 1 moorhen, 2 shoveler, 2 mute swans, 1 coot, 1 chiff chaff
Scrape hide: c 20 sand martins, 3 pochards, 1 marsh harrier, 1 cuckoo
Woodland Loop: 1 great spotted woodpecker
Reedswamp exhibit: 1 oystercatcher
Pelican Cove: 1 oystercatcher
Sat 24 May
Ramasr and Sand Martin hide: 19 cattle egrets, 1 oystercatcher, 1 lapwing, c30 sand martins, 33 pochard
Fri 23 May
Woodland Loop: 1 robin,2 stock doves, 4 tufted ducks,1 chiffchaff,1 black bird, 1 black cap, 3 mandarin ducks, 1 great tit, 1 blue tit.
Lapwing hide: cuckoo in the tree along the perimeter fence
Thurs 22 May
Arun Riverlife: 3 pochards, 2 black-headed gull chicks
Ramsar and Sand Martin hide: 1 pheasant, 1 oystercatcher, c50 sand martins, 1 barn owl flying back of wet grasslands towards the lapwing hide, 1 little egeret, 1 lapwing male, 24 gadwall
Scrape hide: c15 sand martins, 1 male pochards, 2 great white egret
Reedbed and Willow Sphere: 2 reed warblers, 3 Cetti’s warblers, 1 sedge warbler, 2 blue tits, 5 long-tailed tits, 1 chiffchaff, 2 coots, 1 pochard, 4 tufted ducks, 2 gadwall, 25 mallards, 8 black-headed gulls
Wednesday 21 May
Arun Riverlife lagoon: 3 shovellers, 2 tufted ducks, 1 gadwall
Pelican Cove: 2 oystercatchers
Lakes and Forests exhibit: 1 gadwall
Meadow Pond: 1 mandarin duck, 1 gadwall
Woodland Loop: 1 mandarin duck
Willow Sphere: 1 gadwall
Long path ditches: 1 pochard
Scrape hide: 1 great white egret, 1 moorhen, 1 reed bunting, 1 great tit, 14 mallards, 1 reed warblers, 2 gadwall, 13 tufted ducks, 2 ood pigeon, 2 mute swans, 1 shoveler, 1 pochard, 1 blackbird, 1 blackcap, 3 greylag geese, 1 chiff chaff, c30 sand martins, 5 Canada geese, 3 2 coots, 3 black-headed gulls, 1 carrion crow, 1 Cetti’s warbler
Sand Martin hide: 2 gadwall, 8 tufted ducks, 2 Egyptian Geese, c70 sand martins, 2 oystercatchers
Waterside Walk: 2 gadwall ducks
Ramsar hide: 2 little egrets, 5 tufted ducks, 19 gadwall ducks, 1 mandarin duck, 4 shelducks
Lapwing hide: 1 marsh harrier, 4 tufted ducks, 1 gadwall, 1 shoveler duck
Wetland Discovery area: c12 long tailed tits, at least 4 were youngsters.
