Goosander, gadwall and great egret
A goosander was back onsite this on Wednesday between the Ramsar and Sand martin hides, after last week's showing at the Riverside Walk pond.
Thanks to WWT Member Alec Pelling for his recent photo.
Firecrests along the Tranquill trail on Wednesday and two more in the Woodland Loop at other end of the site. Gadwall numbers are good most days from Ramsar and Sand Martin hides and at the Scrape hide. A great white egret is onsite most days moving between the hides and the Arun Riverlife Lagoon.
Cattle egrets continue to arrive in the afternoons to roost at the Scrape hide and we are seeing marsh harriers during our afternoon walk arounds to clear the sight. We had dry weather for the Evening Roost events last Wednesday and Saturday. Visitors on the viewing platform reported seeing fewer marsh harrier coming in than visitors at Lapwing hide and the Ramsar hide. The harriers tend to fly around a lot before going down into the reeds so it can be difficult to tell if its the same bird you are seeing!
Visitors in for the Evening Roost saw the barn owl near Lapwing hide. As the days get darker as we head to Dec 21 they will be more opportunities to watch for barn owls especially on overcast days.
Highlights: goosander, firecrest, kingfisher, gadwall, barn owl, marsh harrier
Please note: these sightings are not a definitive list of all the species onsite but are primarily based on our Reserve Wardens morning observations that focus on different areas of the site on different days. We sometime add in other sightings by or verified by WWT staff that may be of interest to our visitors.
Wed 12 Nov
Tranquil Trail: 1 firecrest
Ramsar and Sand Martin hide: 2 grey herons, 1 goosander
Scrape hide: 1 grey heron, 3 pochards, 23 mallards, 8 shoveler, 1 Canada goose, 19 gadwall, 1 kingfisher, 1 shelduck, 1 great white egret, 1 mandarin duck, 1 moorhen, 1 coot
Woodland Loop: 2 firecrests
Arun Riverlife lagoon: 1 pochard
Old Trumpeters Pen: 1 little egret.
Tues 11 Nov
Ramsar and Sand Martin hide: 22 wood pigeons, 1 Egyptian goose, 1 chiff chaff, 8 cormorants, 1 grey heron, 1 little egret, 1 great white egret, 12 shovelers, 3 shelducks, 23 gadwall, 10 mallards, 13 teal, 1 tufted duck, 2 mandarins, 6 black-headed gulls, 3 coots.
Arun Riverlife lagoon: 1 pochard
Wetland Discovery area: 1 pochard, 6 tufted ducks
Sun 9 Nov
Wetland Discovery area: 2 coots, 1 pochard, 19 mallards, 2 wrens, 1 Cetti’s warbler, 4 wood pigeon, 1 song thrush
Ramsar and Sand Martin hide: 5 lapwings, 1 little egret, 2 cattle egrets, 2 grey heron, 1 goosander, 1 kingfisher, 5 wigeon
Arun Riverlife lagoon: 1 pochard
Sat 8 Nov
Arun Riverlife lagoon: 2 Cetti’s warblers, 1 robin, 1 dunnock, 1 grey wagtail, 4 black-headed gull, 1 grey heron, 11 mallards, 2 gadwall, 2 coots.
Reedbed boardwalk: 1 snipe
Scrape hide: 1 pochard
Pelican Cove: 1 pochard
Ramsar and Sand Martin hides: 1 little egret, 24 cattle egrets, 4 barnacle X cackling geese, 2 wigeon
Lapwing hide: 1 barn owl (evening roost)
Fri 7 Nov
Scrape hide: 27 teal, 1 pochard, 1 heron
Woodland loop: 5 mallard, 2 moorhen, 1 wren, 3 robins, 7 blue tits, 2 goldcrest, 3 goldfinches, 6 great tits, 1 grey squirrel, 1 great spotted woodpecker, 3 chaffinches.
Arun Riverlife lagoon: 1 great white egret
Ramsar and Sand martin hide: 1 pochard, 1 lapwing, 1 little egret, 1 great white egret.
