Hen Harriers!
A couple of hen harriers have been arriving to roost in the in the late afternoon in the reedbeds at the back of the reserve.
The hen harriers are likely attracted by the bounty of small birds and mammals that our wetland supports, however they aren’t strictly tied to wetland habitats.
Male hen harriers are known as the ghost of the reedbeds- pale grey in colour with black wingtips they can be difficult to see. Females and juvenile hen harriers are brownish in colour. They are called ringtails because of the distinct bars on their tail feathers. The photo above is of a ringtail taken in low light. We'd love to see any pics our visitors have taken.
Good numbers of teal and shoveler onsite from the Ramsar hide, Sand Martin hide and the Scrape hide.
A female goosander was still onsite this week from the Ramsar hide & Sand Martin hide.
Near the feeders in the Woodland Loop a good mix of blue, great and marsh tits with both goldfinches and green finches. Firecrest and stonechats have also been spotted onsite.
Highlights: goosander, hen harrier, wigeon, red wings, kingfisher, stonechat
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.
Wednesday 19 November
Ramsar and Sand Martin hide: 1 goosander, 11 snipe, 1 little grebe, 10 lapwing, 1 pochard, 23 shoveler ducks, 16 teal.
Scrape hide: 1 shelduck, 8 teal, 1 pochard, mallards, 4 gadwall
Arun Riverlife lagoon: 1 pochard
Reedbed Viewing platform: 1 ring tail hen harrier.
Tuesday 18 November
Ramsar hide & Sand Martin: 1 great white egret, 3 coots, 12 mallards, 2 teal, 7 gadwall, 1 moorhen, 1 kingfisher, 31 cattle egrets, 8 wood pigeons, 4 cormorants, 21 lapwing, 2 Canada geese, 1 Egyptian goose, 1 shelduck, 18 shovelers, 10 black headed gulls.
Monday 17 November
Lost Reedbeds: 1 male hen harrier and 1 ring tail hen harrier come into roost.
Lapwing hide: 1 goldfinch, 1 robin, 1 moorhen
Ramsar & Sand Martin hide: 4 wigeon, 1 goosander, 1 little egret , 14 lapwing, 1 shelduck, 70 Canada geese, 10 snipe
Arun Riverlife lagoon: 1 pochard
Black Poplars: 1 green woodpecker
Scrape hide: 1 great white egret, 2 wigeon.
Sunday 16 November
Wetland Discovery: 9 mallards, 1 moorhen, 1 coot, 1 wren, 3 Cetti’s warblers, 12 long-tailed tits, 2 blackbirds, 1 chiffchaff, 2 robins, 11 blue tits, 1 pheasant, 2 great tits, 1 song thrush, 1 magpie, 4 goldfinches, 1 woodpigeon
Ramsar & Sand martin hides: 7 lapwing, 2 wigeon, 60 Canada geese.
Friday 15 November
Arun Riverlife lagoon: 1 pochard, 6 tufted ducks, 1 carrion crow, 14 mallards, 2 coots, 2 Canada geese, 1 Cetti’s warblers
Ramsar and Sand Martin hide: 10 snipe, 7 lapwings, 1 great white egret, 1 little egret, 1 kingfisher, c6 redwings heard in hedgerow on approach to the hide.
Thursday 14 November
Ramsar and Sand martin hide: 1 great white egret, 2 shelducks, 5 lapwings, 1 little egret, 11 cormorants, 1 grey heron, 2 wigeon, 4 pochards, 1 shelduck, 1 female goosander
Wetland Discovery area: 1 pochard
Waterside Walk: 1 water rail
Approach to Scrape hide pond: 1 green woodpecker
Woodland Loop: 1 woodpigeon, 4 moorhens, 5 great tits, 1 marsh tits, 5 blue tits, 4 mallards, 2 chaffinches, 2 robins, 2 goldfinches, 2 greenfinches
Arun Riverlife lagoon: 1 pochard, 1 cormorant
Reedbeds: 1 hen harrier, flying low over reedbed at 4.10 pm
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