Kingfisher onsite again
The first week of July brought plenty of great wildlife sightings across the reserve, with a kingfisher providing one of the standout moments. Birds were seen at Pelican Cove, along the Long Path and on the Reedswamp Exhibit , offering lucky visitors a glimpse of these colourful and fast-moving favourites. We have been seeing kingfishers for the past few weeks.
Sand martins were also very active, with flocks regularly feeding over the water and gathering around the Scrape, Arun Riverlife Lagoon and of course at Sand Martin Hide, where numbers are highest at the nesting banks.
The reserve’s egrets were another real highlight this week. Little egrets were seen almost daily, the family of five birds recorded, including 3 juveniles. Cattle egrets were also showing well, with four birds seen on 4 July and an impressive eight counted from the Ramsar Hide on 1 July. Visitors also enjoyed a wide variety of other species, including a male marsh harrier, great spotted woodpecker, mandarin ducks, reed and sedge warblers, as well as pochard and shoveler, reflecting the rich mix of habitats and wildlife the reserve has to offer at this time of year.
Monday 6 July
Scrape hide
c30 sand martins
Ramsar and Sand Martin hides
c40 sand martins, 5 little egrets
Lapwing hide
4 goldfinches, 2 chiffchaffs, 2 jackdaws
Reedswamp exhibit
1 kingfisher
Sunday 5 July
Wetland Discovery
2 mallards, 2 wood pigeons, 4 goldfinches, 2 reed warblers, 2 robins, 1 great tit, 1 blackcap, 1 blackbird, 1 dunnock, 1 blue tit.
Ramsar and Sand Martin Hide
67 black-headed gull chicks and juveniles, 4 little egrets, c40 sand martins.
Saturday 4 July
Arun Riverlife Lagoon
1 greenfinch, 2 sand martins, 3 wood pigeons, 1 mallard, 2 tufted ducks, 2 linnets, 1 goldfinch.
Scrape Hide
c20 sand martins.
Ramsar and Sand Martin Hide
c50 sand martins, 4 cattle egrets, 5 little egrets, including 3 juveniles.
Friday 3 July
Woodland Loop
3 goldfinches (family), 2 blackcaps, 17 mallards, 4 moorhens, 1 greenfinch, 5 blue tits, 3 mandarins, 3 chaffinches, 1 great tit, 1 jackdaw.
Thursday 2 July
Long Path
1 kingfisher.
Reedbed
2 reed warblers, 9 mallards, 1 gadwall, 1 greylag goose, 1 wood pigeon, 5 moorhens, 1 wren, 1 great tit, 2 blue tits, c10 sand martins, 1 Canada goose.
Wetland Discovery
1 mallard and 3 ducklings.
Ramsar and Sand Martin Hides
4 little egrets, c40 sand martins.
Scrape Hide
c20 sand martins.
Wednesday 1 July
Arun Riverlife Lagoon
c15 sand martins, 3 tufted ducks, 4 gadwall, 1 blackcap.
Pelican Cove
2 gadwall, 1 kingfisher.
Woodland Meadow Pond
1 mandarin.
Woodland Loop
1 great spotted woodpecker, 1 blackcap, 1 mandarin duck.
Scrape Hide
2 wood pigeons, 4 coots, 2 tufted ducks, 2 reed buntings, 1 male marsh harrier, 1 sedge warbler, c10 sand martins, 14 mallards, 12 gadwall, 1 moorhen, 1 black-headed gull, 1 shoveler, 1 pochard, 2 goldfinches, 1 blackcap, 1 blue tit, 1 greenfinch.
Sand Martin Hide
82 black-headed gull chicks and juveniles, 3 tufted ducks, 10 gadwall, c30 sand martins, 1 cormorant.
Waterside Walk
2 tufted ducks.
Ramsar Hide
5 little egrets, 4 cormorants, 9 black-headed gulls, 1 mandarin duck, 8 cattle egrets, 1 grey wagtail.
