Mandarin ducks, cattle egrets and gadwall
A little egret pair with three youngsters are still use the nesting trees between Ramsar and Sand martin hides. A cattle egret in breeding plumage is nearby as well. Will the cattle egrets be nesting here again this year? They have nested onsite in 2025 in early summer and 2024 in autumn. Last week additional individual little egrets were recorded at the Scrape hide and on the Arun Riverlife Lagoon.
Mandarin ducks have also been a standout feature of the week’s sightings. These colourful birds were observed in a range of locations including the Woodland Loop, Meadow Pond, Wetland Discovery Area, and Arun Riverlife Lagoon. Particularly notable was the record of ducklings, with a female at the lagoon seen with eight ducklings, along with smaller broods elsewhere. Multiple sightings of pairs and small groups indicate that mandarins continue to thrive in both wooded and open wetland areas, making them one of the highlights for visitors at this time of year.
Meanwhile, gadwall numbers have been consistently high, especially around the Scrape where counts reached into the forties. Smaller groups were also present at the Arun Riverlife Lagoon, Lakes and Forest Exhibit, and Ramsar areas. This widespread distribution reflects the suitability of the reserve’s shallow wetlands for this species.
Please note: different areas of the reserve are observed on different days of the week so these are not complete lists of what is wild onsite each day.
Sun 28 June
Wetland Discovery area: 1 robin, 1 chaffinch, 1 chiffchaff, 4 goldfinches, 2 mallards.
Ramsar and Sand martin hides: 5 little egrets including 3 juveniles, 1 oystercatcher flying, 1 teal 2 mute swans with 2 cygnets.
Reedbed long path: 1 sedge warbler singing
Long path ditch: pair of mute swans with 1 cygnet.
Sat 27 June
Ramsar and Sand artin hides: 5 little egrets including 3 juveniles, 2 cattle egrets, 3 oystercatchers including 1 juvenile, 2 teal.
Arun Riverlife Lagoon: 1 pied wagtail, 1 mandarin, 2 gadwall, 4 tufted ducks, 1 black‑headed gull
Pelican Cove: 2 moorhens with 2 young, 1 mallard
Fri 26 June
Ramsar and Sand Martin Hide: 2 shelduck, 3 oystercatchers, 5 little egrets (3 juveniles), c30 sand martins
Scrape Hide: c20 sand martins
Willow Sphere: 1 tufted duck with 2 ducklings
Woodland Loop: 2 great spotted woodpeckers with 1 juvenile, 2 moorhens, 4 mandarin ducks, 2 greylag geese, 1 greenfinch, 3 chaffinches, 1 dunnock, 1 great tit, 1 wren, 1 robin, 1 jackdaw, 2 blue tits, 1 mallard
Arun Riverlife Lagoon: 2 little egrets
Thurs 25 June
Ramsar and Sand Martin Hide: 2 oystercatchers with a juvenile, 2 mute swans with 2 cygnets, c30 sand martins
Scrape Hide: 1 marsh harrier, 41 gadwall, 4 coots, 6 mallards, 4 tufted ducks, 1 pochard, 1 little egret, 3 teal, 2 shoveler ducks, 2 wood pigeons, 1 reed bunting, 1 chaffinch, 1 greenfinch, c10 sand martins, 2 black‑headed gulls, 2 goldfinches, 1 Cetti’s warbler, 2 wrens
Willow Sphere: 1 mallard with 2 ducklings
Lakes and Forest Exhibit: 1 mallard with 4 ducklings
Arun Riverlife Lagoon: 2 mute swans with 1 cygnet, 3 Egyptian geese
Wed 24 June
Lakes and Forest Exhibit: 2 tufted ducks, 1 mandarin, 2 gadwall
Meadow Pond: 2 mandarins
Woodland Loop: 1 blackcap, 1 great spotted woodpecker, 1 mandarin
Scrape Hide: 2 reed warblers, 20 mallards, 28 gadwall, 5 coots, 1 Cetti’s warbler, 1 wren, 1 chiffchaff, 3 tufted ducks, 1 chaffinch, 2 goldfinches, 6 wood pigeons, 3 lapwing, 1 moorhen, 1 black‑headed gull, 1 dunnock
Sand Martin Hide: 2 mute swans, 2 shelducks, 2 teal, 4 tufted ducks, c30 sand martins, 8 gadwall
Bewick’s Swan Pen: 2 tufted ducks
Waterside Walk: 6 tufted ducks
Ramsar Hide: 4 cormorants, 1 oystercatcher, 2 gadwall, 2 tufted ducks, 5 little egrets (including 3 young), 4 shoveler ducks, 1 cattle egret
Wetland Discovery Area: 6 mandarin ducks
Lapwing Hide: 1 little egret
Arun Riverlife Lagoon: 1 mandarin female with 8 ducklings
