Marsh harrier and white-tailed eagle
Marsh harriers are still active in the reedbed this week.
A male was seen near the Scrape hide carrying prey, which is a great sign they’re breeding nearby. (Thanks to Mike Jerome for the photo above) Last Tuesday, one of the pair was also seen mobbing a visiting white‑tailed eagle. This kind of behaviour shows they’ve firmly established their territory and highlights just how important the reedbed habitat is for them.
It was a real treat to see the white‑tailed eagle on 9 June, circling over the reedbed before drifting off towards Offham Hangers. These huge birds of prey are always an impressive sight and have previously nested elsewhere in the Arun Valley. Seeing it being challenged by a marsh harrier was a great reminder of how lively things can get between resident birds and visiting raptors.
There’s also been some fantastic breeding news from the egrets. Both little egrets and cattle egrets are nesting, with up to five little egrets seen in a nesting tree alongside a cattle egret. It looks like a small mixed colony may be developing. Even better, little egret chicks have been spotted, which is really encouraging for species that have only relatively recently started breeding regularly in the UK.
Black-headed gulls are also having a strong season, with plenty of chicks on the islands near the Sand Martin hide. Their busy, noisy colonies are always a sign that summer is in full swing, and it’s great to see so many young birds doing well.
Elsewhere, there are lots of signs of breeding success across the site. Oystercatchers have been seen with a chick (they had two, though one may have been hidden in the vegetation), and the pair at Arun Riverlife is still on the nest. Mallards, gadwall, tufted ducks, and mute swans have all been spotted with ducklings or cygnets. Around the Woodland Loop and other areas, there are also increasing numbers of juveniles, including moorhens, great spotted woodpeckers, and chiffchaffs.
All in all, it’s a great snapshot of the reserve in peak breeding season, with nests active, young birds growing fast, and adults constantly on the move. From the drama of marsh harriers and a passing white‑tailed eagle to the quieter success of nesting egrets and gull colonies, the site is clearly full of life right now.
WLS – 15 June
Sun 14 May
Wetland Discovery: 3 reed warblers, 2 tufted ducks, 2 wood pigeons, 1 song thrush, 3 carrion crows, 2 chiffchaffs, 1 coot, 1 barn owl, 4 blue tits, 1 mallard, 10 sand martins, 1 black-headed gull, 2 sedge warblers, 1 blackbird
Ramsar and Sand Martin Hides: 1 mallard with 2 ducklings, 5 little egrets in nesting tree, 1 cattle egret in nesting tree, 1 cuckoo heard across the river, 2 oystercatchers with one chick visible
Scrape Hide: 1 marsh harrier rose from the reedbed and flew towards the castle
Arun Riverlife: 1 oystercatcher on nest
Sat 13 June
Arun Riverlife: 1 mute swan
Ramsar and Sand Martin Hide: c120 sand martins, 1 mallard, 4 little egrets, 25 black-headed gulls with chicks fledging
Tranquil Trail & Wetland Discovery: 1 sedge warbler singing
Fri 12 June
Woodland Loop: 5 moorhens with 2 juveniles, 1 mandarin duck, 3 blue tits, 4 chaffinches, 2 chiffchaffs, 2 blackbirds, 2 goldfinches
Wed 10 June
Arun Riverlife: 2 tufted ducks, 1 oystercatcher
Lakes & Forest Exhibit: 2 pairs of gadwall
Woodland Loop: 2 juvenile great spotted woodpeckers, 1 nuthatch
Willow Sphere: 1 pair of tufted ducks with 3 ducklings
Reedbed Platform: 1 male gadwall
Scrape Hide: 1 male marsh harrier arriving with prey, 1 male reed bunting, 3 pairs of mallards plus a male and two females, 8 pairs of gadwall plus a male and female, 1 pair of tufted ducks plus 2 males, 1 female goosander, 2 pochards, 1 chiffchaff, 3 wood pigeons, 1 male Cetti’s warbler, c20 sand martins, 1 wren, 1 chaffinch, 2 coots, 1 moorhen, 1 blackcap, 1 male reed warbler, 1 black-headed gull
Sand Martin Hide: 4 tufted ducks, 2 oystercatchers, 14 gadwall, c90 sand martins, 12 black-headed gull chicks, 2 shelducks
Wildlife Garden: 1 male bullfinch
Bewick’s Swan Pen: 6 tufted ducks, 1 pochard
Waterside Walk: 1 male gadwall, 2 pochards, 1 female mute swan with 2 cygnets
Ramsar Hide: 21 gadwall (8 pairs plus), 3 cormorants, 4 tufted ducks, 2 little egrets with 3 chicks, 5 black-headed gull chicks, 1 marsh harrier being mobbed by an oystercatcher
Lapwing Hide: 1 female pochard
Tues 9 June
Ramsar and Sand Martin Hides: 2 lapwings mobbing crows, 3 shelducks, 13 tufted ducks, 5 gadwall, 7 mallards, 4 coots, 34 black-headed gulls plus 23 juveniles, 1 little egret on nest, 2 Egyptian geese, 1 Canada goose, 2 pochards, 2 carrion crows, 2 cattle egrets, 2 moorhens, 2 oystercatchers, c30 sand martins
Arun Riverlife: 1 oystercatcher
Picnic Area: 3 juvenile chiffchaffs
Scrape Hide: 1 white-tailed eagle circling the reedbed and flying off over Offham Hangers, 1 marsh harrier mobbing the sea eagle, 1 female goosander, 1 shelduck, c40 sand martins
