Redwings, fieldfare and woodpeckers
There is a good mix of small birds on site currently in the hedgerows of the Tranquil trail with handfuls of field fare, redwings and some siskin spotted this week.
The feeders at the Wood loop are also busy with chaffinch, nuthatches tits and more redwing and fieldfare. We’ve spotted Cetti’s, reed and sedge warblers on site as well.
Stonechats are still around (like this female in the photo above by volunteer Andy Burns) and we’ve had the marsh harriers coming in as well. Easy chance to see herons and cormorants. Snip and Scrape hide and water rails all around.
Lots of action still on the lagoon at the Scrape hide with good mix of ducks and geese there.
Wildlife sightings
Wed 15 Dec
Scrape hide: 23 greylag geese, 17 Canada geese, 1 coot, 8 male and 5 female mallards, 3 male and 2 female shoveler, 3 male and 2 female shelducks, 2 wood pigeons
Lapwing hide: a pair of stonechat, 1 pair of pheasants, 1 moorhen, 1 little egret, 1 red wing, 1 water rail, 1 sedge warbler, 4 cattle egrets
Reed swamp exhibit: 1 song thrush
Water fall exhibit – opposite: 2 water rails
Long path: 1 coat tit, 1 kingfisher (at the crossroads)
Entrance Reedbed: 1 grey heron
Mon 13 Dec
Tranquil Trail: 2 male and 1 female blackbirds, 2 redwings, 2 robins, 5 siskins
Wetland Discovery: 1 grey wagtail
Arun Riverlife: 8 shelducks, 1 grey heron, 3 pochards, 7 tufted ducks, and a pair of mute swans
Sand martin hide: a pair of shelducks a water rail
Wildlife garden 4 goldfinches
Reedbed hide: a water rail
Sun 12 Dec
Wetland Discovery: 1 kingfisher, 7 male and 5 female mallards, 3 coots, a pair of gadwall, 1 water rail
Arun riverlife lagoon: 2 male shoveler, 3 pairs of shelducks, a pair of gadwall, 2 pairs of pochards, 3 female tufted ducks, 1 little grebe, 1 grey heron
Tranquil trail hedgerows: 3 male and 2 female blackbirds, 2 redwings, 1 Cetti’s warbler
Scrape hide: 5 male and 4 female shoveler
Reedbed hide: 1 reed warbler
Pelican Cove: 1 pair of tufted ducks, 1 pair of gadwall
Ramsar and Sand martin hide: 1 pair of shelducks, 5 teal, 2 male and 1 female shoveler
Wood loop: 3 fieldfare, 5 redwing, 2 male and 1 female chaffinch, 1 water rail, 2 goldfinch
Lapwing hide: 1 cormorant, 1 moorhen, 1 pheasant, 2 shoveler
Sat 11 Dec
Arun Riverlife: 1 grey heron, 24 Canada geese, 4 male and 3 female shelducks, 15 male and 7 female mallards, 11 coots, 5 moorhens, 13 black-headed gulls, 1 male and 8 female tufted ducks
Lapwing hide: 1 little egret
Scrape hide: 1 female tufted duck, 2 male and 1 female shoveler, a pair of shelducks, 12 Canada geese, 17 greylag geese
Wetland Discovery: 1 kestrel, 1 grey heron, 1 male shoveler, 1 little egret, 1 cormorant
Tranquil Trail: 1 green woodpecker, 2 goldfinches
Sand martin hide: 1 grey wagtail
Long path: 1 little grebe
Reedbed: 1 marsh harrier at 15.50
Fri 10 Dec
Tranquil trail: 1 stonechat, 1 pochard
Ramsar hide; 1 lapwing
Sand martin hide: 1 water rail
Scrape hide: 3 snipe, a pair of shelducks, 1 great egret, 2 male shoveler and 1 female
Arun Riverlife: 7 shelducks
Wood loop: 18 mixed flock of redwings and fieldfare, 11 blue tits, 1 great spotted woodpecker, 2 moorhens, 1 dunnock, 1 nuthatch, 2 chaffinches, 1 water rail, 1 pheasant
Arun Riverlife: 2 little grebes
Reedbed: 2 marsh harrier around 2.30pm
Thurs 9 Dec
Wetland Discovery: 1 female goosander
Reedbed: 2 blackbirds, 3 wrens, 2 goldfinches, 54 mallards, 1 moorhen, 4 blue tits, 10 long-tailed tits, 1 Cetti’s warbler, 2 woodpigeon.
