Sand martin feeding young, oystercatchers nesting, lapwing trying again
Spring wildlife is lots of activity from some real wetland favourites.
The sand martins are especially hard to miss at the moment. Numbers have been reaching around 100 birds at the Sand Martin Hide, with constant movement around the nesting banks. Visitors can enjoy watching adults darting back and forth, feeding fledglings at the burrow entrances — a real sign that the breeding season is in full swing. Smaller groups have also been spotted around the Scrape hide and wider site, showing just how wide ranging they are to catch food.
Oystercatchers are also putting in regular appearances, on the island on Arun Riverlife and near the Sand Martin hide. Often seen on islands or along the water’s edge, they seem to be settling into nesting spots, giving visitors a good chance of catching sight of them.
Meanwhile, lapwings are very active again. Birds have been seen mobbing crows, a likely sign that they’re protecting nests nearby. A pair has even been spotted opposite of the Ramsar hide, offering a fantastic opportunity to watch their behaviour up close.
Highlights: marsh harrier, peregrine, buzzard, little egret, cattle egret, reed bunting
Mon 18 May
Scrape Hide: 1 pochard, c50 sand martins
Ramsar and Sand Martin Hides: 3 pochards, c100 sand martins, 3 lapwings, 1 little egret in roosting tree, 2 cattle egrets in roosting tree
Offham Hanger: 1 peregrine mobbing a buzzard
Lapwing Hide: 1 mallard, 1 coot, 2 Canada geese, 1 greylag goose, 2 gadwall, 1 sedge warbler
Waterside Walk: 3 pochards
Sat 16 May
Arun Riverlife: 8 Canada geese, 5 mallards, 9 tufted ducks, 6 sand martins, 1 mute swan, 2 black-headed gulls, 1 oystercatcher, 2 gadwall, 2 coots
Ramsar and Sand Martin Hides: 4 lapwings mobbing a crow, 1 little egret on nesting tree, 1 reed bunting singing, 1 oystercatcher on island near hide, c100 sand martins, lots of fledglings being fed via the nest holes
Scrape Hide: 2 shelducks, 1 goosander, c20 sand martins, 4 pochards
Fri 15 May
Woodland Loop: 5 chaffinches, 6 chiffchaffs, 3 goldfinches, 1 coot, 4 mandarins, 3 blue tits, 1 blackbird, 3 great tits, 1 Cetti’s warbler, 1 robin, 3 wood pigeons, 14 mallards, 1 moorhen
Thurs 14 May
Arun Riverlife Lagoon: 1 oystercatcher
Reedswamp Exhibit: 1 oystercatcher
Pelican Cove: a pair with one duckling
Ramsar and Sand Martin Hide: a pair of lapwings on a nest in front of the hide, c100 sand martins, 2 Egyptian geese, 1 oystercatcher
Waterside Walk: pair of pochards, 2 mute swans with 5 cygnets
Scrape Hide: 1 lapwing, c30 sand martins, 1 pochard, 1 goosander
Reedbed Willow Sphere: 4 mallards, 1 coot, 3 greylag geese, 1 moorhen, 2 black-headed gulls, 1 magpie, 2 tufted ducks, 3 Canada geese
Reedbed: 2 moorhens, 1 marsh harrier, 2 reed warblers, 1 chiffchaff
Wed 13 May
Waterside Walk: 1 male pochard
Ramsar and Sand Martin Hides: 4 pochards, 1 little egret, 2 lapwings, 2 oystercatchers
Flying Over: 1 red kite, 1 buzzard
Scrape Hide: c30 sand martins, 3 pochards
Scrape Hide: 2 reed warblers, 5 mallards, 5 Canada geese, 27 gadwall, 1 great tit, 1 black-headed gull, 3 coots, 1 moorhen, 2 wood pigeons, 2 Egyptian geese, 1 Cetti’s warbler, 1 robin, 1 lapwing
Reedbed: 1 marsh harrier, 1 pochard, 1 willow warbler, 1 water rail
Arun Riverlife: 2 oystercatchers on island
