Sand martins using the kingfisher bank
Sand martins are active at the Sand Martin Hide, where numbers reached around 100 individuals and can be seen. They seem to be using most of the 299 nesting holes on the two nesting banks. There are three pairs using the kingfisher nesting bank at Arun Riverlife Lagoon in holes 5, 7 and 9, indicating active nesting behaviour. At the Scrape Hide, smaller groups of around 30 birds were observed, showing how widely dispersed yet well-established the population is across the site at this time. Thanks Alec Pelling for the photo.
Little egrets were also a regular and widespread sighting, with numbers building notably at the Ramsar and Sand Martin Hide. Counts peaked at seven individuals on Friday, including three fledglings, highlighting a couple of successful nests. We had a peak sighting of three adults with five young on Wednesday. Smaller numbers were recorded at Arun Riverlife Lagoon and other areas, suggesting birds are moving between feeding and breeding sites across the reserve.
Gull chicks, particularly black-headed gulls, were present in significant numbers and showed clear signs of breeding success at their colony between Ramsar and Sand Martin Hides. The highest count of young was Sunday with 46 black-headed gulls recorded.
Great spotted woodpeckers were recorded in several areas across the site, including the Car Park, Waterside Walk, and Woodland Loop, indicating they remain well-established and widespread. These repeated sightings suggest good availability of mature trees and suitable feeding habitat across the reserve.
Highlights: marsh harriers, Great spotted woodpeckers, cattle egrets juveniles
Sun 21 June
Wetlands Discovery: 1 pied wagtail, 1 sedge warbler, 1 grey wagtail, 2 chiffchaffs, 2 wood pigeons, 1 reed warbler, 1 blackbird, 4 blue tits, 1 Cetti’s warbler
Ramsar and Sand Martin Hide: 3 little egrets, 3 cattle egrets, 2 oystercatchers, 1 shelduck, c.30 sand martins, 46 black-headed gulls chicks
Scrape Hide: 1 snipe
Arun Riverlife Lagoon: Sand martins using holes 5, 7 and 9 of the kingfisher nesting bank
Sat 20 June
Arun Riverlife Lagoon: 1 little egret, 1 pochard, 4 gadwall, 1 coot, 2 tufted ducks, c.10 sand martins using holes 5, 7 & 9 on the kingfisher nesting bank, 2 mallards
Ramsar and Sand Martin Hide: 2 little egrets, 7 cattle egrets, 2 oystercatchers, 2 mute swans, c.50 sand martins, 38 juvenile black-headed gulls, 1 marsh harrier over the reedbed
Scrape Hide: c.30 sand martins
Fri 19 June
Ramsar and Sand Martin Hides: One pair with one juvenile, 1 cattle egret, 7 little egrets including 3 fledglings, 1 female tufted duck and duckling, c.100 sand martins
Scrape Hide: 1 marsh harrier flying over the reedbed and up the Arun River
Waterside Walk: Pair of mute swans and 2 cygnets
Long Path: 1 kingfisher
Woodland Loop: 3 moorhens, 2 wrens, 1 dunnock, 3 jackdaws, 2 blue tits, 5 chaffinches, 1 wood pigeon, 1 Cetti’s warbler, 1 mallard, 1 blackcap
Thurs 18 June
Children’s Play Area: 1 male bullfinch
Waterside Walk: 1 great spotted woodpecker
Ramsar and Sand Martin Hides: 2 shelducks, 1 teal, 1 little egret, 5 cattle egrets, 1 oystercatcher
Scrape Hide: 1 blackcap
Reedbed: 2 sedge warblers, 1 greenfinch, 4 Cetti’s warblers, 7 reed warblers, 5 wood pigeons, 2 blue tits, 2 goldfinches, 2 tufted ducks, 1 pochard, 3 mallards, 2 wrens, 2 chaffinches, 2 moorhens, 1 blackbird, 1 great tit, 3 chiffchaffs, 1 swift
Woodland Loop: 1 great spotted woodpecker
Arun Riverlife Lagoon: 1 mute swan and a cygnet, 10 bream spawning
Wed 17 June
Car Park: 1 great spotted woodpecker
Pelican Cove: 2 tufted ducks
Lakes and Forests Exhibit: 4 gadwall
Woodland Loop: 5 mandarin, 1 great spotted woodpecker
Reedbed Woodland Carr: 1 female tufted duck and 5 ducklings
Scrape Hide: 1 black-headed gull, 3 coots, 1 song thrush, 1 reed warbler, 12 mallards, 6 gadwall, 2 wood pigeons, 1 moorhen, 2 tufted ducks, 1 Cetti’s warbler, 1 pochard, c.30 sand martins, 1 reed bunting
Sand Martin Hide: 20 gadwall, 10 tufted ducks, 15 black-headed gulls, c.100 sand martins
Bewick’s Swan Enclosure: 2 tufted ducks
Waterside Walk: 2 mute swans, 2 tufted ducks
Ramsar Hide: 3 shoveler, 2 tufted ducks, 2 oystercatchers and one juvenile, 4 gadwall, 12 black-headed gull chicks, 3 cormorants, 3 cattle egrets, 1 marsh harrier, 3 adult little egrets with 5 young, 1 female mandarin
Wetland Discovery: 1 female mandarin
Tues 16 June
Ramsar and Sand Martin Hide: 3 shoveler ducks, 9 tufted ducks, 31 black-headed gulls plus 29 chicks, 2 mallards and 2 ducklings, 3 pairs of coots plus one chick, 46 gadwall, 2 moorhens, one pair of oystercatchers with one juvenile, 2 Canada geese, 2 carrion crows, 1 mandarin, c.50 sand martins, 5 house martins
