Snipe, kingfishers and cormorants
Regular snipe sightings especially from the Scrape hide now.
There's at least one cormorant and one grey heron between Sand Martin & Ramsar hides. Regular kingfisher sightings continue including at the Lapwing hide.
We have been seeing a good array of dragons and damsels this year, including several willow emerald damselflies – a fairly recent colonist of UK shores. This species was only recorded in any number in 2009 with breeding confirmed by 2012. Look out for these beautiful animals especially around alder trees – they are a bit bigger than most damselflies and their flight period can last through to November.
Snipe photo by visitor Romney Turner.
Below is not a list of all wildlife onsite. It is the recorded wildlife sightings by WWT staff noted on the morning walk around, with different areas recorded on different days.
Sun 25 September
Arun Riverlife: 1 kingfisher
Wetland Discovery: 2 Canada geese, 5 coots, 7 mallards, 2 tufted ducks, 1 pochard, 1 black-headed gull
Scrape hide: 2 snipe
Sat 24 September
Arun Riverlife: 1 little grebe, 3 tufted ducks, 1 kingfisher, 15 coots, 14 black-headed gulls, 1 moorhen, 16 mallards.
Ramsar & Sand martin hides: 14 tufted ducks, 1 shoveler, 1 teal, and 1 kingfisher
Scrape hide: 4 snipe, 6 shoveler
Fri 23 September
Sand Martin hide: 2 cormorants, 1 grey heron, 5 mallards, 5 great tits, 4 blue tits, 2 chaffinches
Thurs 22 September
Scrape hide: 1 kingfisher, 5 snipe, and 1 little egret
Reedbed: 2 Cetti’s warblers, 1 robin, 1 great tit, 1 wood pigeon, 1 long-tailed tit, 2 blue tits, 9 mallards, 1 moorhen.
Arun Riverlife: 10 tufted ducks
Wetland Discovery: 1 pochard
Ransar and Sand Martin hide: 1 little egret, 1 grey heron, 1 cormorant
Lapwing hide: 1 snipe, 1 little egret
Wed 21 September
Scrape hide: 2 teal, 1 kingfisher, 2 carrion crow, 1 buzzard
Sand Martin hide: 5 little egrets, 1 grey heron, 2 cormorants, 2 gadwall
Ramsar hide: 1 kingfisher
Wetland Discovery: 1 pochard, 2 tufted ducks, 1 kingfisher
Lapwing hide: 4 stonechats, 1 kingfisher, 1 spotted flycatcher
Arun Riverlife: 2 gadwall, 7 tufted ducks, 1 shoveler
Coastal creek pond: 1 gadwall
Wood loop: 2 mandarin ducks, 1 black cap
Sussex screen: 1 teal, 1 kingfisher
Long path ditch: 1 water rail
Wildlife garden: 1 green woodpecker
Scrape hide: 15 mallards, 2 Cetti’s warblers, 8 shoveler, 1 great tit, 2 gadwall, 3 coots, 2 magpies, 2 snipe, 5 pied wagtails, 3 moorhens, 1 chaffinch, and 1 wren.
Tues 20 September
Ramsar & Sand martin hide: 1 mandarin, 4 mallards, 1 little egret, 4 coots, 2 moorhens, 1 black-headed gulls, 8 Canada geese, 1 greylag, 1 cormorant, 1 grey heron, 2 wood pigeons, 2 carrion crows
Wetland Discovery: 1 pochard, 1 kingfisher
Lapwing hide: 1 kingfisher, 2 snipe, 1 little egret
Scrape hide: 2 snipe
Mon 19 September
Arun riverlife lagoon: 2 kingfishers
Wetland Discovery: 1 kingfisher, 1 pochard
Ramsar hide: 5 tufted ducks, 1 kingfisher
Lapwing hide: 1 grey heron, 1 pheasant
Scrape hide: c25 house and sand martins, 8 gadwall, 2 shoveler, 1 kingfisher
