Snipe, kingfishers, teal and lapwing
The first week of February produced a pleasing run of kingfisher sightings across several parts of the reserve.
These bright flashes of blue were noted along Waterside Walk, at the Arun Riverlife lagoon, from the Scrape Hide, and even at the Coastal Creek treatment pond.
Teal made a quieter but still welcome contribution to the counts, with a notable group of 32 recorded on 3 February at the Ramsar and Sand Martin hides. They added to the large gatherings of dabbling ducks such as mallard, gadwall, and shoveler.
Snipe were consistent throughout the week, with numbers regularly reaching into the twenties and thirties. The fen cuts at the Ramsar hide held the highest concentrations, and additional birds were seen at the Arun Riverlife area.
Lapwing were showing well, with counts ranging from several dozen to over a hundred in the mornings. The peak of 130 birds on 4 February created a strong visual presence across the large lagoon. Even on quieter days, smaller groups remained a reliable part of the landscape.
A special moment for staff and visitors came on Tuesday when a male hen harrier was spotted over the reedbeds mid‑morning.
Highlights: lapwings, kingfisher, goosander, hen harrier, bullfinches on Sand Martin hide hedges, firecrest on Tranquil Trail hedgerows.
Wed 4 Feb
Ramsar and Sand Martin hide: 130 lapwing, 4 cackling × Barnacle geese, 39 snipe, 1 pochard
Sand Martin hide: 2 bullfinches on approach
Tranquil Trail: 2 firecrests
Scrape Hide: 22 mallards, 2 shoveler, 7 Canada geese, 2 greylag geese, 2 Egyptian geese, 1 coot, 2 shelducks
Tues 3 Feb
Ramsar and Sand Martin hide: 9 cormorants, 2 mute swans, 1 little egret, 34 lapwing, 29 snipe, 14 Canada geese, 1 greylag goose, 51 mallards, 25 gadwall, 8 pochard, 6 tufted ducks, 4 shelducks, 2 coots, 4 moorhens, 32 teal, 1 goosander, 57 shovelers
Waterside Walk: 1 kingfisher
Arun Riverlife lagoon: 1 kingfisher, 2 pochards
Coastal Creek Natural Water Treatment pond: 1 kingfisher
Scrape Hide: 2 shelducks, 1 kingfisher
Mon 2 Feb
Lapwing Hide: 2 mallards, 1 coot, 1 song thrush, 1 blackbird, 1 wren, 1 Cetti’s warbler
Ramsar and Sand Martin hide: 17 snipe, 11 pochard, 57 shoveler, 1 Egyptian goose, 1 kingfisher
Scrape Hide: 1 pochard, 2 shelducks, 1 lapwing
Sun 1 Feb
Ramsar and Sand Martin hide: 30 snipe, 15 pochard, 57 lapwing, 8 shelducks, 1 cattle egret
Waterside Walk: 1 kingfisher
Arun Riverlife lagoon: 2 snipe
Wetland Discovery area: 30 mallards, 2 goldfinches, 8 tufted ducks, 2 Canada geese, 1 pochard, 1 robin, 2 wood pigeons, 4 long‑tailed tits, 1 great tit, 1 blue tit
