Tits, sand martins and greenfiches are fledging
This spring's weather this year was so much milder than last. As a result blue and great tits have had a much more successful breeding season, with many fledglings seen and heard flitting around trees.
Last year we saw several failed nests, but every nest checked this year has seen all eggs hatch and all chicks fledge. Greenfinch and great spotted woodpecker fledglings can also be seen around the reserve.
The pair of Oystercatcher that nest on the roof of the Sand Martin Hide have two chicks, and the pair that nest on or around Pelican Cove are still incubating eggs at the time of writing. The first brood of Sand Martins are fledging or have already fledged in some cases, adding to the impressive display of this fantastic aerial hawkers.
Mon 9 June
Reedbed Boardwalk: 1 water vole photographed by a visitor on Monday
Scrape hide: 1 great white egret, 3 pochards, 1 swallow
Ramsar and Sand Martin hides: 7 cackling X barnacle geese, 2oystercatchers with two chicks, c 40 sand martins, 1 lapwing, 7 cattle egrets
Wetland Discovery area: 1 pochard
Lapwing hide: 2 carrion crows, 1 reed bunting, 1 Cetti’s warbler
Sun 8 June
Wetland Discovery area: 1 coot, 5 mallard, 4 tufted ducks, 1 Cetti’s warbler, 4 pochards, 1 greylag geese, 1 blackcap, 1 wood pigeon, 1 sedge warbler, 1 blackbird
Ramsar and Sand Martin hides: 4 cattle egrets, 2 pochards, c50 sand martins, 1 shelduck, 2 oysyter catchers with 2 chicks
Scrape hide: c15 sand martins, 1 great white egret, 2 tufted ducks
Sat 7 June
Arun Riverlife: 18 Canada geese, 10 tufted ducks, 1 coot, 17 black-headed gulls, 2 mallards, 6 gadwall, 1 pochard, 1 sedge warbler, 2 wood pigeon, 1 blue tit, 1 moorhen, 1 pied wagtail
Lapwing hide: 1 grey heron fly over
Wetland Discovery: 1 pochard
Ramsar and Sand Marin hide: 2 oystercatchers with two chicks, 4 cattle egrets, c50 sand martins
Scrape hide: 7 tufted ducks, 1 great white egret, 2 pochards
Woodland Loop: 1 nuthatch, 1 greater spotted woodpecker
Reedswamp exhibit: 1 pochard
Willow screen: Black-headed gulls with chicks
Pelican Cove: 1 oystercatcher
Scrape hide: 2 Egyptian Geese
Fri 6 June
Woodland Loop: 1 wren, 1 blackcap, 54 tufted ducks, 18 mallards, 1 moorhen, 3 great tits, 3 chaffinches.
Thurs 5 June
Ramsar and Sand Martin hide: 1 pochard, 2 oystercatchers with chicks
Scrape hide: 1 pochard
Reedbed: 1 sedge warbler, 1 blackbird, 1 Cetti’s warbler, 4 tufted ducks, 7 mallards, 1 chiffchaff, 1 wren, 1 carrion crow, 1 reed warbler, 3 blue tits, 3 Canada geese, 4 greylag geese, 2 moorhens, 3 black-headed gulls, 6 cattle egrets on island nearest the Ramsar hide n the afternoon.
Wed 4 June
Arun Riverlife lagoon: 7 tufted ducks, 3 gadwall
Pelican Cove: 1 oystercatcher
Woodland Loop: 2 mandarin ducks, 1 great spotted woodpecker
Meadow Pond: 1 mandarin duck
Willow Sphere: 1 tufted duck, 2 gadwall
Scrape hide: 1 great whote egret, 1 little egret, 1 Egyptian Geese, 14 gadwall, 1 chiffchaff, 13 tufted ducks, c30 sand martins, 2 Cetti’s warbler, 1 reed warbler, 25 mallards, 1 Canada goose, 2 shoveler, 1 moorhen, 1 wood pigeon, 2 pochard, 1 greenfinch, 1 black cap, 1 coot
Bewick’s swan exhibit: 1 manadrin duck
Snad martin hide:2 oystercatchers with 2 chicks, 4 gadwall, 3 tufted ducks, c70 sand martins, 2 shelducks, 5 mute swans
Ramsar hides: 3 cormorants, 12 gadwall, 3 tufted ducks, 2 Egyptian gees, 1 marsh harrier, 2 lapwings, 1 mandarin duck, 1 reed bunting, 1 pochard, 1 little egret
Lapwing hide: 1 sedge warbler bring food to a nest.
