Water rail at three spots onsite
Our Media volunteer Andrew Burns spotted water rail at three places yesterday (Wed 12 Jan).
There were two water rail in the old Trumpeter Pen on the approach to the Scrape hide, one to the left of the Lapwing hide and the water rail that frequents the Wood Loop, featured in Andy’s photo above.
Little egrets and cattle egrets have moved their afternoon roost to the willows at the back of waters of the Scrape hide. They have moved away from the Ramsar hide, put off the habitat regeneration works underway there. Unfortunately the team has been hampered by wet weather and machinery problems so the Arun Lagoon project is scheduled to be complete by the end of January. For details of the project click this link.
Daily sightings by WWT Reserve wardens
These sightings are done target locations on a rotating basis on a morning walk through of the site.
Wed 12 Jan
Scrape hide: 7 male and 3 female mallards, 2 coots, 1 pair shelducks, 1 male and 2 female shoveler, 2 male and 2 female teal, 1 gadwall, 8 Canada geese, 6 male and 1 female teal, 2 water rail on approach pond
Wood loop: 1 water rail
Lakes and Forests exhibit: 1 song thrush
Tues 11 Jan
Arun Rverlife: 5 pochard
Sand Martin hide: 5 teal, 4 mallards, 1 coot
Scrape hide: 1 wigeon
Mon 10 Jan
Wet Grassland: 1 pair mallards, 1 pair stonechats
Wetland Discovery: 1 cormorant
Front pond: 1 water rail
Approach to Scrape hide: 1 water rail
Sun 9 Jan
Wetland Discovery: 7 male and 5 female mallards, 2 coots, 1 grey herons, 2 male and 4 female tufted ducks, 5 greylag geese, 1 red kite
Scrape hide: 6 cattle egrets, 3 shoveler ducks, 1 male wigeon, 1 water rail (in pond on approach)
Woodloop: 1 water rail
Arun Riverlife: 1 little grebe
Sat 8 Jan
Arun Riverlife: 4 male and 3 female shelducks, 2 pairs of pochards, 1 pair gadwall, 1 kingfisher, 3 greylag geese, 1 cormorant, 17 male and 4 female mallard, 10 Canada geese, 4 moorhens, 2 coots, 4 black-headed gulls, 5 tufted ducks, 2 little grebes, 2 pairs of teal
Scrape hide: 1 male mandarin, 4 male and 2 female teal, 1 female shoveler
Fri 7 Jan
Wood Loop: 3 great tits, 1 moorhen, 3 female pheasant, 8 blue tit, 1 robin, 2 dunnock
Sand Martin hide: 9 male and 2 female teal, a pair of shelducks,
Scrape hide: 1 grey heron, 3 shoveler, 3 male and 1 female wigeon, 1 kingfisher
Wet grassland: 1 red kite
Sat 6 Jan
Scrape hide: 2 male and 2 feamle shoveler, 9 greylag geese, 1 grey heron, 3 mallards, 1 teal
Arun Riverlife: 42 Canada geese, 13 greylag geese, 2 shelduck
Wood loop:1 moorhen, 12 blue tits,1 sparrow, 1 long-tailed tit, 1 water rail
