White tailed eagles and kingfishers
Two white tailed eagles have been back over the Reserve a few times this month. The pair were flying up and down the Offham hangar and over the car park and visitor centre on both March 2 and March 4.
A kingfisher male has been very active on the nesting bank on Arun Riverlife lagoon, especially around hole #5 which seems to be their favourite. A male was also checking out the sand martin hide so not sure what that means. A pair were calling to each other while hanging out in the the Wetland Discovery boat safari area as well last week.
Lots of lapwing courting behaviour with males displaying and pairs nest scraping on the ground.
Sun 10 March
Wetland Discovery: 13 mallard, 3 coots, Canada/greylag X, 4 Canada geese, 2 greylag geese, 3 pochard, 8 wood pigeon, 13 goldfinches, 1 great tit, 2 moorhen, 2 tufted ducks, 2 dunnocks, 2 bullfinches, 2 gadwall1 blackbird, 1 carrion crow, 1 blue tit
Lapwing hide: 2 lapwing both males displaying.
Ramsar and Sand martin hide: 12 snipe, 7 Mediterranean gulls, 8 lapwing – 2 pairs nest scraping, 1 pochard,
Scrape hide: 1 lapwing, 6 pochard 3 pairs
Arun Riverlife: 9 pochard 6 males 3 females
Pelican Cove: 2 oystercatchers.
Sat 9 March
Arun Riverlife lagoon: 18 Canada geese, 2 greylag geese, 7 pochards, 1 grey wagtail, 9 mallards, 3 gadwall, 14 black-headed gulls, 2 coots, 2 moorhen, 3 tufted ducks, 1 mute swan, 1 kingfisher male sitting in entrance to hole number 5, then perching on top of the bank
Ramsar and Sand martin hide: 8 lapwing – two males displaying and 1 pair nest scraping.
Friday 8 March
Scrape hide: 1 Cetti’s warbler, 1 pochard, 1 marsh harrier
Reedbed: 1 reed bunting
Wetland Discovery: 2 barn owls, 4 pochards
Arun Riverlife: 12 pochard – 7 males 5 females.
Wood Loop: 1 mallard, 1 jackdaw, 4 wood pigeon, 2 wren, 3 chaffinches, 1 moorhen, 1 blackbirds, 7 blue tits, 1 coal tit, 3 great tits, 3 robins, 6 goldfinches
Ramsar hide: 5 snipe, 6 lapwing
Sand martin hide: 5 teal.
Thurs 7 March
Ramsar hide: 3 shelducks, 1 shoveler, 6 lapwing, 14 snipe, 15 common gull.
Wetland Discovery: 3 pochards, 2 kingfishers calling
Scrape hide: 1 pochard, 1 kingfisher, 1 Cetti’s warbler
Reedbed hide: 2 reed buntings singing, 1 mallard
Willow sphere: 2 teal, 4 mallards
Reedbed boardwalk: 4 mallard, 1 blue tit, 2 great tit , 1 black bird, 1 robin, 2 greylag, 3 moorhens, 2 Canada geese
Wood Loop: 2 coal tits
Arun Riverlife lagoon: 15 pochards, 2 oystercatchers, 1 kingfisher, 3 snipe, 1 Cetti’s warbler
Robin gate: 1 greenfinch, 2 siskins
Waterside walk: 2 oystercatchers
Lapwing hide: 4 lapwing 2 males displaying
Wed 6 March
Wetland Discovery: 1 pochard
Ramsar hide: 7 lapwing, 2 oystercatchers, 11 snipe
Wet grassland: 3 lapwing
Waterside walk: 2 Egyptian geese
Scrape hide: 1 Cetti's warbler, 1 chiffchaff, 1 pochard, 3 shoveler, 2 shelducks, 1 kingfisher, 15 mallard, 4 Canada geese, 1 moorhen, 10 greylag geese, 2 coots, 1 gadwall, 4 black-headed gulls, 3 shoveler, 2 shelducks, 1 kingfisher, 15 mallards, 4 Canada geese, 1 moorhen, 10 greylag geese, 2 coots, 1 gadwall, 4 black-headed gulls
Arun Riverlife lagoon: 5 pochards.
Tue 5 March
Ramsa and Sand Martin hides: 10 shovelers, 7 lapwing - one pair nest scraping, 2 coots, 6 moorhens, 75 black-headed gulls, 1 common gull, 8 shelducks, 1 pochard,
Scrape hide: 1 pochard, 1 chiff chaff
Arun Riverlife: 2 oystercatchers, 5 pochard
Wet;ands DIscovery: 2 pochard
Lapwing hide: 4 mles displaying
Ramsar hide: 12 snipe, 2 oystercatchers, 4 greylag geese, 2 cormorants, 14 teal, 11 tufted ducks, 23 mallards.
Mon 4 March
Pelican Cove: 2 oystercatchers
Lapwing hide: 4 lapwing displaying, 1 Cetti's warbler, 4 gadwall, 4 Canada geese, 3 mallards, 2 Greylag geee, 1 coot.
