Latest sightings

Common tern, cattle egret & a lesser black-backed gull

We've had some interesting sightings between the Sand martin hide and Ramsar hide this week. A cattle egret in breeding plumage was grooming on the island opposite Sand martin hide Tuesday morning (photographed by WWT volunteer Andrew Burns). Our warde

13 July 2023

Fledgling cuckoo, Peregrines and Pochard

This week’s highlights include a fledgling cuckoo still being fed by an adult reed warbler, along the back of the boat safari channels. A family of (5) bullfinches was heard in the hedges by our gate near the Outlook In building and a (family?) group of

6 July 2023

Start of summer moult for some

Some ducks and geese are now going into moult. Mallard, gadwall and mandarin ducks along with greylag and Canada geese are all looking particularly tatty at the moment and the piles of feathers left behind are dotting our site! Pochard and tufted ducks ca

29 June 2023

Kingfisher fight & oystercatcher chicks

Two male kingfishers got into a scrap near the kingfisher nesting bank on Arun Riverlife on Sun 18 June. Regular visitor Alec Pelling took these amazing photos of the skirmish. Kingfisher males are territorial - both these birds look male as their beaks a

21 June 2023

Gadwall, pochard and tufty duckling

A female gadwall was on the pond from the Willow Sphere with 7 ducklings, the first gadwall chicks we have seen onsite in a few years. A pair of mute swans have hatched 6 cygnets. This swan family have been spotted on the water from Ramsar hide and along

10 June 2023

Sand martins & great crested grebe

At the Sand martin hide we are seeing about 20 sand martins at a go, hawking insects over the water and entering burrows on both ‘wings’ of the hide. A pair of oystercatchers seem to have settled there now, as in previous years - we haven't spotted a

16 May 2023

Lapwing chicks & a cuckoo calls

Kingfisher continue to be active around nest hole #5 in the artificial bank on the Arun Riverlife lagoon. Look out for the sand martins coming in and out of nest holes at the banks of the Sand martin hide. A cackling goose and a cackling barnacle cross se

9 May 2023

Bird song bonanza, great crested grebe & sand piper

Lots of bird song in the air from the likes of this sedge warbler and a black cap both captured by Rob Collins on a recent visit. We’ve had a nightingale on the back of the car park wild area that borders the wet grassland of the Lapwing hide off and on

28 April 2023

Kingfishers nest in Arun Riverlife bank again

A kingfisher pair are back in hole 5 of the nesting bank on Arun Riverlife. They favour this hole and have nested here before - see Mike Jerome's photo above.We are not sure about the pair of kingfishers who nested in the Sand Martin Hide last year –

19 April 2023

Goslings and ducklings hatched out for the Easter holidays

As if on cue for the Easter holidays greylag and Canada geese families are appearing with goslings in tow on the wet grasslands from the Ramsar and Sand martin hides, the Wetland Discovery area and on Waterside walk. Mallard ducklings are about as well on

11 April 2023

Lapwings and oystercatcher pairs

Lapwing males have been nest scraping and at least two females appear to be on nests opposite the Ramsar hide. One pair of oystercatchers have been flitting between Pelican Cove and Arun Riverlife lagoon - this is likely the pair that has been nestinhg

28 March 2023

Arundel spring bird ID guide

New to bird spotting or just want a handy reference guide? Download this free guide to Arundel's most common spring birds. Get the Bird ID guide

20 March 2023

Toads on the move, Kingfishers & oystercatchers active

Toad migration to breeding ponds picked up again last week on the days when the overnight temps were warmer and the weather was showery. On Monday Senior Reserve Warden Emma Jacob was on ‘Toad Patrol’ doing 'catch and release' of toads that were broug

16 March 2023

Cold weather slows down spring

The cold weather seems to have put spring on hold for the moment. Birds are singing and displaying, but not much else is going on. Lapwing are still onsite in good numbers and are starting to investigate usual territories, but have yet to starting mating

9 March 2023

Lots of lapwing still on site

Flock of 100+ lapwing still onsite most days, not broken up yet for spring. You will hear the occasional slide-whistle display calls when individual males taking to the air. Mixed groups of tits in the Woodland Loop (including a coal tit) with chaffinc

4 March 2023