Warden Suzi reports strong gusty winds and hail was putting off most of the birds except the gulls! The lapwing were hunkered down, still on nests on wet grasslands.
Ramsar/Sand martin hide: around 750+ black-headed gull, 42 common gull, 2 lesser black-backed gull and 13 herring gull! 1 lapwing was visible but sitting females are difficult to spot – presumably because their tufty hair-dos are blown flat in the wind! 1 Egyptian goose is still lurking in front of Sand Martin hide but his mate still eludes me! 6 cackling goose (2 of which are barnacle crosses) are still around announcing their presence with their noisy calls and 2 pairs of pochard also seen from here.
Scrape hide: 130 black-headed gulls – overspill from the main scrape!!!
Lapwing hide: 6 lapwing still showing well from lapwing hide.
Woodland Loop: There was a greenfinch on one of the feeders in the wood loop today – a nice sight as we don’t see anywhere near as many of those as we used to.
Arun Riverlife Lagoon: flushed up 8 snipe as I was checking for nests, there were also 2 oystercatcher (hopefully they will pick an area soon and get on with producing beautiful chicks!), 1 female pochard and of course mrs.lapwing incubating her 4 eggs.
Wetland Discovery area: 16 mallard (15:1), 1 wood pigeon, 1 moorhen, 3 carrion crow, 8 Canada geese, 2 greylag, 14 tufted duck (6:8), a wren and a chiffchaff both singing. There was still a grass snake under Survey tin 6, presumably not moved since yesterday as he’s probably struggling to get enough heat to move – I know how he feels!!