Latest sightings
Snow... in March!
It has been snowing hard here, but hide and reserve access is good. RESERVE; Pochard, Tufted duck, Moorhen, Coot, Shelduck, Mallard, Water rail, Mute swan, Cormorant, Pheasant, Goldfinch, Chaffinch, Wren, Reed bunting, Thrush, Blackbird, Blue/Great/ Coal/
12 March 2013
Avocet!
Wow what a morning. An Avocet from the ramsar hide this morning, only seen here once before back in 1989! Loads of gulls this morning from the Ramsar and Sand Martin hides with around 460 Black headed, 100 Common gulls, 1 Lesser black backed and 2 Mediter
10 March 2013
Todays sightings
LAPWING HIDE; 6 Lapwing, 7 Grey lag and 4 Canadian geese, 2 Common Shelduck, 14 Teal, 2 Gadwall, 1 Kestrel. RAMSAR & SANDMARTIN HIDES; 6 Shoveler (10 seen yesterday), 5 Canadian and 2 Egyptian geese, 16 Common Shelduck, 4 Pochard, 5 Cormorants, Blac
9 March 2013
Cetti's singing
The centre looks truly beautiful in the sun today. I have seen a Kingfisher with fish in it's beak from the Scrape hide, where a pair of Shoveler have been seen the last 2 days and aerial displays from the lapwing. I have also seen a water vole at the top
5 March 2013
Frogs croaking
The last thing I expected to here yesterday was a male Common Frog croaking in the reedbed, especially after all the cold weather of late. A Jack Snipe was spotted feeding in front of the Scrape hide towards the end of yesterday. 5 Wigeon were a pleasant
4 March 2013
Todays sightings
Today I have seen the following species around the reserve; Pochard, Tufted duck, Gadwall, Teal, Common shelduck, Canadian, Grey-lag and Egyptian geese, Cormorants, Kingfisher, Grey heron, Lapwing, Coot, Moorhen, Mallard, Mute swans. Reed bunting, Gold fi
28 February 2013
Aerial displays
41 lapwing have been showing well on the back islands, easily viewed from the Ramsar and Sand martin hides and often supplying us with beautiful aerial displays. The oyster catcher seems to come and go with this flock and you can hear him shouting from
26 February 2013
Bean and gone
Whilst checking the hides this morning two grey lag geese flew in to join the other 19. At a second glance the two new arrivals turned out to be Bean geese. This was a first for myself and likely for the reserve as well. 6 Snipe flushed up out of the reed
24 February 2013
Secretive snipe
Whilst carring out the bird counts on the reserve this morning there seemed to be a distinct lack of Snipe. I counted two from the sand martin hide and four from the scrape hide. When I had returned to the centre, checking the Arun riverlife lake, two flo
21 February 2013
Sunny Sunday
The Oyster catchers are back and showing well from the sand martin hide, amongst 17 Lapwing. Good numbers of Snipe, Gadwall, Tufted duck, Pochard, Shelduck & Teal are visible from most of the hides and can be seen from the cafe windows on swan lake
17 February 2013
Saturday 16th February
From the hides; 35 tufted duck, 28 Pochard, 22 Teal, 6 Snipe, 19 Common Shelduck, 24 Gadwall, 13 Lapwing, 5 Cormorant, 8 Grey lag geese, 13 Canadian geese. Around the reserve; Blue tit, Great tit, Coal tit, Reed bunting, Bullfinch, Tree Creeper, Nuthatch,
16 February 2013
Sunshine at last!
Species seen around the reserve today include; Nuthatch, Longtailed tit, Blue tit, Coal tit, Great tit, Robin, Songthrush, Blackbird, Green finch, Reed bunting, Chaffinch, Water rail, Wood pigeon, Magpies, Jackdaws, Herring gulls, Black headed gulls, Com
14 February 2013
Bittern sightings
Two more sightings of the Bittern yesterday, both from the Reedbed hide. The first was around 2pm when it was briefly seen flying from the reeds to the rear far left and landing quickly into the main reedbed. The second was at 4.30pm when it was flushed f
12 February 2013
Snipe and Bittern
Yesterday reports of the Bittern from the scrape hide and the reedbed hide, confirming he is still around and doing a great job at keeping hidden for most of the time! Good numbers of Snipe this morning with 34 from the Sand Martin Hide and 28 from the sc
10 February 2013
Saturdays sightings
RESERVE; Bullfinch, Chaffinch, Green finch, Goldfinch, Coal tit, Blue tit, Long tailed tit, Great tit, Robin, Blackbird, Dunnock, Great spotted woodpecker, Water rail. LAPWING HIDE; 9 teal, 7 Gadwall, 2 Shelduck. SAND MARTIN & RAMSAR HIDE; 4 Lapwing,
9 February 2013