16/6/16 Barn Owl hunting over north bank meadows during the day – seen by Brendon Lanigan.
17/6/16 West End:- 29 Greylag Geese, 1 Buzzard, 1 Mandarin, 1 Coot, Moorhen adult with chick, 1 Lapwing, 1 Black-headed Gull, 1 Juv Great Spotted Woodpecker. Also heard: Garden Warbler; Nuthatch; Blackcap; Reed Warbler & Chiffchaff all at the car park.
17/6/16 Whillet’s: – 1 Juv Kingfisher, 2 Reed Warbler.
The photo shows the new water aerator equipment at the dam end.
West End:- 2 Common Tern pairs + 3 young on L/H raft – all looking healthy and food coming in. Great Crested Grebe – a nest has been seen with 2 eggs, hopefully we will see chicks this year. 1 Coot, 2 Lapwing, 3 Swallows. 2 Blackcap + Chiffchaff heard at the car park.
Whillet’s:- 2 Buzzard, 1 Kestrel, 1M Stonechat, 5+ Whitethroat seen in the meadows.
Butterfly Survey – The first Meadow Brown & Large Skipper butterflies (2 off each) were seen on the wing in the meadows.
The “Orange Foxtail” grass which is quite rare in Sussex is benefiting from our recent habitat management work in Whillet’s Pool with good numbers now starting to show.
West End:- 2 Mandarin, 4 Common Terns + 3 young seen L/H raft, 4 Swallow, 1 juv Nuthatch, 1 Goldfinch. Blackcap, Garden Warbler, Reed Warbler and Chiffchaff singing at Car Park.
Whillet’s:- 1 Reed Bunting. Cinnabar & Burnet Companion moths seen. (No butterflies)
West End:- Common Terns 7 + 2 young on L/H raft, 30 Greylag Geese, 1F Mandarin with 8 chicks, 1 Moorhen, 1 Stock Dove, 1 Swift, 1 Pied Wagtail at rafts. Blackcap, Garden Warbler & Reed Warbler singing at Car Park area.
Dam end:- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull, 1+1 immature Herring Gull, 1 juv Grey Wagtail, 2 Pied Wagtail, 1 Song Thrush, 1 Bullfinch seen by Bob Stokes.
West End:- 4 Common Terns with 3 chicks on left raft. 1 Little Egret, 38 Great Crested Grebes, 6 Mandarin including one with 3 young, 9 Cormorant, 29 Greylag geese with 3 young, 1 Coot, 1 Garden Warbler, 1 Blackcap, 5 Swallows, 1 Black-headed Gull, 6 Herring Gull.
Many are very interested in the nesting Common Terns – today I saw a fluffy chick on the left hand Tern raft. The right hand raft has a pair with a bird sitting on a nest. Great Crested Grebes – 8 pairs were seen either building or sitting on nests at the West end.
West End:- 8 pairs of Great Crested Grebes are either building or sitting on nests, 2 pairs of Common Terns with 1 chick on left hand raft, 1 Pied Wagtail at rafts, 1 Little Egret, 11 Grey Heron, 10 Cormorant, 1M Tufted Duck, 2 Lapwing, Chiffchaff, Garden Warbler & Reed Warbler all heard singing at Car Park. Song Thrush & Reed Warbler heard at Whillet’s.
A moth survey at Whillet’s meadows produced 45 moths from 21 species. A Grey Arches (photo) which although common was a new moth for the reserve. Another new species for the reserve found during the survey was a Long Horn Beetle – Agapanthia villosoviridescens (photo). The horn colouring is an impressive sight. It’s larvae breed in the stems of thistles and other herbaceous plants.
WeBS Count
All reservoir totals:- 44 Great Crested Grebe (8 nests noted), 5+7Juv Canada Geese, 30 Mallard, 2 Song Thrush heard, 3 Blackcap heard, 3 Chiffchaff heard.
Dam End:- 2 Grey Wagtail, 2 Coot, 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull, 1 Green Woodpecker, 1 Swallow, 15 Goldfinch.
West End:- 10 Cormorant, 1 Little Egret, 11 Grey Heron, 24 Greylag Geese, 2 Mandarin, 2 Moorhen, 1 Lapwing, 1 Herring Gull (mobbed by terns), 6 Common Tern, 1 Stock Dove, 1 Pied Wagtail, 1 Reed Warbler & 1 Garden Warbler at car park.
Whillets:- Whitethroat and Reed Bunting heard. A male Hairy Dragonfly (new species for the meadows) seen at Meadow Pond during survey visit. Also noted were: 4 Burnet Companion & 1 Silver Y (day flying moths).
West End:- 17 Greylag Geese, 3 Great Crested Grebe nests, 3 Mute Swans, 1 Lapwing, 1 Mandarin, 1 Moorhen, 1 Coot, 1 Little Egret came out from herony and was feeding at the waters edge, several Grey Herons still at herony.
Car Park: – Reed Warbler & Blackcap heard. Also a Hornet was seen.
