Mandarin Duck
The ARC is the place that has the most avian interest at the moment, at least 2 pairs of Common Terns are attempting to nest here, there were 3 pairs of Avocets attempting to nest, but 2 pairs abandoned there nests and eggs probably due to unthinking disturbance by staff who mostly have no knowledge about what is breeding (you rarely see staff with binoculars). The breeding of sea birds in general on the reserve has been woeful for the last few years, but this year has been disastrous, even the Herring Gulls have had a dreadful year. High water levels will be blamed. The RSPB has spent a good deal of money employing contractors to build the islands up over the last few years, but seemingly without good oversight of what the contractors are doing and stabilising the materials on the islands as they build them so it wont get washed away in the first storm. As for the hay fields which are now dry they really need to be re-thought, because once again breeding success of Lapwing and Redshank has been minimal. They are certainly not value for the money that has been spent on them.
The first Wood Sandpiper of the year at the ARC, hopefully with a few islands starting to appear here more returning migrant water birds will grace this lake. The first Great White Egret I have seen in a while dropped in this evening.
A Greenshank flying around the ARC
Glossy Ibis on the ARC, hopefully its still around
A Ruff at the ARC
A good Gadwall mum to raise 8 chicks on the ARC
Garganey on the ARC a daily occurence now.
Sandwich Terns coming to bathe in the ARC in the evening
A regular returning colour ringed Black-headed Gull to the ARC
Avocet with a single chick in the sandpit
Black-tailed Godwits in the sandpit, up to 15 Green Sandpipers and 4 Little Ringed Plovers there
A nectering Privet Hawkmoth
A rare visitor to my trap a Sussex Emerald
The superb micro moth Agapeta zoegana
Vitula biviella a scarce micro moth
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