b

WWT Arundel

West Sussex  >  United Kingdom

A wetlands reserve with good facilities that has a mix of local birds in a natural habitat and also some captive ones. Run by the WWT. Admission prices apply.

Ajouté* par Ray Pettit
Dernière actualisation 7 décembre 2022

Description

Wetland habitat in a valley on the fringes of this historic town. This reserve is managed by the Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust founded by Sir Peter Scott. Upon entering there is a refreshment area that looks out on to water mainly frequented by geese.. Towards the right there is a notice board indicating birds that may be present.

Let's take a circular tour by turning left from the visitor centre. After a few metres, by some distinctive buildings, it is possible to take an electric boat ride which bring you close to various ducks such as Canard colvert, Canard chipeau, Fuligule milouin and Fuligule morillon. I've also seen Martin-pêcheur d'Europe and Rousserolle effarvatte from the boat here. I find this a very relaxing experience. The boat is extra and must be booked at the visitor centre.

Leaving the boat turn left at the nearby footpath junction. Passing mainly captive birds and after a short while you will see the 'Ramsar' hide to the right. From here you will often see Oie cendrée, Sarcelle d'hiver, Vanneau huppé and Canard colvert but more importantly the sight of Martin-pêcheur d'Europe and Bécassine des marais .

Contuning along the tarmac footpath and you will arrive at the 'Lapwing' hide. Yes, there are Vanneau huppé here too as well as Oie cendrée and Canard souchet.

You now need to return to the junction near the boat rides, but this time turn left. Adjacent to here are areas with captive waterbirds which I won't cover here but may be of interest to some people. At this point you should keep your eye out for Roitelet huppé and Roitelet triple-bandeau which are often seen flitting amongst the trees. Often seen around the trees to the left here, or around the garden. In the garden area I have also seen Mésange à longue queue, Merle noir and Grimpereau des bois and a Bruant des roseaux nearby.

Turning left here you can visit the 'Sand Martin' hide where it is possible to see Bergeronnette des ruisseaux at the water's edge and species such as Tadorne de Belon, Oie cendrée, Bernache du Canada, Canard colvert and perhaps Aigrette garzette or Grand Cormoran.

Turning back, you can then visit the Scrape Hide very nearby. But immediately before that there is a patch of grass and is a favoured spot for Râle d'eau. In the hide itself, it is usually a good idea to look right to see if there is warbler in the bushes.

Exiting the hide, turn left along the long straight path. I find the next hide , the 'Reedbed' hide a quiet one, but you never know! At the very end of the path turn left, but before doing so, check the small trees for Roitelet huppé and Roitelet triple-bandeau . Walk through the gates and you are in a zone mainly of captive birds but I have also seen the Râle d'eau and Sizerin cabaret here.

Beyond here you can access the Woodland Hide using two different routes. There are bird feeders here which attract the usual suspects such as Mésange bleue, Accenteur mouchet and Rougegorge familier but you might even see the Râle d'eau or Épervier d'Europe here if you are lucky.

From here, follow the signs for the Reedbed Walk. I have seen a Fauvette à tête noire in this area. This will bring you back out on the long straight path. You can then make your way back to the visitor centre by turning left. As you approach the centre, there is another 'captive' area which in 2020 will have an aviary and some pelicans.

Détails

Accès

By car, you need to aim for Arundel town centre where the reserve is signposted at the roundabout immediately north of the river. You need to go along Mill Lane which is a cul-de-sac and not a through road.

You need to pass the area on the left with a small lake as this is completely different from the reserve. A bit further on the right you will see the entrance and car park. Lat and long is 50.863710 -0.551904 and the post code BN18 9PB

All of the reserve is good for wheelchairs as paths are tarmac or boardwalk.

The nearest bus serves Arundel town centre a mile away. Route 9 to Littlehampton is every hour - check the Stagecoach website for times. The train station is further out - another half-mile.

Terrain et Habitat

Zone humide , Arbres et buissons disséminés , Roselière

Conditions

Plat , Pas d'ombre , Paysage ouvert

Boucle

Oui

Avez-vous besoin d'une longue-vue?

Peut être utile

Saison idéale pour observer

Toute l'année

Meilleure période pour une visite

Hiver , Printemps

Itinéraire

Sentier large

Niveau de difficulté de l'itinéraire

Facile

Accessible via

A pied , Fauteuil roulant

Observatoire/hutte d'observation

Oui

Informations supplémentaires

You can buy a hot meal here between 12 and 14.00 and the cafe is open until 17.00 (16.00 in winter). The reserve opens at 9.30 and closes at 17.30 (16.30 in winter).

Voir les sites d'observation voisins publiés sur Birdingplaces

Carte

Top 5 oiseaux

Autres oiseaux que vous pouvez observer ici

Afficher plus d'oiseaux Afficher moins d'oiseaux
Afficher plus de photos Afficher moins de photos

Commentaires

Publier un commentaire, un conseil ou une observation d'oiseau
Évaluer ce spot
Ajouter à mes favoris
Retirer de mes favoris