Non-Stop Birding: Weekend in Arundel

Spent the weekend in Arundel camping with the family and visiting the Castle and the Wildfowl and Wetlands centre. Amazing traditional aristocratic management of the whole area by the Duke and Duchess of Norfolk- keen conservationists and green space managers whose control of the area, including the local farmland is a world leading example of modern development, nature-friendly landscape management and successful containment of modern threats- stunning area. Benevolent aristocracy at its best (Previous posts here ).

Here's a few pics with provisional ids (please feel free to comment on ids):

River Arun looking over towards Arundel Cathedral, Castle and Town

Some kind of Ant-lion/ Caddis at the moth trap at the camp site

Water Forget-me-not and Marsh Mint at the wetland centre

Wild Angelica at the wetland centre

Yellow Loosestrife at the wetland centre

Vervain at the Wetland Centre (NO! It's Marsh Valerian-cheers Steve!)

Marsh Mallow growing on the banks of the River Arun

Fern- a moth lifer. Caught it in the camping site. Only a few moths in the cool conditions including a few Rosy Footmans.

Grey-pine Carpet

Buzzards and Raven over the wetland centre

Jackdaw sun bathing at the wetland centre

Orinoco Goose (South America) and Radjah Shelduck in background (Australia)- the wildfowl collection at the WWT centre- a handy place to learn a few global species

Jousting at the Castle !

The Camping Set-up- extended the operation to include a 3 man tent. Now got a complete mobile natural history exploration unit, complete with chemical toilet facilities and off grid electricity and gas. Planning on doing some foreign trips and also some UK trips, hopefully into some new areas and recording into recording schemes such as I-record and E-bird.