Bird sanctuary manager James Sharpe is on a mission to raise awareness - by spending the day as a duck.

The Arundel Wildfowl and Wetlands Centre manager has built himself a cosy nest and gone undercover with his feathered friends to commemorate World Wetlands Day today.

He has even given himself a Latin name - Dampus managerus.

Yesterday he put on his waders and zipped up his downy jacket prior to spending the night in the nest he built from reeds.

James, 28, also made a pillow from the seeds of bullrushes and tucked himself up in a down-filled sleeping bag in the grounds of the Mill Road centre.

The threat of icy temperatures and rain did not put him off. Nor did the gaggle of inquisitive geese who tried to share their strange new neighbour's bed.

But he said he would draw the line at eating soggy bits of bread thrown by passers-by.

Instead he planned a feast of natural produce from wetland areas around the world, including smoked salmon and caviar washed it down with Seabreezes.

The cranberry juice in the cocktails came from Canadian wetlands, though he couldn't quite explain the vodka.

For dessert James was crunching a few aspirins to help recover from his night in the nest. The active ingredient in aspirin also comes from wetland plants.

He said: "I like outdoorsy things and I go camping a lot, which is why I value the warmth of my down-filled sleeping bag and jacket.

"Eiderdown is the warmest and lightest material known to man and it comes from the duck. The ducks bob about all winter in the North Sea so it obviously works quite well.

"I came up with the idea of being a duck for a day to help raise awareness of what wetlands give to us.

"They provide humans with so many things, from seaweed and watercress to smoked salmon, caviar, rice and angelica, which is used in gin.

"I don't know what people at work think of me doing this, but I suspect they think I'm mad."