Pulborough, 5th-9th March

Started the week with a little watch from the 'observatory' (attic) window before work on Monday morning. A Peregrine came hurtling through quite low from the west which unsurprisingly put up all the waders in a cloud above the North Brooks - several hundred Lapwing, 50+ Black-tailed Godwits and 13 Dunlin, the latter a new patch high count for me. Golden Plover was heard but not seen.

The view from the 'observatory'

On Tuesday evening I recorded my first patch Redshank of the year, with one heard calling over towards the North Brooks from my garden at dusk - presumably the same bird reported by Gary Trew earlier in the day. Gary also reported 3 Golden Plover, 4 Ruff, 12 Dunlin and 132 Black-tailed Godwits.

Wader numbers peaked mid-week, it seems, as Carey Lodge recorded 15 Dunlin, 6 Ruff and 168 Black-tailed Godwits on Wednesday.

On Friday morning I made my first pre-work patch of the year (yay for longer days!). A look at the North Brooks revealed c.140 Black-tailed Godwits - many now turning red for the summer - 5 Little Egrets and 8 Shelducks, while on the walk back to the car I noted 3 Hawfinches flying up from near Wiggonholt Farm.