Pulborough, 25th April

Despite only getting home at 04:00 from an incredible few days in Spain (trip report to follow in due course!) the lure of a Pulborough tick was too tempting and after a couple of hours' sleep I was out on the patch soon after 07:00 this morning.
Thankfully, the Black-winged Stilt which arrived on Monday did the decent thing and stuck around and put on a good show on the North Brooks, although it seems to be commuting back and forth to the Mid Brooks fairly frequently.

Black-winged Stilt

Also of note today were two Common Sandpipers at West Mead - my first of the year - with a third reported by Elliot Dowding on the North Brooks. Swift was also a year a tick with at least a dozen hawking and screaming around this morning along with conservative counts of fifteen House Martin, eight Sand Martin and three Swallow. Other bits of note from my visit were two Wheatears (one near Winpenny and one at Hail's View, the latter chased off by a male Stonechat), an obliging male Cuckoo at the Hanger, singles of Black-tailed Godwit and Avocet (other birders reported two today, mating again - could we be looking at a potential breeding attempt?), two Red Kites, two squealing Water Rails (Nettley's and Hail's View), two singing Whitethroats and at least three singing Nightingales. Three adult Great Black-backed Gulls flew south at Hail's View. A total of a dozen Egyptian Geese on site today included a pair with six young at West Mead.

Common Sandpipers

Sadly I missed another Wood Sandpiper this afternoon (or perhaps the same bird from last week lingering), reported on the Mid Brooks by Matt Palmer who also had three Whimbrel drop in briefly on the North Brooks, a Little Ringed Plover at West Mead and two Hobby over the heath.