Arrivals and Departures

11th March

I had the day off today and the weather looked exciting so I ended up having a fairly big morning session. Starting off at Amberley, I found the visibility to be less than ideal, with the mist fairly low and precluding decent observation. Highlights from a relatively short stay here were a Great Crested Grebe (actually an Amberley tick for me!), 15 Tufted Duck and a Great White Egret. 

Next up, I headed to Pulborough Brooks. The water levels here were still very high, with much of the reserve still entirely flooded. It was encouraging to see some land exposed on the South Brooks though, and the Lapwings, Redshanks and Skylarks were taking full advantage and singing and displaying enthusiastically. The long-staying Water Pipit was again in the wet grassland between Winpenny and West Mead hides, and a few Dunlin were lurking among the Lapwings (I only actually saw one but up to 12 were reported by others). A lone Great Crested Grebe was still on the North Brooks and at least four Chiffchaffs and three Cetti's Warblers were singing around the trail.

Wren

On the way home I stopped for a brief check of Waltham Brooks which actually proved to be a really good call. Pretty much the first bird I saw as I scanned the lake from the riverbank was a Great White Egret in full breeding plumage. A Skylark singing rather distantly to the east was a 1k area tick for this year, as was the Mediterranean Gull(s) calling as I got back to my car, which I never actually saw. A Lesser Black-backed Gull flew north with Herring Gulls.

Lesser Black-backed Gull

Great White Egret

Later in the day I popped back out for an hour or so to check a couple of other sites. The scrape at Bignor Park/Hadworth Farm held singles of Green Sandpiper and Little Grebe, while my private WeBS site near Petworth revealed a Dunlin feeding along the shore - my first proper migrant wader here this year and an encouraging sign of things to come!

12th March

No birding first thing today owing to the pouring rain. I had put my moth trap out overnight though, so spent a bit of time checking through what was a reasonably decent haul, despite the weather. 20 moths of six species, with the highlights being singles of Early Thorn and Early Grey.

Early Grey

At lunchtime I popped out for a check of a couple of local water bodies. First up, the scrape at Bignor Park which was business as usual really, with only a Little Grebe and a pair of Gadwall of note. Next up, the private reservoir at Petworth which, while still not providing any migrant goodies, was considerably more birdy than it has been in my past few visits, with a single Tufted Duck my first here for a while along with a pair of Great Crested Grebes, six Gadwall and a lone Mute Swan. 

13th March

I had a short window of birding opportunity this morning before heading over to Woods Mill but wasn't 100% sure where I would go. In the end, the decision made itself when Chris and Juliet Moore circulated news of Spotted Redshank and Oystercatcher from West Mead hide at Pulborough - both decent year ticks there, especially the latter which is less than annual. I dashed over and down to the hide and was kindly shown the Spotted Red through Juliet's scope, while the Oystercatcher strutted about within spitting distance of the hide. After a few minutes, the Spotted Redshank flew across from the back of the pool and more or less joined the Oyc in the same bins view for a brief time. A duo of species I've actually never seen together here before! There were also a few showy Snipe lurking in the grassy margins in front of the hide. 

Oystercatcher

Spotted Redshank

Snipe

A lunchtime walk at Woods Mill proved fairly lively with a definite trickle of Meadow Pipits north (at least 15 in 40 minutes or so) and a Peregrine circling high overhead, the latter a new bird for me here, taking the office bird list to 70 species.

14th March

This morning I woke up in Exeter, having driven down yesterday evening for a Natural England Beaver training workshop. As I had a couple of hours to spare before the training started, I decided to head to RSPB Bowling Green Marsh and the Exe Estuary, just down the road from where I was staying. I had never visited this area for birding before but I was immediately taken with it, the main reserve reminding me of a mini Pulborough, but with the added bonus of the estuary and tidal lagoons on the outer edges. A singing Blackcap greeted my arrival, my first of the year. The apparently long-staying two Spoonbills were still on the marsh, mostly sleeping, along with a single Avocet and some 350 Black-tailed Godwits, 250 Redshank, five Dunlin and a heard only Greenshank. The tide was rapidly coming in in the estuary so there were scant waders to be found out there, but two drake Red-breasted Mergansers were a nice bonus here. The Goose Moor tidal lagoons proved rewarding, with my first Common Sandpiper of the year among four Greenshanks and a couple of Curlews. A Raven flew over, as did a trickle of half a dozen Lesser Black-backed Gulls heading north.

Spoonbills

The Beaver training session itself was excellent, and it was just superb to see the effects that England's only officially licenced wild population of the species (on the River Otter) have had in this area in just a decade or so.

Scenes from some of the beaver activities on the River Otter

After the training session was done for the day I decided to drop back in to Bowling Green Marsh again, which proved to be a good decision as, within minutes of arriving, I picked up first two Sand Martins and then a Swallow hawking over the reserve. Needless to say, my first records of either species this year! The Spoonbills were still about too. The tide was out now so the estuary channels on both the eastern and western sides of the reserve were busy with waders including around 25 Grey Plover,  60 Avocets, ten Bar-tailed Godwits and a few Oystercatchers and Curlews among the hundreds of Dunlin and Redshanks.

15th March

My second and final day in Devon and I again headed out to the Exe Estuary and Bowling Green Marsh early doors. The tide was still out but coming in fast as I arrived, and I was able to notch up ten species of wader out on the mud flats, including some 50 or more Bar-tailed Godwits, 30 Knot, 60 Grey Plover, 180 Black-tailed Godwits and 500 or more Dunlin. 

Bar-tailed Godwits

The two Spoonbills were still present on the marsh, rather less expected were two Black Swans swimming about on the water behind them. Not sure I've ever had those two species in the same scope view before! By the time I was leaving the reserve the tide had come in on the estuary and upwards of 300 Black-tailed Godwits and 250 Redshank were gathering to roost on the marsh. 

Wigeon

Spoonbills

Black Swans and Spoonbills

16th March

Not much birding today but a brief session at the private site near Petworth started auspiciously with a Peacock butterfly on the wing. The reservoir was quiet but, just 15 minutes or so after I arrived and with multiple Buzzards and Red Kites getting up on the thermals it was perhaps not entirely surprising to see an immature female Goshawk get up from the trees near Duncton Common. I watched it for the following ten to fifteen minutes as it climbed stratospherically high, briefly sparred with a Buzzard before stooping down at high speed in the rough direction of Burton Mill Pond. As it disappeared behind the tree line there, a cloud of corvids and Woodpigeons exploded into the air. Walking back to my car I saw my first Comma of the year on the wing, while on the drive home I noted at least three male Brimstones from the car. 

Goshawk - very high by this point!

Peacock

17th March

Rain and a southerly wind to start the day so I hit up various local water bodies, sadly without much reward for my drenching. Perhaps the most lively were the scrape at Bignor Park which held a pair of Mandarins (a site tick for me here) and Waltham Brooks where eleven Tufted Ducks were persisting on the main lake. 

Later in the day we met friends in Arundel for a walk and lunch at Swanbourne Lake. This picturesque site is always worth a visit and is included in mine and Ed's book for good reason, as it is pretty consistently busy with gulls and wildfowl, thanks in no small part to the amount of willing visitors buying and emptying bags of bird seed! Duck highlights today were some 50 Tufted Duck, 40 Gadwall and a single Pochard. A singing Blackcap on the north side of the lake was my first locally this year, while a Peregrine was circling high overhead as we left. 

18th March

An hour dash round Pulborough Brooks this morning proved reasonably fruitful, producing 56 species in total. Highlights were a pair of Avocets and an impressive 16 Shelduck squabbling at West Mead. Two pairs of Great Crested Grebe were displaying out on the South/Mid Brooks while a fifth bird was on its own on the North Brooks. Easily my highest count of this usually scarce species here, it just goes to show how high the water levels have been here for a pretty long period of time. A dozen Tufted Ducks would likewise normally be a pretty remarkable count here, but seems fairly routine at the moment. Other bits of note included a Blackcap singing at the top of Green Lane, a male Stonechat on the fence near Redstart Corner and at least eight singing Chiffchaffs around the trail. 

Shelducks

Shelducks, Avocets and Canada Geese

A check of Waltham Brooks at lunchtime didn't reveal any lurking summer migrants (that I could see). In fact, aside from a couple of singing Chiffchaffs it felt rather wintry, with 22 Tufted Ducks on the main lake probably the standout birds. 

19th March

I was in Kent this morning for work, at a woodland site in the High Weald. There were good numbers of finches around, especially Siskins and Redpolls, and I heard what sounded like at least a couple of Crossbills flying over too. 

Heading back into Sussex early afternoon in intermittent light rain and a light south-westerly, I decided I had to check out a couple of local water bodies in my lunchbreak. The private reservoir at Petworth was disappointingly quiet, but I had better luck at the flooded Rother in Fittleworth which held five Little Egrets and a Kingfisher busily feeding. The scrape at Bignor Park, meanwhile, was still hosting a Green Sandpiper and the lingering Egyptian Goose family. Just as I thought it was going to be another blank session in terms of any summer migrants I heard the distinctive chattering call of Sand Martin and looked up to see two flying west overhead. They didn't even drop in to feed over the water, despite the rain. 

An after work look at Waltham Brooks proved relatively quiet aside from at least eight Tufted Duck on the main lake. Two Marsh Harriers flew downriver in close succession, including a very smart looking male. 

Marsh Harrier

20th March

The Spring Equinox. Always a momentous day in the calendar and this morning held promise with a light south-easterly breeze and a touch of haze in the air. In short, the air felt rare. After dropping B off at nursery I popped by Amberley. Garganey was a species I had in mind as I scanned through the many ducks. After a couple of passes with the scope I looked again and was delighted to see a very smart drake dabbling about with a female Wigeon, to which he displayed a few times! Always a highlight of the year seeing the first drake Garganey and it was nice to find one at a different site, having spent many hours trying to find one at Waltham Brooks in recent springs. Funnily enough, I also realised it was exactly six years to the day since I found a pair at my old patch of Shalford Water Meadows near Guildford. Typically for Amberley, it was hundreds of metres away, so I only managed to get some very ropey record shot photos and videos through my scope. 

(Very distant) Garganey

After the early mist cleared it turned into an absolutely beautiful early spring day, with the mercury rising to 16 degrees Celsius; more than enough to coax out multiple butterflies and other inverts, including my first female Brimstone of the year.

Brimstone

After work I headed out for another little evening session, by which time the temperature was still well into the teens! First up I checked the scrape at Bignor Park which held a pair of Little Grebe, half a dozen Teal and the lingering Egyptian Goose family. An hour at Burton Mill Pond produced 37 species including six Sand Martins feeding overhead before heading off south, five Little Egrets flying south to roost, and the usual Great Crested Grebe pair and 23 Tufted Duck on the water.

Sand Martin

The season of letting go

So then, farewell to October. At a pinch one of my absolute favourite months of the year and which this year produced five local year ticks and a pleasing selection of memorable moments, in spite of birding with my arm in a sling for the most part and being unable to drive. 

This last ten-day period of the month always feels somewhat tinged with melancholy. It's hard not to feel as though autumn has peaked somewhat by the last week of October and that we are inescapably careering into the long darkness of winter, especially when the clocks change and any last hopes of evening birding are extinguished for the next three or four months. 

This year, October went out with a bang, as a series of Atlantic weather systems brought torrential rain which, combined with a period of spring tides, saw the Arun overtopping its banks in many places in the Pulborough area. The flooding in turn attracted my first local Little Gull of the year on the 31st - just a couple of days after my second local record of Long-tailed Duck in two years - and I finally joined the Short-eared Owl party in what looks to be the best autumn/winter for the species in several years. 

21st October

Not loads of time for birding today owing to family stuff but the loop from home to Waltham Brooks and back through the farmland produced a few bits of interest. Over 200 ducks were on the main lake at Waltham, mostly Teal and Mallard though with a handful of Shoveler (2), Gadwall (3-4) and Wigeon (8) mixed in. They were very flighty and at one stage had a single Snipe among them as they flew circuits around the place. Oddly, the only raptors noted were two rather distant Red Kites, so I'm not entirely sure what the wildfowl were getting upset about! A few Siskins and Redpolls were about and there were two Stonechats in the scrub near the railway line.

Wigeon

                                            

Teal

22nd October

No real birding today but notable by their movement at both Bignor and Fittleworth during family activities were a steady stream of Red Admirals moving through, mostly south-west.

23rd October

I was at Knepp all day today for an excellent beaver workshop so not much birding time, but of note here were three Fieldfares and a single Siskin over towards the western side of the estate (near the beaver enclosure, in fact). 

Here be beavers!

24th October

A mixed bag this morning started with 80 minutes' vismigging from the high ground above Watersfield. It was generally fairly quiet, certainly in terms of thrushes and finches, though there was a distinct increase in Woodpigeons and Stock Doves moving south-west, though still only modest numbers (150 and 69, respectively). Best of all were 20 Pintail (15 south/5 north) over Lodge Hill which may have been local wintering birds arriving in the area, but it was still quite cool to see them 'migging' over open country.

A stroll over to Waltham Brooks later in the morning produced a Great White Egret dropping in near the main lake, a few Skylarks and Siskins over, and a flock of 40 Wigeon flying towards Widney Brooks. A Woodlark flew north-east over the farmland near home. My seventh record of this species within the 1km area in the past four weeks - pretty remarkable!

An evening vigil at Thorndale Bridge proved to be enjoyable but didn't yield the hoped-for Short-eared Owl, despite one seen upriver near Pulborough this afternoon. At least six Marsh Harriers flew past to roost, while one of the adult White-tailed Eagles was upsetting the geese over at Amberley and a Yellowhammer flew over among the many Reed Buntings heading to roost. 

25th October

Rain early morning was slow to clear but mid-morning I headed up to Alban Head for a couple of hours' vismigging which proved quite lively. Highlights were two more single Woodlarks east, 54 Wigeon north (20, 11 and 23), 31 Fieldfare north/north-west and a few Redpolls about. I also heard Crossbill but didn't see it. Back home for lunch and another Woodlark flew north/north-east past the bedroom window. It really is remarkable how many records of this species I've had locally recently.

Another late afternoon session on the river bank at Thorndale Bridge wasn't quite as exciting as yesterday but produced a single juvenile Marsh Harrier, a White-tailed Eagle in the usual tree over at Amberley, around 100 Teal flying upriver and a pair of Mandarins flying downriver. 

26th October

A late start this morning owing to unwelcome rain which put paid to any planned attempts at another proper vismig session. I decided instead to head to Waltham Brooks via the local farmland. Almost immediately I realised there were actually a few bits moving after the rain with first a couple of Grey Wagtails west followed by a Peregrine circling briefly overhead before flying towards Amberley. Even better, this was followed around ten minutes later by a smart adult Mediterranean Gull cruising south with a couple of Black-headed Gulls - my fifth 1km area record this year and the first since June. 

As I approached the railway line at Waltham Brooks I heard a Golden Plover calling somewhere to the east but never got eyes on it. Still, it was my 133rd species for the reserve. It proved quite lively here this morning, with 57 species recorded in two hours including Kingfisher, Marsh Harrier, Water Rail and two Stonechats. Wigeon numbers have really increased locally now, as evidenced by the flock of ~200 which flew north, in addition to the 11 kicking about on the reserve. A distant second winter Great Black-backed Gull south-west over Lodge Hill was only my second record for the reserve. 

Looking west from the river bank at Waltham Brooks

Greatham Bridge

Late afternoon I again headed over to Thorndale Bridge in the hope of a Short-eared Owl but no such luck. In fact the only real highlight here was a lone juvenile Marsh Harrier which powered south over Amberley, presumably heading to roost.

27th October

Kate kindly dropped me at Pulborough Brooks this morning for a couple of hours, my first visit here for almost three weeks! It's amazing to think that once upon a time I could barely tolerate missing a day here. The water levels had increased a great deal since my last visit and all the action was on the now very wet South Brooks which held two Ruff, five Dunlin and around 80 Black-tailed Godwits among the usual Lapwings and wildfowl. It was nice to see quite a few Pintail among the ducks here (at least ten) including my first proper smart drakes of the season. At least five each of Redpoll and Fieldfare were about around the trail while the North Brooks was curiously quiet save for a couple of hundred Canada Geese and a lone Shelduck. 

Another early evening stakeout on the river at Thorndale Bridge again proved fruitless on the owl front but I was rewarded for wading almost up to welly depth through flood water by a smart adult male Marsh Harrier (plus sub-adult male and juvenile) hunting just the other side of the river, flushing 25 Snipe in the process. 

Marsh Harrier

Snipe

Nocmig has been very quiet so far this autumn, but last night the microphone picked up a nice Barn Owl calling close to the garden. 

28th October

Family stuff today so no real birding but a short local walk early afternoon produced a Marsh Harrier briefly circling over Watersfield before drifting north-west over Lodge Hill. 

29th October

A very wet night gave way to a morning of sunny spells and squally showers. A short break in the downpours allowed for a quick check of the private reservoir near Petworth (thanks to a lift from Mrs Matt) which produced a couple of surprises. Firstly, a late Swallow over the ploughed field to the north of the reservoir which also held 25 Pied Wagtails and a few Meadow Pipits and Linnets. Secondly, a Long-tailed Duck on the reservoir itself. This was particularly unexpected, as it's coming up a year to when I found one here during a WeBS count in November 2022, that bird went on to stay until the end of December. I really struggle with aging and sexing female type Long-tailed Ducks in winter garb, so would welcome any comment, but have included photos below of today's bird and last winter's bird. Could it be the same one? If so, the likelihood is it surely must be a roaming feral bird. If not, perhaps today's is a genuine storm-blown individual which by some extraordinary coincidence has found its way to the same site as its predecessor. Otherwise, it is was usual fare on the reservoir, though a Great Crested Grebe was my first here since July. 

Today's Long-tailed Duck

And the 2022 bird...

Pied Wagtail

30th October

More heavy rain this morning delayed me heading out on foot from home, and scrapping my planned attempt at a vismig session. Instead I did the full loop out to Waltham Brooks, around the main lake and down the river bank. The water levels had increased dramatically since my last visit, with some of the paths entirely impassable (I had to get out onto the road in order to access the river bank from the north-western corner of the reserve. Avian highlights included a late group of eight Swallows feeding over the river and the north-western side of Amberley, a flock of ~40 Fieldfares over Greatham Bridge and good numbers of ducks - perhaps unsurprising given the water! Around 90 Wigeon flew north while at least 140 Teal were flying about plus a few Shoveler and Gadwall. As I was heading bak from the river bank towards the sewage works a Hummingbird Hawkmoth whizzed past heading purposefully south towards Amberley. 

Looking across the swollen River Arun towards Amberley

A very flooded Waltham Brooks

Continuing the theme of summer migrant stragglers, while working on the computer at home mid-afternoon I glanced up and out of the window towards Waltham Brooks and noticed a bird that on initial appearance seemed to be moving like a large hirundine. When I got bins on and realised it was a falcon and that it was clearly feeding on flying insects, the penny dropped that I was looking at my latest ever Hobby in the UK! I watched it for a minute or two before it drifted off south and I lost it behind trees. 

Late afternoon I decided to attempt my first drive for over a month. I didn't go far but had a quick look at the now very flooded scrape at Hadworth Farm in West Burton (my first check of this site since it dried up back in May) which produced a distant Green Sandpiper, a pair of Gadwall and seven Red-legged Partridge - the latter a good bird this close to home. I don't tend to see many of them away from the Downs round here. I then carried on a bit further to Burton Mill Pond, for my first visit here since before my accident (so around six weeks). An hour stakeout from the viewing platform produced the usual Cormorants flying in to roost (51 tonight) plus a few Little Egrets (9), Pied Wagtails (at least 25), Starlings (70) and Jackdaws (230). Two Water Rails were squealing in the reeds and a Kingfisher flew across the pond a couple of times.

Green Sandpiper

Little Egrets

31st October

A mostly fine morning after overnight rain and seemingly the last calm one of the week, with stormy conditions on the way as October gives way to November. I started this morning's local birding session with a relatively short vismig session up at Alban Head to the west of Watersfield. Despite the clement conditions, there really didn't appear to be much moving at all, despite some large counts of Woodpigeon in other locations in the south this morning. Highlights from 90 minutes here were singles of Crossbill and Yellowhammer north-west and a few Skylarks going in various directions, and two Red Admirals. 

I decided to head up to Watersfield Common and Waltham Park for a bit of a change, in the hope of finding some finches and other passerines. Watersfield Common delivered straight away with a single Crossbill and a flock of at least 15 Lesser Redpoll, followed by two showy Firecrests. Crossbill featured again at Waltham Park with one flying south at the same moment two late House Martins flew high south-east - not quite my latest ever in the UK but it's still pretty remarkable I've had Hobby and two hirundine species on the last two days of October! Other bits from here were seven Siskin and 11 Redpoll flying over, presumably all Lesser.             

A great little afternoon session up at Pulborough proved to be a perfect way to finish my October local birding campaign. I'd actually just popped up to the village to get a few bits from the shops when news broke of a Little Gull over the floodwater between the North Brooks and the village hall. I dashed down to near our old house and quickly picked up the gull - an adult - resting on the water, before taking flight again and hawking for a few minutes. It repeated this routine a few times before eventually flying off with a small group of Black-headed Gulls. While this was going on my attention was drawn to a bird sailing right over my head which I quickly realised was a Short-eared Owl! Steve Chalmers reported one from his nearby garden a few days ago and presumably the same bird was seen over the North Brooks at the weekend, so it wasn't a surprise to see, but something about an SEO always gets the blood pumping! It dropped in towards the river bank where it was promptly chased off by a Magpie, then it gained height and flew towards the North Brooks. Here it continued to gained height, with an irate Rook in tow, until it was just a dot, then drifted off south - presumably in search of somewhere less flooded to hunt.

Short-eared Owl

Little Gull

New year, new list

Yes, I'm back blogging! After a very hectic but thoroughly enjoyable year in 2022 where blogging pretty much went out of the window, I've decided to try and ease back into it with semi-regular diary-type updates on my day-to-day birding. (Thanks to Ed for the inspiration and encouragement!)

1st January

A leisurely start to the new year campaign saw me strolling over to Waltham Brooks for a couple of hours. Water levels were the highest I've seen them so far this winter, which produced good numbers of ducks, including five Pintail. Passing Peregrine and Marsh Harrier flushed all the ducks as they headed over towards Amberley. A check of the sewage works produced the usual scattering of Chiffchaffs and a Grey Wagtail, while a Marsh Tit was calling in the woodland just to the south as I departed.

2nd January

In keeping with seemingly most of West Sussex I headed over to Pulborough Brooks mid-morning. The regular White-tailed Eagles put on a great show, tucking into a carp brunch on the North Brooks. Just as I arrived Steve B and former Pulborough stalwart Jon W had just found a Water Pipit from the Hanger which was still present and showed well (for Pulborough) during our stay at the viewpoint here. Also on show on the North Brooks were a Kingfisher and various other year ticks including Common Gull and three flyover Skylarks. Round on the south side I also caught up with the adult Great Black-backed Gull found by Paul Davy the previous day - almost as rare here as Water Pipit! At West Mead four Snipe showed nicely on one of the islands; another year tick.

White-tailed Eagle

Kestrel

Snipe

3rd January

I'd resigned myself to a non-birding day today after a couple of hours working at Knepp early morning followed by a dentist appointment. Just as I was leaving the dentist though, my phone pinged with a message from Pulborough RSPB volunteer Gary T, saying he'd just found two Bewick's Swans on the South Brooks. I dashed round (it was on the way home, after all!) and enjoyed distant views of them from behind the visitor centre. I tried to get a closer look from the Black Wood side a bit further down the road towards home but, evidently, by the time I got there, the birds had departed.

Bewick's Swans

4th January

A brief check of Burton Mill Pond first thing yielded a lone drake Pochard, four Little Grebes, a squealing Water Rail and two Ravens tumbling overhead. This was planned to be my only birding of the day but, just as I was about to head home, news broke via Chris and Juliet Moore of a Little Gull over at Pulborough, so I dashed over there for the second time in two days. A 15-minute scan from Hail's View sadly didn't produce any gulls at all, with just the standard wildfowl and four Red Kites on show. I decided to head home via a short stop at Greatham Bridge, in the hope that the Little Gull had relocated to Waltham or Widney Brooks, given the amount of flood water in the valley at the moment. It hadn't, but a Cattle Egret hunched on the riverbank was a nice consolatory year tick, as was a Nuthatch calling in the trees just to the east of the bridge.

5th January

Another early morning stroll over to Waltham Brooks from home produced two new species for the local year list. The first came just as I had crossed the railway line into the main reserve when I picked up three Little Egrets flying north together just beyond the Arun. The second only made its presence known as I was heading home past the same area about 40 minutes later and heard the distinctive chur call of a Dartford Warbler. After a little while it appeared, typically with a pair of Stonechats in tow. This was in the exact same spot I had a Dartford on 17th October, so it seems likely it's the same bird that's been wintering in the area. Other highlights from this morning included two Snipe flushed from the marshy ground a little way east of the railway crossing, at least three squealing Water Rail and nine Tufted Ducks on the main lake.

Dartford Warbler

Stonechat

6th January

Only the second sunny start to a day so far this week/year saw me exploring a stretch of local woodland which produced my first Firecrest of the year as well as a few early hints of spring, including drumming and squabbling Great Spotted Woodpeckers and a vocal pair of Mistle Thrushes.

Back home for work, I watched the weather gradually deteriorate through the window, but it didn't dissuade two young Red Kites from putting on a great show low over the rooftops of our neighbourhood, one even swooping down into a nearby garden before lifting back up clutching a wad of grass.

Firecrest

Red Kite

7th January

A wet and windy morning which didn't encourage me to get out early. Eventually I dashed over to Pulborough Brooks for the fourth time this week, mid-morning, to see the three Brent Geese found by RSPB volunteer, Rob King. Viewing from the edge of Black Wood, it didn't take long to pick them out among the grazing Canada Geese. After a blank year in 2022, these were my first local Brents since May 2021.

There didn't seem to be much else going on here so I headed down to Amberley to have a scan of the flood water there, hoping for a Little Gull or even a Kittiwake which had been turning up at a few inland sites in recent days. Scanning from near Rackham Mill I found a drake Goosander, Marsh Harrier and at least 2000 Lapwing. A message from Paul Davy alerted me to the presence of the two adult Bewick's Swans, which I wasn't able to see from my angle. I got him on the Goosander before heading up the hill to meet him at Cross Gate. Luckily I stopped a little way further up to have another scan and picked up the Bewick's, as by the time I got to Paul they had departed south-west (later seen by others at their popular haunt of Burpham Water Meadows near Arundel). It was still good to catch up with Paul though and from the higher viewpoint we also had the two White-tailed Eagles drifting over the reserve.

Brent Geese

8th January

Not loads of birding today but a walk down the lane this morning produced a Grey Heron rather incongruously feeding among the Rooks and Jackdaws in a horse paddock, followed by a flyover year tick Sparrowhawk. Late morning we headed over to Waltham Brooks which was relatively quiet aside from at least 20 Tufted Ducks on the main lake and a flyover Red Kite. The local year list now stands on 86, with 73 of those species recorded in the 1km from home recording area.

Grey Heron

9th January

A walk around local farmland up to Thorndale Bridge this morning didn't produce anything particularly out of the ordinary but a Marsh Harrier was flushing Teal from the marshland near the bridge.

Bird of the day was the Marsh Tit which visited our garden very briefly mid-morning, attracting my attention with its sneezing call while I was working in the house. It stayed a matter of seconds before flying off west. 

10th January

Another squally morning, and a check of some local water bodies first thing didn't produce much other than some very wet optics and the need for a full change of clothes when I got home. 

A stroll round the local farmland mid-afternoon in a break in the rain was similarly uneventful, although it was good to see several hundred Lapwing wheeling about over Amberley Wildbrooks. Otherwise, today definitely felt like a 'roll on Spring' kind of birding day!

Roe Deer