Blink and you'll miss it...

Well, somehow it's almost the end of April already. Not quite sure how that happened! Still, we're well and truly in the thick of the freneticism of peak spring now, which is partly why it's taken me a bit longer than usual to finish this latest update on my local birding.

I haven't been able to get in the field quite as much as usual this spring, for various reasons, but it's clearly already been a good one, with a decent arrival of migrants in the past fortnight. One thing that is encouraging about this spring is that, after several atypically dry and cold Aprils on the trot, it all feels a little more 'normal' this year, with the ideal mix of warm sunshine, showers, and winds from all directions. Indeed, it really feels as if no hour is the same, let alone each day.

I'm heading towards May with my local year list standing on 131 and my 1km list on 109. So it's certainly not looking like a record-breaking year but, as was the case in 2022, I am just trying to embrace the mantra of enjoying birding as and when I can get out and relishing the special moments that make it all worthwhile.

 12th April

Another one of those days where I went out briefly, not expecting much. After a very unusual lie-in I decided to just dash out to check the local fields before starting work, and almost immediately stumbled across a spanking male Redstart in the horse paddock halfway down our road. I fired off a few record shots (it was quite flighty) before the ominous black cloud towards the south-west arrived and it started to pour down, so I sprinted home.

Redstart

Thereafter it was a typical April day, with sunshine and showers and a strengthening chilly wind. After finishing work I headed over to the farmland and reservoir near Petworth, just as the most biblical rain and hail arrived. Still, nothing ventured, nothing gained as they say... so I put both my coats on, grabbed my umbrella and headed out of the car. In the end, it wasn't particularly worth the soaking, although I enjoyed 45 minutes or so under the umbrella watching the 120-130 hirundines feeding low over the reservoir, the 15 or so Swallows in particular almost hovering and skimming the surface of the water like Storm-petrels. There were at least five House Martins too, otherwise the rest were all Sand Martins. 

13th April

Not much birding today but I was leading a dawn safari at Knepp first thing which produced at least three singing Nightingales, including two together in the same tree.

Up at my mum's house later in the day, I saw my first Speckled Wood of the year in the garden. 

14th April

Some light drizzle and a light south/south-westerly wind this morning felt good. I headed out on foot to check some of the local fields. The best bits for my efforts were my first Cuckoo of the year, singing distantly to the east, the nearby singing Nightingale again and a singing Skylark. Also noted were a Raven carrying food, a Greenfinch with nest material and a flyover Little Egret heading south-west - surprisingly my first one in this hotspot since we moved to the area back in September!

After dropping B off at nursery I briefly stuck my head in at Waltham Brooks which yielded presumably the same Cuckoo I'd heard earlier, seemingly singing just across the river towards Amberley. Other bits of note were singing Willow Warbler, two each of Sedge Warbler and Whitethroat and around 25-30 hirundines, mostly Sand Martins but with a few Swallows and a single House Martin mixed in.

In the evening I was heading over to Petworth for Roger Morgan-Grenville's book launch, so decided to pop into the farmland and private reservoir there for a little look. The low cloud and easterly element to the wind felt absolutely ideal for producing something good, especially Little Gull, but in the event there wasn't a great deal doing aside from the largest congregation of hirundines I've seen so far this year (around 200, mostly Sand Martins but a good 20 House Martins and 10-15 Swallows) and a singing Willow Warbler.  

15th April

This morning I headed over to Pulborough Brooks for a walk around, and a catch-up with Joe Bassett, the former warden. Aside from an attempted rescue on a sadly nearly dead female Mallard hung up in a barbed wire fence, it was an enjoyable couple of hours with at least five each of singing Nightingale and Whitethroat, two pairs of Avocet, two Mandarin, four Tufted Duck, decent numbers of Swallows and Sand Martins and a singing Woodlark as we were leaving. 

An evening walk around the local fields was relatively quiet aside from a single House Martin and four Swallows, and flyovers of Raven and Grey Heron. A pair of Sparrowhawks were also up together near Besley Farm. 

Later in the evening, a text from Mark McManus alerted me to two Garganey showing well on the main lake at Waltham Brooks (Pete H and Alice P had had three birds there earlier in the day) so I made an impromptu decision to dash over to see them. Typically, as I arrived Mark said they had just vanished! Still, it was nice to catch up with Mark and we enjoyed several singing Sedge Warblers, a heard-only Barn Owl and also at least two Snipe calling in the darkness.

16th April

An early start this morning for a dawn safari at Knepp, the highlights of which were my first visuals on a Cuckoo this year and my first Lesser Whitethroat of the year, along with multiple singing Nightingales.

On the way home from Knepp I decided to stick my head in at Waltham Brooks for yet another bite of the Garganey cherry. I'm pleased to say I connected at last! A single drake deigned to show itself on the main lake for a few minutes, even giving a few croaky calls at times. There were also at least two Nightingales singing - one near the main lake and another up by the railway bridge.

Garganey - at last!

Much of the rest of the day I was up in Surrey doing non-birding stuff, but an evening walk round the local fields produced various spring goodies including at least seven Swallows zipping about over a field of cattle, and a Mistle Thrush with its bill stuffed full of worms and caterpillars.

Mistle Thrush

17th April

I spent the majority of today leading a Wildstarts tour for a couple from West Sussex. Their target species were Kingfisher and Dartford Warbler at Burton Mill Pond and a nearby heathland. Three hours at Burton Mill Pond produced almost 50 species but sadly (and unusually!) no Kingfisher. Highlights here were at least two singing Reed Warbler, three singing Firecrest, two Mandarins, two House Martins and seven Egyptian Geese. Weirdest of all was the strange grunting call we heard three times in reeds towards the south-east corner of the main pond. It was reminiscent of the flight call of a Bittern but clearly coming from dense vegetation near the water's edge. We couldn't see anything, but I did wonder afterwards whether it might have been a Night Heron... Sadly, further visits later in the afternoon and in the evening didn't yield any more clues as to what it might have been, so unfortunately one that got away!

On to the heathland site, where I'm pleased to say we connected with a Dartford Warbler, much to the couple's delight! Other highlights here were at least six Woodlark, a singing Whitethroat, two Ravens, a single Swallow and lots of Brimstone butterflies, including my first females of the year. Also noted on the wing towards the end of the (by now quite warm) walk here were Speckled Wood and Peacock.

Woodlark

18th April

A switch to north-easterly wind again and a rather brisk morning, which didn't feel particularly 'rare'. Nonetheless, I headed out early to check the local fields near home which yielded a 'new in' singing Whitethroat, the now regular singing Nightingale (that's already been present two weeks!), and a Barn Owl in flight over a field literally just a couple of houses behind ours. A brief check of the river, Wharf Field and the north-west side of Amberley Wildbrooks, meanwhile, produced two more singing Nightingales, a pair of Grey Wagtails and the singing Cuckoo again.

The weather felt conducive to grounding some waders (and, sure enough, later in the day there were plenty of inland records of Bar-tailed Godwit popping up on BirdGuides and the first Greenshank of the year at Pulborough) so I made two visits to the private reservoir near Petworth. Sadly, no unusual waders were to be found here, although it was nice to see the pair of LRPs displaying. A Willow Warbler was still singing nearby and there were at least 70-80 hirundines feeding low over the water, mostly Sand Martins. 

It was also nice to confirm the first egg in our garden Robin nest this afternoon (thanks to Paul Stevens, who is tall enough to see in!).

Robin egg

19th April

No real birding today, but it was great to see the local Swallows back on territory on our street, whizzing around over our garden and in and out of our neighbours' car ports.

20th April

Not a great deal of birding today, though a lunchtime walk around the local fields produced a very welcome Swift, flying west. Not quite my earliest ever, but very close! Also of note was a newly arrived Whitethroat singing in a hedgerow near home, though it still feels like numbers of these are quite low at the moment.

21st April

An early start this morning for a walk from home to Waltham Brooks and back via the local farmland. Highlights in the latter were the continuing Nightingale singing well near Besley Farm and two singing Willow Warblers in close proximity just west of the western entrance to Waltham Brooks. Highlights actually on the reserve itself were a good selection of warblers including at least two each of Sedge Warbler, Cetti's Warbler and Whitethroat. There were at least two Nightingales singing there again too, near the main lake and another near the railway line, and the Cuckoo was in fine voice again over beyond the river. 

After dropping B off at nursery I swung by Pulborough for an hour on the southern side of the reserve, viewing the South Brooks from Hail's View. Best from 51 species here were a local year tick Greenshank, single Avocet, at least four Redshank, a distant singing Nightingale and a singing Firecrest in Black Wood. 

Back at home late morning, and my working efforts were temporarily distracted by two Shelduck flying around over the garden - the first garden record.

Finally, a late afternoon visit to the private reservoir near Petworth produced (amazingly/shamefully) my first Green Sandpiper of the year, plus a single Little Ringed Plover and a displaying pair of Great Crested Grebes. At least 220 Herring Gulls were drifting about, heading roughly east, with at least one Lesser Black-backed Gull among them.

22nd April

Again, not loads of birding today. A short walk around the local farmland was largely uneventful save for the usual couple of Swallows, the singing Nightingale again and Starlings with nest material.

In the evening I was at Knepp, leading a dusk safari, which produced several singing Lesser Whitethroats, Nightingales and a Cuckoo.

23rd April

Another rather grey and drizzly start to the day, so I headed out to check out a few local water bodies and wetland sites. First up, a brief look at Fittleworth Water Meadows in passing, which produced a displaying Lapwing and four Little Egrets. Next, the private reservoir near Petworth for my monthly WeBS count, which didn't hold a huge amount aside from two Great Crested Grebes, four Gadwall and a Little Ringed Plover, as well as a few Swallows and Sand Martins. On the way home I stopped off at Burton Mill Pond for a quick look, which yielded my first Common Sandpiper of the year as well as the rather incongruous sight of the resident pair of Great Crested Grebes doing a few flying circuits before settling back down on the water. I actually can't recall the last time I saw this species properly in flight in an inland setting. Last of all, I stopped to check the flooded field near West Burton which yielded a single drake Gadwall along with a few Mallards, including a brood of ducklings. No waders here today but it really is looking very good at the moment so it's a spot I plan to check semi-regularly in the coming days and weeks. 

Common Sandpiper

Great Crested Grebe

Great Crested Grebes

24th April

A rather cold and sunny start to the day, so I decided to head over to West Burton for my first South Downs Farmland Bird Monitoring survey visit of the season. In all honesty, this square was pretty underwhelming last year, and so it proved again this morning, with not a single Skylark, Yellowhammer or Linnet to be seen. In fact, the only bits of note were singles of Willow Warbler and Whitethroat and a couple of pairs of Swallow.

After this, I decided to pop back and have a look at the flooded field/scrape just north of here, as mentioned earlier. Encouragingly, as soon as I pulled up in the car and started scanning, a Green Sandpiper flew up and across to the far side. After a while, I lost it altogether, but still not a bad start to my first proper check of what I suspect will become a regular haunt in the coming weeks.

Hadworth Farm scrape, near West Burton

  

25th April

After dropping B off at nursery this morning I decided to head up the Downs - specifically Amberley Mount again - in the hope that the chilly north/north-easterly wind might have dropped in some passerines. Sadly, it wasn't to be, as the only migrants noted were a couple of Swallows, Blackcaps, Chiffchaffs and a single Whitethroat. Other highlights from an hour and a half up there were two Yellowhammers, a pair of Grey Partridge and a Peregrine. 

Grey Partridges

A lunch break walk around the local fields proved to be fairly lively, with the local Cuckoo and Nightingale both in fine voice, at least 30 Linnets busily flitting and chatting away in the hedgerows and Dandelion-covered fields, and both Orange-tip and Comma on the wing. Over a hundred hirundines were swirling around high over Waltham Brooks, with two each of Swallow and Sand Martin flying fast and low over the rooftops on the edge of the hamlet.

Early afternoon, I lifted my head from my laptop and a glance out of the window produced a couple of very high Buzzards followed by my first Hobby of the year - two in fact! - hawking high over the garden. 

26th April

Another cold and blustery start, with spots of rain blown in on the stiff east/south-easterly wind. After dropping B at nursery I decided to stick my head in at Amberley Wildbrooks for the first time in a little while. Here I found a good gathering of Swallows (35 or more) feeding over the east side, where I also found a Greenshank lurking among the Lapwings and Redshanks. A flyover Shelduck was, surprisingly, an Amberley tick (well, according to eBird anyway!). One of my small-scale ambitions from my birding in 2023 is to get my Amberley list past 100, to join the likes of Knepp, Burton Mill Pond and Pulborough Brooks in my top-scoring local sites. Greenshank was 99...

On the way home I stopped to check out the fields and reservoir near Hardham for a few minutes. Here I noted a Linnet with nest material and a singing Whitethroat, but my attention was suddenly grabbed by the close call of a Little Ringed Plover. I crossed the road to check the field to the south and, sure enough, found a pair in the stubble field there. Quite an unusual sight to see them scurrying about among the Jackdaws!

Little Ringed Plovers (you might need to look closely...)

Working from home later in the day, my gaze was distracted by a Hobby and at least three Swifts dashing past the window, so after lunch Kate and I headed out for a walk round the local farmland. This proved to be quite a lively session with first a Peregrine dashing low west with prey then three Hobbies up together, hawking over towards Waltham Brooks. A bit later on I noticed three over towards the south and quickly realised these were different birds, as the other three were still in sight. This really put the wind up the local Swallows which were whizzing about, alarm calling over the stables and cow fields! A Nightingale was singing well over towards the back of Coldwaltham Sewage Works. 

Finally, I dropped in at Pulborough late afternoon, as it sounded from messages from Chris and Juliet Moore as though a mini wader fest was underway there. Pleasingly, I quickly managed to locate the Wood Sandpiper and two Greenshanks from Winpenny hide, later joined by a summer plumaged Dunlin, while at least one Ringed Plover was heard but not seen. Seven species of wader in just over an hour wasn't a bad haul at all, and served to remind me just how good this site can be at its best. Indeed, I have been guilty of neglecting it a little this year, what with one thing and another, but given the condition of the habitat at present and the selection of species on offer today, I think I will make more of an effort to visit less infrequently in the coming weeks!

Greenshanks

Wood Sandpiper

And back to April

Swift and Swallow carry me

Above the deepest sea

And back to April...

- lyrics from 'April' by Hope & Social

I've always loved April. Perhaps it's because it's my birth month. Perhaps it's because it's when the summer birds really start coming back in numbers. Either way, it's a month that's full of promise, flowers and, often, the first real warmth of spring. 

We've had a bit of all the above in the past couple of weeks. In fact, on the 7th Pulborough recorded the highest temperature anywhere in that UK that day. The yearlist is also steadily creeping up; it's that wonderful time when almost every day brings a new arrival or two.

1st April

Not a huge amount of birding today due to various other commitments. A family walk at Burton and Chingford Ponds mid-morning was largely pretty quiet, aside from at least 7-8 singing Chiffchaffs and singing Woodlark and Firecrest. Three Great Crested Grebes were on Burton Pond while a lone drake Mandarin was on Chingford Pond. 

2nd April

A much more encouraging start to the day, with cloud, some light drizzle and a bit of a north/north-easterly breeze, making it feel quite a bit colder than the 7 Celsius air temperature. I headed out early for a whistle-stop tour of local sites. First up, the private reservoir over near Petworth which proved fairly lively, with a single Swallow among at least 40 Sand Martins, 2 Little Ringed Plover and my first Willow Warbler of the year, singing softly in trees nearby. It was a bit of a seasons collide moment here, as there were still a dozen Redwings and a couple of Fieldfares about too.

Fittleworth Water Meadows got a look-in briefly in passing but yielded little, although it is looking cracking for Garganey at the moment - three Shoveler were the best ducks I could find today.

An hour at Waltham Brooks was particularly good, producing 46 species, including my first two House Martins of the year feeding over the main lake with around 50 Sand Martins and 2-3 Swallows. There had clearly been another fall of Chiffchaffs, with at least a dozen singing around the place. Nothing spectacular, but my liveliest local morning of the spring so far, with two 10km year ticks, while the House Martins were my 100th species within 1km of home this year. 

By late morning the cloud was beginning to clear a bit, as forecast, and news broke of an Alpine Swift down at Chichester GPs. Normally, I would resist the urge to twitch but, as it was a Sussex tick just 20 minutes from home, and Kate and I were out anyway, we decided to pop down. Typically, I arrived to find that it had flown off strongly about half an hour beforehand, but it was still great to see my first two Little Gulls of the year feeding over West Trout Lake.

Little Gull

3rd April

The first frost for a little while. I headed over to Pulborough Brooks for a bit of a session there this morning, which began with promise in the form of a Swallow over the visitor centre then a singing Willow Warbler down the ZigZag. The North Brooks seemed quiet aside from a scattering of the usual ducks, but then Juliet Moore text to inform me of a drake Garganey on the South Brooks. I hurried to the viewpoint behind the Hanger and managed to get very distant views of it, right over by the river bank. Heading round to Winpenny, I caught up with Juliet, Chris and Alan there, where we enjoyed brief views of a Water Pipit (presumably the same individual that has been around since January) as well as 2-3 Swallows and at least 10 Sand Martins feeding out over the water. A Chiffchaff was noted nest building near the hide and on the way back up top I saw a Woodlark briefly song flighting above Uppertons Field before dropping back down into the grass.

A lunchtime 1k walk was very pleasant indeed in the now warm sunshine but largely uneventful aside from a Brimstone butterfly, a clear fall of Chiffchaffs and a 'new in' Blackcap singing on the edge of Lodge Hill. 

4th April

Another cold and frosty start and a day in which I hadn't planned to do much birding, due to work commitments. Sometimes though, those end up being the best days! A dawn walk around the local farmland proved to be really enjoyable. A hunting Barn Owl down at Wharf Field near Thorndale Bridge was followed by a singing Blackcap and a rather late Redwing, then, best of all, my earliest ever singing Nightingale in scrub between River Lane and Waltham Brooks.

Barn Owl

It only gave a few phrases but it was unmistakable. Sadly, when I tried to get a bit closer, it stopped singing and there was no further sign. Garden birding on and off during the day produced lots of Buzzard action and a few Swallows flying over. 

5th April

A cloudy start to the day after a couple of days of easterlies seemed like good fall conditions. I headed out early on foot, through the local farmland towards Waltham Brooks. Yesterday's Nightingale was still present and singing on and off, while there seemed to be even more Chiffchaffs around the place. At Waltham Brooks there were at least 3 Sedge Warblers singing in the vicinity of the main lake, with two engaging in some territorial scuffling. A Stonechat was singing near the railway crossing too. Gulls were in evidence, moving overhead, including Mediterranean Gull - first a very vocal flock of 19 which flew north-west from Amberley towards Lodge Hill, followed by at least four in with a flock of Black-headeds going north. 

Grey Wagtail

Mediterranean Gulls

6th April

A bit of overnight rain, followed by low cloud and a brisk south-westerly had me thinking it was a water body kind of morning. I headed over to the private site near Petworth which quickly produced a Little Ringed Plover flying around calling over the farmland, followed by ~35 Sand Martins, 2 Swallows and a House Martin feeding over the reservoir; the latter my first of the year here. Best of all though, was a Redshank which announced itself first by its mournful call (don't they always?) before I got eyes on it on the far bank. After a little while it took flight through the cloud of hirundines and disappeared purposefully east. Amazingly, considering I have recorded Spotted Redshank and Greenshank here, this was my first site record of Redshank!

Redshank

A check of Burton Mill Pond on the way home produced 29 species in 20 minutes including a squealing Water Rail and a lone drake Mandarin. 

A walk round the hamlet and local fields at lunchtime produced a pair of Swallows on wires - my first 'local' pair seemingly back on territory, as they proceeded to feed merrily over the nearby horse paddock for the rest of my walk. Also of note were a Brimstone and my first Dark-edged Bee-fly of the year.

Swallows

7th April

It was a clear and still morning so I decided to head to local woodland for another go at Lesser Spotted Woodpecker. Sadly I didn't connect, but did have at least four Mediterranean Gulls flying over Coldwaltham Farm, heading high west, calling. 

In the evening I was back at Knepp for my first proper safari of the year, the clear highlight of which was the first Nightingale of the year there, singing very briefly in the Southern Block while I was pouring drinks for the safari guests. This was followed later on by a rather incongruous Woodcock, flying out of the stable yard at New Barn Farm through the headlights of the 4x4 buggy I was driving. 

8th April

My birthday and I was dropped off at Pulborough Brooks fairly early where Steve B and Paul D were waiting for me, later joined by other friends, and we did a full circuit of the nature trail. Sadly the thick fog was slow to clear but, when it did, we enjoyed good views of three pairs of Avocet on the North Brooks and my first Whitethroat of the year along Adder Alley. Late morning we headed down to Rackham Viewpoint where we quickly found one of the White-tailed Eagles along with a lone drake Garganey (there were at least three here yesterday).

A short walk round the local fields in the evening produced the Nightingale singing again. It seems to be getting gradually more vocal by the day.

9th April

Another rather misty start but thankfully nowhere near as bad as yesterday. I headed out early across the local farmland towards Waltham Brooks. The Nightingale was in good voice in the scrub near Besley Farm. Highlights at Waltham Brooks, meanwhile, were my first 1km Whitethroat of the year, at least three Sedge Warblers and a single Snipe. 

Roe Deer

Whitethroat

10th April

A very wet start so I didn't get out straight away. A late morning walk round the 1km area was largely without any fireworks until near the end when I found a singing Nightingale up Sandy Lane on the edge of Watersfield Common - my second 1k record so far this spring. As it's our first spring in the area, it's going to be really interesting to see how many of these guys breed locally.

Early afternoon I headed over to the farmland and private reservoir near Petworth. There wasn't much of note on the reservoir itself aside from an increase in Tufted Duck (20), a lone Great Crested Grebe and a few Swallows and Sand Martins. Passerine interest in the surrounding fields was better through with (at last!) my first Wheatears of the year (both male and female) hopping about in a potato field, and a singing Willow Warbler nearby.

Wheatear

11th April

A fine but breezy start to the day. I decided to venture out on foot from home to do the loop to Waltham Brooks via the river and the local farm fields. The farmland and river didn't produce much but a nice selection of warblers awaited me at Waltham Brooks including my first two Reed Warblers of the year (already reported by Wes A on Sunday), along with at least three Sedge Warblers and two each of Whitethroat and Willow Warbler. Around 60 Sand Martins were hawking around over the main lake. Heading towards the railway line I could hear a Nightingale singing and, as I got nearer, I realised it was two males engaging in a bit of a vocal duel. Unusually, I got brief views of both them, perched out in the open in a willow before they disappeared back into the scrub.

Later in the morning two House Martins flew west over the house and a singing Skylark was audible from the garden - the first time that's happened since we moved in.