All change

1st April

And so, perhaps the most frenetic month of the birding calendar begins again. I opted for a fairly leisurely start today, mainly as I slept through my alarm (still adjusting to the clock change and shaking off the dregs of a nasty cold). Walking from home out to Waltham Brooks it was clear there were more Chiffchaffs and Blackcaps around than I've heard so far this spring. A check of the sewage works produced an all too brief glimpse of a female type Black Redstart perched on the railings by one of the sewage pans. I decided to walk around to the other side, by the gate, to get a better view. Sadly I wasn't able to relocate the bird, despite a fairly extensive search. Still, my second record of one at this location in the past eighteen months, and a welcome year tick, however fleeting. Other bits of note from the reserve this morning included two Swallows, a male Stonechat, a Blackbird nest building and a Little Egret and three Grey Herons flying over (one of the latter carrying nest material - heading towards Amberley).

Grey Herons

Later in the day, with some fairly lively showers moving through, I checked out some favourite 'wet spots' in the hope of finding some goodies. The long staying Green Sandpiper continued at the scrape at Hadworth Farm/Bignor Park, while the Rother at Fittleworth held a couple of Little Egrets and a flyover Swallow. Hirundine movement had clearly stepped up a gear in the south-westerly today as I also had four Sand Martins through at Hadworth Farm and six Swallows and a dozen Sand Martins at the private reservoir near Petworth. Two vocal Swallows flew around over home in the evening, perhaps local birds returning to territory.

2nd April

I was at Goodwood for a work meeting this morning so stopped off for a walk at The Burgh on the way. Despite spells of bright sunshine it was feeling rather chilly in the brisk south-westerly. I hopefully scanned every paddock and field I passed for Wheatear or Ring Ouzel but it didn't actually feel particularly spring-like for the most part, aside from a singing Blackcap and a couple of Chiffchaffs at the copse just east of Canada Barn. Here I also heard a couple of soft drumming sounds which I am fairly sure was a Lesser Spotted Woodpecker, although frustratingly I never managed to find the bird in questions and also accidentally deleted the sound file on my digital recorder which was running at the time. One of those days! Other bits of note up here were a couple of Red Kites, two Lapwings and three Red-legged Partridges.

The Burgh

After a very enjoyable tour of Goodwood which included multiple Buzzards and Red Kites up in the sunshine, a few Red-legged Partridges and a Raven, I stopped for my lunch break at the private reservoir near Petworth which held four Shoveler but little else of any real note. The scrape at Hadworth Farm/Bignor was still hosting the long-staying Green Sandpiper as well as at least three Swallows and a dozen Sand Martins feeding overhead. 

3rd April

A brief look at Pulborough Brooks before work proved a worthwhile choice, as Chris and Juliet Moore had just found a Little Gull on the South Brooks. I headed to Hail's View and Black Wood from where I got a brief view of the adult Little Gull in flight, heading towards the river where I lost sight of it. Also out here in pretty unpleasant conditions were a single Swallow among at least six Sand Martins, a Marsh Harrier and at least ten Tufted Ducks. 44 species in as many minutes. 

I had to go over to Rotherfield in East Sussex for a work meeting later in the morning where I enjoyed hearing a couple of singing Marsh Tits. 

A lunchtime walk at Woods Mill was largely quiet aside from a couple of Blackcaps and Chiffchaffs, the cold and blustery wind evidently keeping most birds heads down. Similarly, a brief walk at Downs Farm in Amberley after work proved to be a quiet affair with little of note and nothing at all in the way of spring migrants. 

4th April

The first day of a two day Norfolk trip with the Knepp crew, starting with a tour of the new site recently acquired by Nattergal - High Fen near King's Lynn.

A couple of hours walking around here being led by some of the team at Nattergal produced 47 species including two Common Crane, a pair of Goosander, single Great White Egret, Redshank and multiple Marsh Harriers (at least five). It will be very interesting to see how the planned re-wetting approach to the land management here turns what is clearly already a pretty wildlife-rich site into something even more spectacular.

Great White Egret

Shelduck

Common Crane

5th April

This morning we left King's Lynn and headed on to Wild Ken Hill near Snettisham, where we received a warm welcome and introductions from some of the team before heading out on a tour of the site. It was fascinating to see this 'three-pronged approach' to landscape recovery, with a chunk of wild grazed wilding land sandwiched between areas of the estate dedicated to regenerative agriculture and more traditional wet grassland conservation with a focus on breeding waders. The bird species diversity spoke volumes about the richness of the habitat mosaic on offer, with highlights including a pair of Woodlark, multiple Red Kites, Shelducks, a singing Willow Warbler, pair of Oystercatcher, some 40 or so Curlew grazing in the field near the entrance, as well as multiple Brown Hares dotted around the place. Another site, like High Fen, that I hope to visit again in a few years' time to see how they are getting on, but I was very impressed on my first visit. 

Shelducks

On our way home we decided to all stop off at Weeting Heath, a Norfolk Wildlife Trust reserve where I saw my first ever Stone-curlews many years ago, but haven't visited for years. We were told at the visitor that seven Stone-curlews had been showing well this morning but had all gone to ground since lunchtime. We decided to give it a go anyway and were very pleased to enjoy fab views of four birds within a relatively short time of entering the hide. It was great to see a bit of display between a pair. A nice bonus as we were leaving was a Holly Blue on the entrance track - a joint first of the year for everyone present!

Stone-curlews

Holly Blue

6th April

An early start this morning and the promised arrival of Storm Kathleen delivered the forecast very mild but very windy conditions from the outset. I headed out on foot in the direction of Waltham Brooks, although with a slight diversion to check out the fields along River Lane near home. I had only got halfway down River Lane before I heard an unmistakable sound coming from beyond the tree line ahead of me, towards Thorndale Bridge. Cuckoo cuckoo cuckoo. Could it really be? As the wind abated momentarily my suspicions were confirmed - my earliest ever Cuckoo in the UK (by three days). It was still singing as I made my way around to the entrance to Waltham Brooks nearest the sewage works, although I never actually laid eyes on it. The Cuckoo aside, Waltham Brooks was actually rather quiet, aside from a very vocal Sedge Warbler in brambles near the main lake. A few Shoveler and a single drake Gadwall were around on the lake, as well as a heard-only Little Grebe. 

7th April

Today began with a Peregrine drifting over the garden at dawn as I was heading out for a check of a few local sites. First up, WeBS count at the private reservoir near Petworth which was very quiet on the waterbird front aside from seven Tufted Ducks and a pair of Little Grebes. The lingering mixed singing 'Willow Chiff' was still present and singing nearby. An intriguing bird this, as presumably the same individual was present through the breeding season last year but I wasn't able to confirm breeding. It will be interesting to see if it lingers again this year. 

A brief stop near Coultershaw Bridge yielded 16 Little Egrets in the flooded field here. Next up was Burton Mill Pond for my first proper session here for a few weeks. 54 species was the total, with highlights including a singing Willow Warbler, four drake Mandarin, 50 Tufted Duck and a mixed hirundine flock over Chingford Pond which included my first two House Martins of the year among some 25 Sand Martin and at least three Swallows. 

On the way home I stopped to scan the scrape at Hadworth Farm/Bignor Park which proved reasonably lively. The long-staying Green Sandpiper was still present, working its way around the edges, and a mixed flock of some 40 or so hirundines (mostly Sand Martin) also included a couple of House Martins. A Whitethroat briefly singing in the roadside hedge here was my first of the year. Continuing the hirundine theme, ten Sand Martins flew west over the garden late morning.

Green Sandpiper

Cormorant

8th April

Birthday birding today and I had booked the day off specially. After dropping B at nursery I headed over to Pulborough Brooks for my first proper session here since the Easter weekend. Highlights from 61 species included my first Nightingales of the year (2), plus good numbers of common migrant warblers including two Whitethroat, three Sedge Warbler, half a dozen Blackcaps and two Cetti's Warblers. Waders were represented by 26 Black-tailed Godwits and a single Green Sandpiper among the usual breeding Lapwings and Redshanks. One of the White-tailed Eagles was on the North Brooks, tucking into what looked like a female Teal. 

Next up, Waltham Brooks which produced 40 species including singing Cuckoo, Sedge Warbler and a couple of Whitethroats as well as small flurries of Sand Martins flying over towards Amberley (16 in total).

A relatively big walk up Amberley Mount early afternoon was largely uneventful aside from a nice pair of Wheatear at the top and a heard-only Yellow Wagtail.

Wheatears

The scrape at Bignor Park still held the Green Sandpiper as well as a couple of flyover Swallows. Two Red-legged Partridges were running down the road nearby. A dash over to Petworth late afternoon revealed the Long-tailed Duck to be still present.

In the evening a Nightingale was singing just down the road from home, my first in the 1k area this year. 

9th April

An early walk out to the river was scuppered by floodwater at Thorndale Bridge, so I instead did a bit of a stakeout here for a while which proved fairly quiet aside from yesterday evening's Nightingale still belting out its song nearby, plus a Cetti's Warbler. Later in the morning I headed out to check a few more local sites. At the Bignor/Hadworth Farm scrape I found the Green Sandpiper still present plus pairs of Teal and Tufted Duck. Some 30 Sand Martins were feeding overhead with at least five Swallows among them. Next I headed to Burton Mill Pond for a brief watch from the viewing platform. The breezy, overcast conditions felt good for raptors and, sure enough, a Peregrine and a Red Kite drifted overhead, but not the hoped-for Osprey. The resident Great Crested Grebe pair briefly displayed and a Cetti's Warbler was singing in the nearby reedbed. Lavington Common was my next stop, my first visit here this year. As I got out of the car I was greeted by the sounds of singing Firecrest and Woodlark, the latter the first of two singing males here today. Dartford Warbler was new for the local year list, with two birds scolding me as I passed. 

The private reservoir near Petworth was relatively quiet, with the Long-tailed Duck having gone AWOL again, leaving behind her eight Tufted Duck friends, in the company of a pair of Shoveler. Ten Swallows and half a dozen House Martins were feeding overhead. A brief look at the flooded Arun in Pulborough produced another couple of House Martins over the river, but little else of note. Finally, a check of Waltham Brooks late afternoon yielded around 30 Sand Martins and a couple of Swallows, plus singles of Whitethroat and Sedge Warbler.

10th April

Another day off today and, after a late start I dropped in at Amberley mid-morning. Amazingly, for the second time in just a few weeks, as I arrived at the viewpoint on the southern side a ringtail Hen Harrier appeared in view over Rackham Mill, circled and gained height then drift south towards the Downs. Sadly it wasn't as close as the last one back in March, so I didn't get any photos. Otherwise it was a relatively quiet hour here with just a couple each of Sand Martin and Swallow through of note plus one of the regular White-tailed Eagles.

Next up, I headed up The Burgh which provided a pretty uneventful 90 minutes, with very little sign of migrants aside from a few Chiffchaffs and Blackcaps. Ring Ouzel was certainly a species in my mind but, despite sifting carefully through an impressive number of Blackbirds (some 30 or so), I wasn't able to pin one down if there was one about. 

Finally for today, I stopped off near Petworth for another check of the private reservoir, which proved to be an altogether more lively birding destination. As I approached the edge of the reservoir I heard the unmistakable call of Oystercatcher and, sure enough, two appeared from in the basin and flew off eastwards, calling the whole time. Perhaps the pair that have been frequenting Pulborough Brooks recently, but still very cool to see and a long overdue site tick here. As if this wasn't enough, a bit later I picked up an immature Goshawk over the treeline to the south, which proceeded to put on one of the most amazing hunting displays I've ever seen from this species. It was in view pretty much continuously for around ten minutes, during which time it flushed seemingly every Woodpigeon within a couple of miles' radius and made several lunges at a few of them. It even connected with one at one point but the Woodpigeon amazingly seemed to fly away unscathed, aside from a little puff of feathers! Absolutely phenomenal experience.

Oystercatcher

Late March into Spring

21st March

An initially atmospherically misty start to the day quickly turned into a thick peasouper and put paid to my attempt at a dawn check of Waltham Brooks. I could just about make out 22 Tufted Duck on the lake and there were plenty of Chiffchaffs singing around the place, but otherwise not much to report. 

After dropped B off at nursery I quickly headed up Amberley Mount to see if the top was above the fog, which it was. 20 minutes in glorious sunshine up here proved rewarding with Skylarks in fine voice and my first Wheatear of the year - a female - briefly posing well at Downs Farm before disappearing over the rooftops of the farm buildings. It struck me while I was up here that it's been quite some time since I saw a Little Owl up here, as the cow sheds at the farm used to be a reliable spot for them a year or two ago.

Skylark

Wheatear

Late afternoon I headed out again after work for a quick sweep of a couple of local sites. First, the scrape at Bignor Park which held the lingering Green Sandpiper, three Little Grebes and two drake Tufted Ducks, the latter a first for me here. The private reservoir at Petworth didn't hold any surprises, just a handful of Gadwall, a Little Grebe and the usual singing Skylarks and Yellowhammers around and about. 

22nd March

An early walk out from home to the river via Thorndale Bridge proved productive with first a singing Blackcap by the railway bridge, followed by a Redshank calling out towards Amberley West: All three of those species new for the year list! Up at Waltham Brooks there were again 22 Tufted Duck on the main lake but little else of note. The biggest surprise came in the form of a softly singing Willow Warbler in the scrub by the lake, equaling my earliest ever record of the species following on from one at Pulborough Brooks on 22nd March 2020. 

Early afternoon I headed out again for an early afternoon check of a few more local sites. The scrape at Bignor Park held the lingering Green Sandpiper and Egyptian Geese pair with their four young. Amazingly, as I scanned the water, the sound of another singing Willow Warbler drifted into my peripheral hearing. I made my way over to where the sound was coming from and found it flitting about in the hedgerow willows. 

Willow Warbler

23rd March

No birding today as I was up in Chelmsford speaking at the Essex Birdwatching Society Conference on the subject of Avian Reintroductions: Past, Present and Future.

24th March

Out at dawn this morning for a full loop of Pulborough Brooks before a busy day of non-birding stuff. It was another cold day, particularly in the brisk north-westerly, but pleasant enough in the sunshine out of the wind. As was the case yesterday, it felt like a good day for large/soaring birds, so I actually had Spoonbill or Common Crane in the back of my mind as I set off round the trail. West Mead and Winpenny hides proved rather quiet, with just two each of Dunlin and Avocet out on the South Brooks (I missed the mini wader-fest here on Friday which included Grey Plover, Golden Plover and Ringed Plover - a great day for Chris and Juliet Moore et al). Moving round to the Hanger and, amazingly, almost the first bird I picked up (after a Great White Egret) was a second year Spoonbill busily feeding on the back pool. It continued feeding very actively up until I left soon after 7:00, even giving a little flight across the pool at one point. Evidently it was refuelling to continue its journey, as it wasn't seen by a number of other birders who visited later in the morning. Also on the North Brooks were my first Little Ringed Plover of the year and at least five more Avocets.

Spoonbill

Cetti's Warbler

25th March

I had a work trip down to the New Forest today but managed to squeeze in a very quick look at the Bignor Park scrape before I left, where I found the lingering Green Sandpiper still present along with a couple of Snipe, a single Little Grebe and a Willow Warbler softly singing in the roadside hedge; presumably the same early arriving bird I heard here on Friday. Also singing nearby was a Blackcap, my first for this hotspot.

A couple of hours walking around the Eyeworth Wood and Acres Down areas of the New Forest was great and included my first Hawfinches of the year plus several Firecrests and Marsh Tits. It was fascinating to learn more about the Pine Marten camera trapping project down there, from Marcus Ward from Wild New Forest and Kat Saleiko from Forestry England. 

Eyeworth Pond, New Forest

The scarce Red-belted Bracket fungus in Eyeworth Wood

The obligatory New Forest Pony photo

On the way home I checked a couple of local sites, first up the private reservoir near Petworth which seemed very quiet until I picked up a Little Ringed Plover lurking on the far shore - my first here this year. Next up, I stopped for a look at Waltham Brooks. This seemed even more quiet, with not a hirundine or wader in sight. Four Tufted Duck were on the main lake, as was a nest-building Coot.

Little Ringed Plover

26th March

A loop of Waltham Brooks before work produced 34 species including an immature Peregrine circling overhead before drifting towards Lodge Hill - amazingly only my second record locally this year, not including Pulborough. Other bits of note included eight Tufted Duck on the main lake, at least ten singing Chiffchaffs and a Grey Heron which flew high south-east.

Peregrine

What was presumably the same Peregrine was seen again later in the morning, drifting over the garden. After a pleasant start to the day, the forecast rain eventually arrived around lunchtime and the conditions felt good for dropping some migrants, so expectation was high as I headed out to check a few water bodies in my lunch break. In reality though, it was all a bit of a damp squib. The Egyptian Goose family were still at the scrape at Bignor/Hadworth Farm, while the private reservoir near Petworth held a few more ducks than on recent visits (three Shoveler, two Gadwall, four Tufted Duck) but there were no newly arrived migrants to speak of really. The water meadows at Fittleworth held four Lapwing but not a lot else.

Egyptian Geese

27th March

An early walk from home out to Thorndale Bridge and up the riverbank to Waltham Brooks at dawn. There were plenty of Chiffchaffs and the odd Blackcap about in the first section of the walk, and a male Stonechat was singing quietly at Thorndale Bridge. As I neared the lake at Waltham Brooks I picked up a lone Sand Martin flying towards me, later joined by five others, all busily feeding overhead. Despite the brisk wind, I was also able to pick out the unmistakable song of my first Sedge Warbler of the year singing in the reeds by the lake; my earliest ever arrival date for this species. A Willow Warbler was also sub-singing nearby, with a second bird in sallows near the sewage works. It really is extraordinary how many seemed to have arrived so early this year.

Waltham Brooks

Later in the day I headed back out to check the scrape at Hadworth Farm/Bignor which held the long-staying Green Sandpiper but little else of note. At the private reservoir over near Petworth I was surprised to see a male Shelduck on the far bank with an Egyptian Goose. A long overdue first for me at this site. It didn't stay long after I arrived, before it flew off south-west. Another Willow Warbler here takes my March total so far to at least five different birds at three sites.

Shelduck

28th March

As forecast, today was a mixed bag on the weather front. Although it started relatively calm and dry after overnight rain, it didn't take long for more rain to arrive and the wind to strengthen, reaching gale force by the afternoon. I didn't get out birding early this morning, instead opting to start working relatively early and take advantage of my booked afternoon off by heading out after lunch. The scrape at Bignor was relatively quiet aside from the usual bits, although I did note a Coot on a nest here. At the reservoir near Petworth, it was encouraging to see ten Sand Martins feeding over the choppy waters; my highest count of the species anywhere so far this year. A quick check of the Rother at Fittleworth produced six Little Egrets, and two pairs of Lapwing, one angrily berating a Grey Heron. 

Pied Wagtail

Finally I headed over to Waltham Brooks for a quick check of the main lake. By now the wind was very strong and it was hard to hold my bins steady. Four hirdundines came in from a northwesterly direction which I initially took to be Sand Martins before realising they were all Swallows! They didn't hang around and flew straight through towards Amberley. Immediately after this, all of the ducks on-site suddenly exploded into flight (flushed by a Marsh Harrier I realised a bit later, when it flew off over the trees towards Amberley). I had previously only noticed a handful of Shoveler, Teal, Wigeon and Tufted Duck but soon realised there was in excess of 150 in total. Realising there had to be a chance of a Garganey in among them, I quickly fired off as many photos as I could and, sure enough, when I looked on the camera screen, there were in fact two Garganey - a male and a female - in among the flight of Teal. Fantastic! Despite sticking around a while longer, I never actually saw them again, but did hear the male croaking a couple of times.

Spot the Garganey!

29th March

I was at Pulborough Brooks soon after dawn this morning where I caught up with Paul Davy and Steve Baines. The South Brooks had the bulk of the action, certainly wader-wise, with two Avocet and a single Black-tailed Godwit here among the breeding Lapwing and Redshanks. Three Dunlin were seen in flight but we couldn't locate the lingering Water Pipit seen by Harry Ramm. A pair of Peregrines flew through low. Moving round to the North Brooks where, from the Hanger, we saw the usual selection of dabbling ducks still hanging on, in significantly reduced numbers since my last visit. 2-3 Swallows were feeding among a dozen or so Sand Martins. Around 40 Herring Gulls and a few Common Gulls were gathered on the spit between the two main pools (with at least another 30 Common Gulls drifting overhead). 
                                

30th March

A misty start to the day as the wind shifted to south-easterly overnight. I headed out early for a sweep of some water bodies. The reservoir over at Petworth held a lone Great Crested Grebe, and three Lesser Black-backed Gulls flew high north-east. The mixed singing Willow/Chiff was still present, but otherwise it was a quiet affair here. In fact, the bird of the morning was a Barn Owl which flew low over the road near Bury. The Rother at Fittleworth had fully overtopped again, completely flooding the water meadows, which held little of interest aside from my first Mallard ducklings of the year (one female with eleven in tow!). The scrape at Bignor/Hadworth Farm was still hosting the lingering Green Sandpiper as well as Little Grebe, five Tufted Duck, and multiple Coots (including one sitting on a nest). 

Mid morning we headed down to Arundel to feed the ducks at Swanbourne Lake. Two Shelduck which flew off the water and over towards the WWT were my first here, while other bits of note included at least five Mandarin and a pair of Egyptian Geese with two young. As the day was beginning to warm up, so insects began to become more apparent, including Brimstone and Peacock butterflies seen here. 

Later on, back at home, I headed out for a little walk around the local fields and added Speckled Wood to the year list, with two doing their courtship dancing flight through a garden on River Lane. A check of several of the local fields and paddocks failed to produce any migrants, aside from a couple of singing Blackcaps. Back at home, Blue Tits were busy nest-building in our garden nestbox.         

                           

Mandarins

Lesser Black-backed Gull

31st March

A mixed bag today, taking in various local spots. A return family visit to Swanbourne Lake for a go on one of the rowing boats produced an unexpected local year tick in the form of an adult Great Black-backed Gull chilling towards the northern end of the lake. This species often proves to be a bit of a low key tricky one to find locally, with perhaps 2-3 records most years, so it's always a reassuring one to get on the year list relatively early in the year.

Great Black-backed Gull

Later in the day I checked out some of the other local water bodies. First up, the private reservoir over near Petworth which held a lone Dunlin but was otherwise quiet aside from the Willow/Chiff still singing. The scrape at Bignor Park/Hadworth Farm, meanwhile, produced just a pair of Teal of note. 

The Summer Ends

September can be a changeable month, both in terms of the weather and the birding. Sometimes it feels like an extension of summer, at other times autumn can start to bare its teeth a little early. Technically we're still in summertime as I write this, astronomically speaking, though of course ornithologically it's been autumn for quite some time and meteorological autumn began when September started. 

Weather-wise this ten day period saw a dramatic shift from some of the hottest weather of the year so far, to proper westerly, squally Atlantic conditions towards the end. It's also mid-September where the birds on offer locally takes a distinct turn towards autumn proper, and this year has been no exception, as the likes of Spotted Flycatcher, Whinchat and other passage passerines begin to ebb away, and one's thoughts turn towards the first thrushes, finches and Yellow-browed Warbler. Siskin has been perhaps the most frequently encountered species on many of my birding forays these past couple of weeks - an encouraging sign after a very poor winter for the species last year. 

Plus of course there was the star species, the Aquatic Warbler at Beeding Brooks, which delighted all who went to see it, me included.

11th September

I don't often twitch much these days but couldn't resist the urge when an Aquatic Warbler turned up just 20 or so minutes from home, found by Jamie Wilkinson on the 10th. 

After dropping B at nursery I headed down to Beeding Brooks where I found a group of around ten birders already gathered, most of whom had already seen the bird. It showed pretty quickly but only very briefly in flight a few times before giving fleeting perched views at 9.20 then going to ground for two hours. When it eventually reappeared at around 11.30 it proved a little more showy for a short time, deigning to stay in the open for as long as five seconds - enough to appreciate the warm ground colour, strong head stripes and tramlines on the back and relatively plain face. A world lifer for me - my first in the UK for quite a while. 

The bird never quite showed well enough from my angle to get any photos today, but see further down this blog post for pics from my second attempt.

Other highlights from the morning here included a flock of five Crossbills north-east, a Hobby south-west, at least one Kingfisher flying past three times (or three different Kingfishers!), heard-only Siskins and a couple of Ravens.

Beeding Brooks

Raven

In the evening a Barn Owl was heard calling near home. 

12th September

For the first time in quite a while I had a proper two hour session at Burton Mill Pond, checking all three water bodies (Burton Mill, Chingford and Black Pond). It felt distinctly autumnal in the misty, murky conditions, although still warm and very humid. The selection of passerines encountered was rather less summery, with three each of Firecrest and Marsh Tit the highlights among the usual tits, Nuthatches and a few Chiffchaffs and Blackcaps. Very vocal adult and juvenile Hobbies were flying around over the trees at Newpiece. In terms of water birds, Chingford Pond was where the action was happening - as is often the case here - with minima of 70 Gadwall, 40 Tufted Duck, 15 Teal, 10 Shoveler and half a dozen Pochard. The water level has been dropped to allow work to be carried out on the outflow channel, so the margins are looking perfect for waders. Unfortunately, none were to be found today, though there were workmen and a photographer present around said margins. 

Gadwall

Hobby

Early afternoon, a short walk round the local farmland and brief skywatch produced just the faintest whiff of autumn vismig starting to pick up, with around 150 hirundines (mostly House Martin) west/south-west, a single Meadow Pipit south and a heard-only Siskin - the latter recorded locally for the third consecutive day. 

13th September

A return visit to Beeding Brooks this afternoon after a morning co-leading a garden safari at Knepp. Thankfully, the juvenile Aquatic Warbler proved much more showy than on Monday, showing well within ten minutes of my arrival and several more times in the next hour before going to ground again for a while. I even managed to get a couple of record shots this time! A search further upriver for the reported Red-backed Shrike proved sadly fruitless but other bits of note from a couple of hours here included a Green Sandpiper which flew up from the pool by the river and off east (apparently quite a good record here according to local birders I spoke to), two Ravens west and at least five Yellow Wagtails over. 

Aquatic Warbler

14th September

A morning safari in the Walled Garden and orchard at Knepp produced Hobby and Spotted Flycatcher plus Blood-vein and Brindled Green among the usual suspects in the moth trap - although it has to be said the catch was fairly minimal owing to the overnight temperature dropping into single figures for the first time in quite a while. Brrr! 

Blood-vein

On the way home I stopped off at Chantry Hill for a walk round. It was rather quiet but very pleasant nonetheless with highlights including two Wheatears, two Common Whitethroats, singles of Stonechat and Lesser Whitethroat, a Hobby worrying a flock of around 40 House Martins and at least one flyover Yellow Wagtail. 

Red Kite

Wheatear

15th September

Not much birding today, though the moth trap produced Frosted Orange and Pale Mottled Willow, both new for the garden. A quick look at Waltham Brooks on the way home from Knepp early evening revealed two Stonechats in the scrub near the road and the usual selection of Gadwall, Shoveler and Teal on the main lake. A small group of Gadwall were also heard flying over the garden in the evening.

Frosted Orange

16th September

Another day without much birding, though a short skywatch in the garden early morning produced a little trickle of Siskins heading south/south-west, a theme that continued at our allotment later in the morning, with more heading over. Also of note here were a Common Gull flying west and a Willow Emerald Damsefly in nearby trees, a species that is rapidly spreading across West Sussex.

Willow Emerald

A walk at Knepp with friends early afternoon yielded 15 White Storks, a couple of Red Kites and Buzzards and other usual fare. In the evening, a short walk/skywatch on the local farm fields produced a little flurry of southbound Swallows. 

17th September

An early start this morning for WeBS day. Sadly the low cloud and north-easterly didn't produce a tasty wader at my private reservoir site over near Petworth, or any waders at all for that matter, with even the recent lingering Common Sandpipers having moved on at last. Highlights on the water were three Shoveler, 11 Pochard, 52 Egyptian Geese and a site high count of 126 Coot. It was fairly lively on the passerine front with Yellow Wagtail and at least two Siskins heard flying over, plus a few Meadow Pipits.

Egyptian Geese

On the way home I dropped in at Burton and Chingford Ponds for a brief look. At least 52 Gadwall were on Chingford Pond and there was a light easterly passage of hirundines, otherwise highlights included a vocal juvenile Hobby again, 5 Red Kites circling together and a minimum of 50 Siskins. 

Continuing the vismig theme, a short stint in the garden mid-morning produced a little flurry of hirundines and a couple more Siskins, followed by a kettle of 19 White Storks which took a while to decide on their direction of flight before drifting strongly south-west, apparently later seen over Southampton. 

White Storks

Late morning saw us heading up to Surrey to meet friends for a quick walk at Thursley Common before lunch. Perhaps unsurprisingly the first bird I heard as soon as I got out of the car was Siskin and their 'pew' calls soundtracked what turned into a pretty short walk, as our storm chaser friends alerted us to the rush of wind preceding a torrential downpour, meaning we thankfully got to shelter before the rain hit (Amazingly, an inch of rain fell in the following hour!). Just prior to the rain I noted around 20 House Martins drifting east.

Back at home in the evening I took a short stroll out to Thorndale Bridge which produced a vocal male Tawny Owl (new for me at this hotspot) and 2-3 Water Rails squealing on the Amberley side of the Arun. 
 

18th September

The morning after the storm before. A midnight thunderstorm of biblical proportions which brought down trees in the local area and blew out the bulb in my moth trap (that will teach me to bodge a rainguard with a garden umbrella...). Unsurprisingly, all the moths had vacated the Skinner by the morning, with just a few Willow Beauties scattered about and a new for the garden Garden Carpet doing a rubbish job of trying to camouflage against some nearby woodwork. 

Garden Carpet

After dropping B off at nursery I popped by Pulborough Brooks for a brief scan of the North Brooks which produced my first Pintail of the autumn (at least five among hundreds of Teal) plus 3 Ruff, 5 Snipe and a perched adult Hobby. 

With more rain on the way and a bit of a window of opportunity I decided to dash back over to the reservoir near Petworth, in the hope that the storm had dropped something in. It proved to be a very worthwhile decision as I approached the rim of the reservoir and peered over to be greeted by the sight of two juvenile Black Terns hawking up and down over the water - not just a first for this hotspot but a first for me anywhere in my local area and, indeed, anywhere in inland Sussex. For the next hour or so I delighted in watching them feeding over the water and occasionally resting on the buoys at the southern end. A truly wonderful bird to encounter in this unlikely location in the middle of rural West Sussex, following on from the lingering Long-tailed Duck here last winter. What next! 

Other highlights here this morning included a showy Wheatear on the fence by the reservoir and a Lesser Whitethroat in nearby scrub, the latter actually a hotspot tick but rather overshadowed by the terns!

Black Terns

Black Tern

Wheatear

19th September

Another distinctly autumnal morning with drizzle in the air and a brisk south-westerly wind. While driving through Houghton/Amberley this morning I noticed an adult Great Black-backed Gull on the river bank near Houghton Bridge. Not a regular sight round these parts, especially not on the deck. After dropping B at nursery I decided to head back over to Petworth to check if the Black Terns were still around. They weren't but, frustratingly, I did have another tern flying away from me heading purposefully south-west, but didn't get good enough views to clinch the ID. It seemed fairly uniform grey on the back and very buoyant, but unfortunately will have to go down as one that got away. 

There was a bit of House Martin passage going on with at least 110 birds powering straight into the wind during my 90 minutes here. Otherwise, highlights were restricted to ten Pochard and 14 Shoveler on the water and a flock of 20 Meadow Pipits overhead.

20th September

Very little birding today, as I was leading a garden safari at Knepp in the morning and heavy rain set in by mid-afternoon until nightfall. Passing glances at Waltham Brooks and Southlands Farm, West Chiltington on my way to and from Knepp, respectively, revealed much the same species on offer at both sites. 20 Shoveler were on the main lake at Waltham Brooks plus a few Gadwall and a lone Grey Heron perched on the post in the water, while Southlands hosted 10 Shoveler and five Teal. The almost total absence of waders at both these sites in recent weeks reflects what a generally poor wader autumn it's been everywhere, combined with higher water levels than we were experiencing this time in 2022.