LSWs

Wednesday 8th April - Very slow going at Friston Forest today in sunny but blustery conditions - just a pair of Buzzards and a couple of singing Blackcaps and a complete absence of any butterflies along the transect despite the sunshine. A Speckled Wood in the garden was my first this year.

Tuesday 7th April - A pair of Jays by Southwick Church early morning. Survey work at Knepp was a bit slow in the blustery conditions with Blackcap and Chiffchaff the only summer migrants recorded. Otherwise several Buzzards (inc a pair over Hartsgravel Wood), Green and Great Spotted Woodpeckers, Nuthatch, Bullfinch etc. At the Millpond there were 17 Cormorants (inc the pair on a nest), 8-9 nests in the heronry and a pair of Greylags.

Monday 6th April - A quick visit to the Ternery Pool at Rye Harbour produced masses of Mediterranean Gulls and Sandwich Terns but very little else.

Sunday 5th April - An early morning start at Wednesday's LSW sites drew a complete blank at one and a very brief view at the other. A pair of Mandarins was at the first site where a pair of Shelduck flew over. The second site held a pair of Teal (a possible breeding site?), ca. 10 Redpolls, a male Blackcap, Treecreeper and an adder that slid off into the undergrowth. Next stop was a nearby area of heathland where we were rewarded with a singing Wood Lark (though not seen), a song-flighting Dartford Warbler and lots of noisy Siskins. The highlight however was a superb sand lizard - a Sussex first for me. We then headed back to the first LSW site where a female showed very well, even doing its 'butterfly' display flight. Both calling and drumming were heard. Also a Grey Wagtail. Later, a couple of Buzzards flew high over the beer garden of the Rising Sun at Nutbourne and what looked suspiciously like a White Wagtail perched briefly on the roof. A male Orange-tip in the road outside was my first of the year.

This week

Thursday 2nd April - Survey work in the Friston Forest Project Area turned up a stunning Firecrest (my first site record), a Tawny Owl hooting at 12:35 and a pair of Great Spotted Woodpeckers. The murky conditions were slow to clear but eventually I set out on the butterfly transect recording 4 species: Peacock (5), Brimstone (3 males), Comma (1) and Red Admiral (1).

Wednesday 1st April - There can be few more agreeable places to be in Sussex on a glorious spring morning than Burton Mill Pond and so it was to prove today as 13 SOS members met up with me for a walk round the nature trail. We noted 45 species – a respectable total for an inland site. Waterbirds included Mute Swan, Greylag Goose, Tufted Duck and Great Crested Grebe on Burton Pond, Little Grebe in breeding plumage on Black Pond, and Shelduck, Gadwall and Teal on Chingford Pond. Several Buzzards were seen overhead as the day warmed up while in the wooded areas we saw or heard Stock Dove, Green and Great Spotted Woodpeckers, Song Thrush, Blackcap, Chiffchaff, Goldcrest, Long-tailed, Coal and Marsh Tits, Nuthatch, Treecreeper and Bullfinch. A Grey Wagtail was seen briefly at Chingford Pond and a male Reed Bunting perched at the top of a beech tree round the back of Burton Pond. Wildlife interest was not restricted to birds – several male Brimstones were on the wing in the spring sunshine while some interesting plants included Marsh Marigold, Opposite-leaved Golden-saxifrage, Wood Sorrel and the inconspicuous Townhall Clock.

At long last I managed to catch up with Lesser Spotted Woodpecker with a brief view of a male at one site (heard calling a couple of times) and a second bird calling repeatedly and drumming at a new site for about 10 minutes though not seen.

Tuesday 31st March - The Great Spotted Woodpecker was drumming on its' favourite telegraph post, the Green Woodpecker was heard calling and a Stock Dove was prospecting Southwick Church.

Survey work along the transects on the Knepp Estate produced all the usual suspects, the pick of the bunch being 4 Teal, 4 Sand Martins flying N, 4 Bullfinches together and a male Reed Bunting along the transect south of Countryman Lane. Although the Millpond is not part of my survey area, I stopped by to count the nests in the Heronry. This year the birds seem to have deserted the nests in the tree canopy and have moved to the end of the 'dog leg' where they are nesting much lower down and in some cases just above the water. I counted 9 occupied nests. Of greater significance were 11 Cormorants perched in the trees including a pair of Continental birds occupying an apparent nest. This is a potential new breeding site, the only other sites in Sussex being Castle Water and Lewes Brooks. Also a pair of Mandarins, a male Gadwall and 2 Great Crested Grebes.

Monday 30th March - The usual early morning circuit with the dogs was enlivened by a Great Spotted Woodpecker knocking seven bells out of a telegraph post, a Green Woodpecker (scarce locally) on the spire of Southwick Church and a Jay.

Sunday 29th March - A 'walk in the woods' right up to the Surrey border failed to deliver LSW or Friday's Willow Tit - all rather disappointing. Three Marsh Tits heard singing and a pair of Buzzards were the only birds of note.

Three Buzzards together beside the A283 at Wiston.

Spoonbill & Willow Tit

Saturday 28th March - The Spoonbill found by Matt Eade on the scrape at Cuckmere Haven early morning was still present early afternoon in the fields on the west side of the river south of the Golden Galleon. In true Spoonbill fashion it spent most of the time asleep though at one stage went for a short walk revealing a yellow flag on the left leg and a green colour ring on the right. The combination of rings indicates that it is of Dutch origin. Also in the area 5 Shelduck, ca. 6 Little Egrets, 2 Curlew and a Green Woodpecker. A very heavy rain shower at Arlington Reservoir brought down 5+ Swallows and a Sand Martin though by the time we'd done the whole circuit they'd moved on. Not much else there - 5 Tufted Duck, Buzzard, 2 Green Woodpeckers, Mistle Trush, 3 Chiffchaffs (2 singing) and Nuthatch (h). No sign of the 'pole hunting' Long-eared Owl in a short search after dark - perhaps it's moved on?

Friday 27th March - Despite the less than ideal conditions, Bridget and I headed inland in search of LSWs. In the cold wind there was very little woodpecker activity - not surprisingly we failed with LSW though a major bonus was a male Willow Tit which was singing continuously (pee-oo pee-oo) from the canopy of an area of oak and hazel coppice. Like the West Dean birds it was very mobile continually flying from tree to tree though I did manage to get a good (if somewhat brief) view of it. Also in the area were at least 3 (possibly 6) Buzzards, a male Bullfinch and a male Reed Bunting. Chiffchaff, Nuthatch, Treecreeper and Yellowhammer were all heard.

Stock Doves

A pair of Stock Doves between Southwick Green and the church. Looks as if they are going to breed locally again.

Knepp

Tuesday 24th March - A few birds on my early morning circuit with the dogs - Sparrowhawk, Kestrel, a Great Spotted Woodpecker drumming into a telegraph pole and a pair of Jays.

Walked both the transects at Knepp for the first time this spring. A surprise was a pair of Grey Partridge (my first on the estate). Also several sightings of Buzzards plus a nice selection of common birds including Stock Dove, Green and Great Spotted Woodpeckers, Sky Lark, 3 Redwings, Chiffchaff, Marsh Tit, Nuthatch, a pair of Bullfinches, Yellowhammer and Reed Bunting. Two Commas in the spring sunshine and a fine display of wild daffodils in the recently thinned Coate's Furzefield.

Blackcap

Monday 23rd March - A singing male Blackcap in the 'Yellow-browed Warbler' garden in Phoenix Crescent.

Sunday 22nd March - Harlequins 38 Sale 20. A Great Spotted Woodpecker drumming on the way to the Stoop and 2 Ring-necked Parakeets after the game.

Saturday 21st March - A beautiful spring day but few birds around on Beeding Brooks where a circular walk turned up just a handful of Sky Larks and Meadow Pipits and 3 Reed Buntings (2 singing).

Friday 20th March - A singing Chiffchaff and 23 Mute Swans at Hove Lagoon and a female Peregrine sunning itself at the front of the nestbox on the power station chimney.

Last few days

Thursday 19th March - Warm and sunny again after a cold and frosty start. An early morning vigil from 6 a.m. produced lots of woodpecker activity with 2 pairs of Great Spotted and a pair of Green in the same tree but sadly no sight or sound of Lesser Spotted. Lavington Plantation was much better with a pair of Wood Larks, a big mob of noisy Siskins, 3 Lesser Redpolls, a pair of Crossbills that gave great views in the bright sunshine and several Yellowhammers. Across the road was very quiet, despite the warm and still conditions, though we did eventually manage brief views of a Dartford Warbler which gave a couple of bursts of song. Also a pair of Kestrels and a pair of Mistle Thrushes. The Dartfords were more obliging at our next stop with a pair accompanying a pair of Stonechats on Heyshott Common and a singing male on Ambersham Common. Also a pair of Buzzards and a Marsh Tit. The Egyptian Goose family in nearby Petworth Park had reduced to 5 goslings (previously 8). Also Shelduck, 3 Great Crested Grebes (2 paired up), several Stock Doves, Mistle Thrush and a Brambling that flew by calling. At Pulborough Brooks yesterday's Garganey had been seen earlier from Winpenny hide before flying towards The Hanger. North Brooks seemed the logical place for them to be but all we could find were 2 Little Egrets and the same 21 Black-tailed Godwits as yesterday. Winpenny hide produced 4 Little Ringed Plovers together and 4 Dunlin while the field opposite held 4 White Wagtails feeding round the cow pats. Nuthatch and Redpoll were in the trees by the car park.

Exceptional views of a Long-eared Owl 'pole hunting' after dark but please don't ask where...



Wednesday 18th March - News of 3 Garganey at Pulborough Brooks (part of an influx into Sussex today) seemed like a good excuse for a walk round the reserve on a beauliful still evening. The Garganey did not co-operate though I did see 2 Little Ringed Plovers, 21 Black-tailed Godwits and a Swallow on the North Brooks and 2 Little Egrets from Winpenny hide. The Swallow was my earliest ever in the UK.

Tuesday 17th March - The morning started well with brilliant views of a Barn Owl that flew through the pub car park. Although a reliable site for Lesser Spotted Woodpecker in recent springs we had to be content with distant drumming and all the usual woodland birds including 4 Treecreepers. A pair of Mandarins flew past us calling and a loose flock of ca. 20 Fieldfares was up in the tree tops.

We then moved on to Burton Mill Pond where LSW again failed to show though our walk round the nature trail did turn up 3 Gadwall on Chingford Pond, a pair of Buzzards, a Great Crested Grebe with a large fish, Kingfisher and an obliging pair of Grey Wagtails at Burton Pond, 3 Redpolls and, best of all, a delightful pair of Wood Larks on the heathland area showing down to a few yards. A number of brimstones (all males) were on the wing in the warm and sunny weather.