Late March


Wednesday 23rd March 

Having completed our first breeding bird survey of the season near Horam, we relocated to Arlington Reservoir where there wasn't too much to see bar 2 male Shoveler, 4 adult Lesser Black-backed Gulls and 2 Grey Wagtails on the dam.Yesterday an adult winter Bonaparte's Gull had been found on the West Trout Lake at Chichester Gravel Pits, a continuation of the purple patch Sussex is currently enjoying. With news that it was still present this morning, I didn't need too much persuading to abandon my plans to work on a survey report and head down to Chichester instead. We got there to find just a handful of people watching it hawking for flies over the pit with some Black-headed Gulls. Most of the time it wasn't particularly close but occasionally it would come nearer into the bay to our right, giving good views. However, I failed miserably in my attempts to photograph it, not helped by the distance and the sun being in the wrong place. My 4th Sussex Bonaparte's Gull and first since the long-staying Princes Park bird in 2013.  Also seen were 2 adult Mediterranean Gulls calling overhead and a drake Garganey on Ivy Lake which frustratingly showed for a few seconds whilst I was scanning for the Red-crested Pochard and then swam into the reeds, not to be seen again.

As Bridget had missed the Garganey, we decided to go to Church Norton and try for the pair of Garganey that had been seen at The Severals earlier in the day. Rather than risk Church Norton car park being full, we parked at Selsey East Beach and walked from there. Once again, the sun wasn't in the best place but we did have reasonable views of both birds mainly hugging the reeds but occasionally coming out more into the open. Earlier we had been unable to find the pair of Red-crested Pochards on Ivy Lake so I wasn't too surprised to get a call from Brian Cox to say they had moved to Runcton Lake (where I'd seen them on Sunday). We stopped there on the way home and quickly found them hugging the right hand bank of the pit but more distant than they'd been on Sunday. Others have seen the male offering weed to the female, could they settle down and breed, a potential first for Sussex?

When I first started birding, no trip to Pagham Harbour would be complete without a stop at 'Chi Pits' on the way home. Sadly much has changed with some of the pits filled in and built upon and others now private fishing lakes with restricted access. Despite having attracted a long list of rarities over the years, understandably they've become less popular with birders but, as the Bonaparte's Gull shows, the potential to turn up something unexpected remains....  

Thursday 24th March

A walk down to Southwick Canal and the harbour mouth with Gareth late afternoon was predictably quiet except for a Blackcap singing by Southwick FC, a flock of 40 House Sparrows dust bathing along the north bank of the canal, a Purple Sandpiper on the rock revetments to the east of the harbour arm, a Rock Pipit on a warehouse roof and 2 Brent Geese flying east. A Double-striped Pug on the window pane by the front door to the house.


Friday 25th March

A Red Kite over the house at 10:18.

Saturday 26th March

A circular walk up Southwick Hill and back via Slonk Hill Farm produced 2 Red Kites lingering over Slonk Hill, 2 Yellowhammers and 8 Corn Buntings, both of the latter species in song.  

Sunday 27th March

The strangest sight of the day was a party of 8 Grey Herons flying west to east over Southwick/Portslade parallel to the Old Shoreham Road at 09:37 this morning. The image below was taken by Gareth from the car using his iPhone (I was driving at the time). They were also  seen by Martin Daniel over Arundel and Laurence Pitcher over Hove. It would be interesting to know where they were going to?


We then headed inland where 45 minutes at a raptor vantage point in less than optimal conditions (cloudy with a chilly north-easterly breeze) produced 3 Goshawks (2 males & a female) with one of the males obligingly perching up in a pine tree allowing Gareth to digiscope it. Also a Red Kite and a singing Woodlark which I saw briefly.


With the weather improving and the sun coming out, we had another try for Lesser Spotted Woodpecker in the same general area we'd visited on 19th March. Today was marginally more successful in that Bridget & Gareth heard one calling but as is often the case it soon stopped and we were unable to relocate it. A good selection of woodland birds including Great Spotted Woodpecker, Coal Tit, Marsh Tit (2 pairs & a singing male), Firecrest (singing male), Nuthatch, Treecreeper and Grey Wagtail (pair). Both Brambling and Siskin were heard calling but remained unseen (at least by me). Also seen were a Comma and Opposite-leaved Golden-saxifrage.








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