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This morning, although still cold and grey, there were reed buntings, yellowhammers and skylarks singing on the north brooks. A carrion crow carrying sticks and a several lapwings displaying were other signs of the lengthening days. At least 3 little egrets were on the north brooks. Huge numbers of...

Huge numbers of ducks on the Amberley brooks this morning - ca.3500 wigeon, 250 pintail, 1100 teal, 50 gadwall, 60 mallard, 130 shoveler, 500 lapwing and 14 ruff. There were also 39 Bewick's swans roosting on the eastern side of the brooks - they left at 07.35 and flew SW over Amberley village, presumeably...

Its looking properly wintry on the brooks now - lots of wigeon, teal, shoveler, lapwing, greylag geese, Canada geese all over the brooks. A few pintail, single black-tailed godwit and up to 3 ruff have been present over the last few days and the female peregrine has been using her usual perch at the...

Some distinct signs of autumn over the last week: the first few redwings have appeared around the trail (I saw/heard about 20 early on Sunday morning), a few redpolls and siskins and single grey wagtail have been overhead the last few mornings, and goldcrests are now appearing with increasing frequency...

Our monthly waterfowl count this morning produced all the usual suspects for this time of year - green sandpiper, small numbers of wigeon, numerous mallard, ca. 100 teal and a few shoveler. Raptors noted today included hobby, sparrowhawk, buzzard and kestrel. At various points out on the brooks were...

A few snipe in front of Nettley's hide this morning were good value - some roosting, some feeding and at least one having a good stretch, scractch and preen. And all of them of course looked very beautiful and stripey in the sunshine. About 20 wigeon were amongst the teal and mallard, the most I've...

An osprey was over the north brooks at midday yesterday, appearing at precisely the same time as a guided walk I was leading arrived at the hanger viewpiont. Very convenient. It circled a few times, gained height and headed off to the north. Jon and Hans (who found the osprey), then topped that by finding...

There were dramatic skies all day today as numerous squalls passed up the valley, but down at ground level in the hedges around the trail it was a different world altogether - lots of moschatel (below), bluebells and primroses in flower. On the bird front, at least 7, probably 8 nightingales singing...

My first nightingale of the year was singing from the thick scrub next to the hanger viewpoint this morning. Always the star of the spring migrant show, I'm sure we'll be hearing plenty more from this one over the next few weeks. Blackcaps, willow warblers and chiffcaffs were also singing from...

Single pink-footed goose and 12 white-fronted geese have been present over the last couple of days - when they are not are Pulborough Brooks they are often to be found at Amberley wild brooks. The pink-foot is usually associating with greylags. Fabulous, busy, colourful flocks of wigeon are showing really...

2 juvenile marsh harriers spent some of the morning hunting over the north brooks today, putting the wind up ca.200 wigeon and ca.150 teal and occasionally annoying each other. 4 ruff and single golden plover amongst ca.200 lapwings. First fieldfares and redwings of the autumn arriving - small parties...

Juvenile little stint from Jupp's view this lunchtime, along with 5 dunlin, 4 black-tailed godwits and 8 or 9 ruff. Other waders today reported include curlew sandpiper, green sandpiper and common sandpiper. Plenty of teal and increasing numbers of wigeon present on the north brooks. Still a few...

The north brooks this morning looked like autumn with a small flock of rusty-brown wigeon (nearly 50) and a variety of waders - a few black-tailed godwits, dunlins, ruff, snipe and many lapwing. Sadly, no sign of yesterday's curlew sandpipers. There was also this splendid fox sitting in the sunshine...

About 8 pintail present on the north brooks this morning, having presumeably arrived overnight. There were also in the region of 320 mallard and 200 teal, plus a handful of wigeon, giving the site a more autumnal feel - not surprising after yesterday's weather. The knot remains (!) into its 11th...

After a poor spring here for woodlarks, one was singing on the heath this morning, along with a yellowhammer. Other birds around the heath included lots of young blue tits, juv great spotted woodpeckers and juv chaffinches. Spotted flycatcher still to be found nr Jupp's view. On the brooks, a few...

Hobbies - at least 2, possibly more, were putting on a fantastic show hunting dragonflies over the north brooks yesterday (best seen from Nettley's hide or Jupp's view). A marsh harrier was also seen hunting the brooks. Spotted flycatchers can be found nr Jupp's view and on the edge of the...

Last week's wryneck and spoonbills were topped by an all too brief gull-billed tern that was seen by a couple of birders on sunday morning for a few minutes before it headed north. This morning saw the run of good birds continuing as a Temminck's stint was on the pool in front of west mead hide...

After a few days of bright but chilly weather recently, today there was a definite sign of spring - a little ringed plover on the north brooks. These birds usually arrive in March here and are often the first spring migrants to be seen. A grass snake was seen yesterday, and again, mid-March is right...

A few bewick's swans have been roosting on the reserve over last 2 days - there were 14 on the north brooks at 08.00 yesterday and 8 on west mead pool this morning. This latter group left at 08.00 precisely, heading off south down the valley somewhere to feed. Water levels are at our usual winter...

The male hen harrier that has been regularly seen in the Arun valley since Christmas was at Pulborough Brooks again this morning - it was hunting over the Amberley brooks on tuesday morning. Huge numbers of wildfowl on the Amberley and Pulborough brooks over the last few days - mostly wigeon and teal...

16 Bewick's swans roosted on the pool in front of west mead hide overnight - they left at 08.15 this morning, flying off south down the valley to feed. There were 10 in the same spot yesterday morning - they left precisely an hour earlier, though it was much gloomier this morning due to the overcast...

The snow of last week has gone and the remaining ducks (wigeon and teal) are mostly confined to the river due to the ice, although there is a gradual thaw going on. A few lapwing and snipe are scattered across the brooks, and surpisingly a redshank and a green sandpiper were present this morning. Many...

2 Bewick's swans were on the north brooks for most of yesterday morning, and another single Bewick's was present at 08.00 today - we'd expect a few more parties of these birds to arrive in the next few days as the weather has turned distinctly chilly. The short-eared owl is still being seen...

Female peregrine in her usual spot nr. the hanger viewpoint at 14.00 today. A small flock (9 or 10) dunlin on the north brooks, plus ca.80 black-tailed godwits (the numbers continue to climb). Needless to say, plenty wigeon, teal, pintal and shoveler present too. Earlier this week, a female merlin and...

Ca. 25 redpoll yesterday morning in the birches at the start of the nature trail. A ring ouzel was reported nearby. The brooks are nicely flooded for the winter and ca. 1000 wigeon spread across the site, plenty teal, mallard, shoveler, pintail, lapwing and snipe (you could see them once the fog had...