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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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

Water levels have dropped back to something like our normal winter levels after last week's flood, revealing lots of grassland again. About 100 black-tailed godwits, 55 golden plover and a few ruff and dunlin have made use of it yesterday and today, along with thousands of ducks (mostly wigeon, teal...

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...

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...

At least 125 pintails on the north brooks this morning, with plenty teal, wigeon, shoveler and mallard. 1 pochard, 5 shelduck and 6 black-tailed godwits also present.

4 Bewick's swans, all adults, on the north brooks today - possibly the earliest ever Sussex arrivals (late November to early December is more normal). What do they know we don't?! They apparently arrived about 10.30-11am and promptly went to sleep, as you would if you've just flown in from...

A ring ouzel has been present nr west mead today and yesterday - generally feeding in a berry-laden hawthorn next to stack of hay bales. The weekend's rain has now filled up many of the pools all over the site. Ca. 150 teal (and 3 pintail) were feeding in front of west mead hide, and there are...

About 12 pintail on the north brooks yesterday - plus the usual wigeon, shoveler, teal and lapwing. Earlier in the week (tuesday) a greenshank and a dunlin were in the same area. Peregrine seen regularly this week over the site, a hobby was still around yesterday (weds). A few goldcrests, 2 chiffchaffs...

Our regular wintering peregrines seem to have reappeared. I saw the female once last week, and a male on several occasion, usually hunting over the pools or sitting on the ground out in the middle of the north brooks. A firecrest was in one of the large hollies next to the bridleway on saturday (25th...

The first wigeon of the autumn have arrived - about 30 were on the north brooks this morning. Numerous teal, mallard, lawping, greylag geese and canada geese were also present. Blackcaps, whitethroats, chiffchaffs and spotted flycatchers could be found in the scrub along the trail.3 or 4 redstarts were...

Last night's rain has filled up some of the pools on the north brooks, which should bring in some passage waders over the coming days. This morning (08.00) there were at least 10, probably 12 ringed plovers, 6 green sandpipers, 1 dunlin, 10 snipe, ca.60 teal, 2 gadwall and numerous mallard and greylag...