Bird Sightings

Towards the end of Ziggy’s walk we sat beside the lakes. At last the Canada Geese have made a nest and the goose was sitting while her mate was is close attendance. I’ve been nagging them for weeks to get a move on! Last year for the first time in over 30 years the Canadas didn’t nest. So I was very pleased to sit and watch them whilst listening to the Spring bird-song all around with a Buzzard mewing above and a cronking Raven passing by.

John Pointing, 6th April 2024

Forgot to mention the solitary Great Crested Grebe on the water seen earlier. Didn’t see a partner.

Tony Fitzgerald, 7th April 2024

Walked over a windy Rye Farm this morning. I was just enjoying the acrobatics being performed by the crows when in came four Swallows – the first I’ve seen this spring – soaring and skimming over the water. Beautiful in the binos, then from stage right a Kestrel hovering and high above a Buzzard. Nice morning!

Tony Fitzgerald, 7th April 2024

Really good to hear a Nightingale singing it’s head off in the hedge along the Mill Stream this morning. What was quite odd was a Reed Warbler singing quietly in a thin stretch of Reeds along the floodline at Rye Farm. Apparently there was a big influx of Reed Warblers into the country overnight. Six White-fronted Geese still on the Levels seen from the gate on the Downslink in the field adjoining the Heronry field. There were six Little Egrets in the trees and possibly three Grey Herons sitting on nests.

Mike Russell, 6th April 2024

We’ve had a very tame Blackbird over the last few weeks or so. He’s rather partial to raisins and is there first thing in the morning demanding his treats. He’s also been brilliant at finding worms on the lawn and flying off with them and this afternoon, a very speckled chubby fledgeling appeared in the garden. We saw only one so don’t know if there are any more hidden away.

Mike Russell, 2nd April 2024

With weekend visitors having departed and a pleasant sunny morning, there was time for a wander down the railway line and back through the fields.

Most of the wildfowl seems to have departed, but there were still about 50 Shoveler, roughly the same number of Teal, a handful of Wigeon and a pair of Tufted Ducks. Difficult to count the Little Egrets as they were moving around, but reckon at least 10, and half a dozen Grey Herons, with two of the nests having sitting tenants. Two White-fronted Geese were west of the heronry with some Greylags and Canada Geese, but then they suddenly shuffled off behind a hedge, so perhaps there were more? Two Oystercatchers were poking around in the wet fields and what is probably one of the Knepp Storks also parading around. Some Lapwings doing their display flights, both east and west of the railway line.

Chiffchaffs and Blackcaps heard along the railway line too, and two Cetti’s Warblers at same locations as previously.

Val Bentley, 2nd April 2024

Val

We walked through Broadmere Common, or rather battled our way through the mud where we saw a Nuthatch on the ground and heard a Goldfinch (thanks to Merlin), then we walked through the fields beside that farmhouse whose name I can never remember and along the river where we saw a Kestrel on the pylon wires,  a Lapwing (possibly nesting) on the ground next to the Downslink path by the ponds, a Grey Heron and two Skylarks. Up on the Downslink path we saw one Cormorant in the roost and a Great White Egret flying off! Think the Nuthatch was our best sighting on this occasion as it was so close! We live on the High Street and despite our best efforts with bird feeders, just don’t get a great variety visiting us! At least we can set out along the many outstanding walks on our doorstep with binoculars in hand!

Tessa and Mark Spriggs, 2nd April 2024

Looking out at the feeders first thing this morning, a blaze of colour greeted me to brighten up the grey start to the day. A Nuthatch was busily hacking away at the suet bar while three species of finch were feasting on the sunflower seeds, Goldfinches and Greenfinches, the males looking resplendent in their full breeding plumage while for the third day running, a very striking male Siskin has joined them. Underneath the feeders, a fourth finch, a Chaffinch was picking up the scraps as was a fine male Reed Bunting. A few Blue Tits made dashes for the food when the opportunity arose. Suddenly, they all took flight when a male Great Spotted Woodpecker crashed onto the feeder.

Mike Russell, 2nd April 2024

For the second morning I heard the familiar calls of the above, only a quarter of a mile from where I saw some last winter. However they seem to be spring visitors, so I’m holding my breath for them to stay with definite sightings on the long field between my house and Bilsborough. My fear is that soon  the return of farm machinery will move them promptly!

Will Green, 31st March 2024

Unexpected visit of a pair of Pied Wagtails to our just-lopped front garden cordyline. We saw them from our bedroom window, so they were only a few feet away and a little below us. They were attracted by a freshly cut dead branch, whose inner root looked like a possible nest cup. The lining of the trunk and branches is light  corky stuff not solid, and rather lighter than the bark, so must have looked promising. However, they quickly went away and we haven’t seen them since. Fingers crossed.

Wendy Jago, 31st March 2024