A windless, misty morning with a promise of sun enticed me and Lesley and I out down the Downs Link this morning, a joy having been in front of a computer for two days! And what a walk it was too; signs of spring followed us all the way down the track. Robins, Wrens, Blackbirds, Dunnocks were in full song, Great Spotted Woodpeckers drummed and Green Woodpeckers yaffled. We heard a Water Rail squeal loudly from the flooded area next to what Val calls the ‘limbo’ field. We saw at least 3 Goldcrests along the way and a number of Redwing and Fieldfare flew out from the trees reminded us winter hadn’t quite yet gone away. We heard 2 Chiffchaffs along the way. Looking across the floods to Rye Farm we noticed a couple of Little Grebes and a small flock of Tufted Duck signifying the depth of the water as they were diving for food. Down at the gate by the heronry, the sun had now come out and revealed big numbers of Pintail and Shoveler, the most I’ve personally seen of the former on The Levels. A more intensive search revealed 2 waders, Black-tailed Godwits, one in glorious brick-red summer plumage.

Grazing in the fields around the heronry, there were plenty of Canada and Greylag Geese we managed to locate 9 White-fronted Geese. Over the side of the track in the flooded Mill Stream field 3 Lapwings were doing their territorial display flights and we were surrounded by singing Skylarks. Including 5 species that we recorded in the garden before we left, one of them being a Blackcap, we recorded 56 species today, more than the last time I went to Pulborough Brooks reserve!

Mike Russell, 6th March 2024