At last, a survey to do in nice weather, though still had to negotiate some pretty deep mud in places. This walk starts in Small Dole, through New Hall and up to the Downs Link and Stretham and then down the Mill Stream and back to Small Dole. Lots of Warblers, and Sylarks, just 4 Swallows the main migrant species that had arrived. However, there were 3, possibly 4 Cuckoos who’s calls accompanied me throughout the 3 hour walk. I heard 2 singing simultaneously and later heard another one some distance from the others. I heard all males but I met Dave Buckingham who told me he had seen a female as well. He also told me he had seen a Glossy Ibis and a Black-tailed Godwit from the Downs Link looking across the floods from the gate near the Heronry. The Ibis was still visible when I got there but no sign of the Godwit. There were about a dozen Little Egrets but couldn’t quite make out whether any of the nesting egrets were Cattle Egrets. I’ve never seen the field flooded so deeply in May before so there were still quite a few ducks and geese about as well, including 2 Shelduck. A field on West Mill Farm along side the Mill Stream had recently been ploughed and there were around 60 Gulls feeding on it, nearly all Herring Gulls but included 3 Lesser Black-backed Gulls. There were 3 singing Reed Warblers in the reeds along the stream, a display flight by a Meadow Pipit, a couple each of Reed Buntings and Yellowhammers. I met a Steyning birder who had a heard the Turtle Dove in the badly cut gedge but alas it didn’t sing for me but 2 Nightingales made themselves known. The only raptor was a Red Kite. An absolutely lovely walk and 50 species recorded.

Mike Russell, 8th May 2024