Bird Sightings

While walking Ziggy this morning on the land adjoining Woods Mill my first Swallow of the year flew over, poor thing it didn’t choose a very good day to arrive back as we seem to have returned to Winter.  A fine looking Chiffchaff serenaded me from just above my head as it flitted from branch to branch.

John Pointing, 23rd March 2024

Today I heard it singing in our hedge, looked out of the window and there it was, proudly proclaiming itself. Lovely!

Debbie Colgate, 22nd March 2024

Had a message from Libby Morris on the sightings email address to say that she and Graham Lyons had been searching for invertebrates on the Common and had put up nine Snipe from the reedbed, plus had a yellowhammer fly over and a Skylark singing.

And at the SDOS meeting on Thursday Sally H told me there had been lots of finches (including Yellowhammers) on the eastern of John White’s level fields at the Lydds,  where the ground hadn’t been tilled.

Val Bentley, 19th March 2024

A Spoonbill was present on Rye Farm Levels this morning.

Angela Thyer, 21st March 2024

I ad a message from Libby Morris on the sightings email address to say that she and Graham Lyons had been searching for invertebrates on the Common and had put up nine Snipe from the reedbed, plus had a Yellowhammer fly over and a Skylark singing.

Val Bentley, 19th March 2024

I was down the Downslink this morning  and saw Little Egrets but there was also a Great White Egret which was at the back of the field that adjoins the heronry. Also a couple of Grey Herons on nests. A pair of Lapwings were territorial displaying near the Downslink in the field next to the Mill Stream, while there were also two Meadow Pipits doing their display flights there. Numerous Skylarks were singing their hearts out as was a single Yellowhammer.

Mike Russell, 19th March 2024

A pair of Ravens honking at each other over Bishops Park this morning.

Les Cheeseman, 14th March 2024

At last they’ve arrived. Two males were singing down the path earlier and another was in the garden this afternoon. First Brimstone as well!

Will Green, 14th March 2024

Angela and I were able to welcome new member Rikki on the walk this morning – a very dull morning, which made it tricky to see any colour at all on the birds high up in the trees, and the wildfowl were a bit monochrome too!

All the usual stuff along the first part of the walk, plenty of Robins & Wrens, and a couple of Song Thrushes. Nice to hear 2 Chaffinches in song along the embankment, and further down a Chiffchaff singing. Wildfowl on the floods was fairly distant, but we found Pintail, Coot, Shoveler, Teal and Wigeon, with a pair of Little Grebes too. Heard a Reed Bunting, but couldn’t find it. Angela had noticed 7 (?) Little Egrets near the heronry on her way up; only one there when we arrived, though we found more later. A group of 4 rather bored looking Grey Herons were in one of the fields. Beyond the heronry were a handful of Canada Geese with 11 smart White-fronted Geese (new species for Rikki).

Pretty quiet along the river until a large flock of birds came across and landed in Wyckham Wood, all Wood Pigeons – maybe 500? In floods on the Henfield side of the river were a group of 4 Gadwall, and we heard a Cetti’s Warblers. Just west of New Inn were some Black-headed Gulls, and another gull making an odd call – turned out to be a Mediterranean Gull in flight! A Pied Wagtail flew over, and a single Fieldfare called as we walked along the bridleway. On the diversion down towards Buckwish Farm there was a cacophony in the trees – some Goldfinches, and a largish group of Redwings were the culprits, and there was the occasional Redwing song heard!

The Rye Farm pools produced one Chiffchaff and the pair of Grey Wagtails, but no Water Rail today.

Val Bentley, 11th March 2024

Angela and I were able to welcome new member Rikki on the walk this morning – a very dull morning, which made it tricky to see any colour at all on the birds high up in the trees, and the wildfowl were a bit monochrome too!

All the usual stuff along the first part of the walk, plenty of Robins & Wrens, and a couple of Song Thrushes.  Nice to hear 2 Chaffinches in song along the embankment, and further down a Chiffchaff singing.  Wildfowl on the floods was fairly distant, but we found Pintail, Coot, Shoveler, Teal and Wigeon, with a pair of Little Grebes too. Hear a Reed Bunting, but couldn’t find it.  Angela had noticed 7 (?) Little Egrets near the heronry on her way up; only one there when we arrived, though we found more later.  A group of 4 rather bored looking Herons were in one of the fields.  Beyond the heronry were some geese, a handful of Canadas with 11 smart White-fronted (new species for Rikki).

Pretty quiet along the river until a large flock of birds came across and landed in Wyckham Wood, all Wood Pigeons – maybe 500?  In floods on the Henfield side of the river were a group of 4 Gadwall, and we heard a Cetti’s.  Just west of New Inn were some Black-headed Gulls, and another gull making an odd call – turned out to be a Med Gull in flight!  A Pied Wag flew over, and a single Fieldfare called as we walked along the bridleway. On the diversion down towards Buckwish Farm there was a cacophony in the trees – some Goldfinches, and a largish group of Redwings were the culprits, and there was the occasional Redwing song heard!

The Rye Farm pools produced one Chiffchaff and the pair of Grey Wags, but no Water Rail today.

46 species seen or heard, and a rather oddly placed toilet in the grounds of the house at the top of the Rye Farm track.