Pulborough Brooks

With thanks to volunteer Graham for his wildlife report and photos.

On Saturday, having helped visitors with parking during the morning, I spent the afternoon on the heathland with my camera, and managed to get a few photos. 

 A Heliophanus sp. spider was on some Gorse flowers.

A couple of Small Copper butterflies had a brief aerial battle before settling on the ground.

I saw several Green Tiger Beetles, including a mating…

With thanks to volunteer Graham Osborne for his report and photos.

It was raining steadily as I arrived at Pulborough Brooks on Easter Sunday.

By the time I set out on the wetland trail the rain had almost stopped, but the Nightingales were not performing for me. I did not hear any song until I reached Fattengates Courtyard, and I was listening to a second bird singing out of sight a bit further along the trail when…

Heathland area temporarily closed to protect ground-nesting birds.

With spring well underway, our team has been busy carrying out breeding bird surveys to identify and record all of the bird activity across the nature reserve.

During these surveys this week, we were delighted to hear 10 Nightingales singing around the Wetland nature trail, and we heard our first Cuckoo of the spring. We were also thrilled to hear and…

With thanks to volunteer Graham Osborne for his sightings report and lovely photos.

It was bright but breezy at Pulborough Brooks on Sunday.

I started by joining fellow Hides & Trails Volunteer Alex and a small group of visitors near Upperton’s Pond. They were hoping for the reappearance of a Cuckoo that had been showing well. After a few minutes the Cuckoo started singing from deep cover on Hollybush Hill, but it did…

Our two Trampers are very popular at the moment so please do contact us in advance if you'd like to use one. You can call us on 01798 875851 or email pulborough.brooks@rspb.org.uk

Thanks to volunteer Graham Osborne for his report and photos from Sunday 30 March

It was sunny but windy at Pulborough Brooks on Sunday.

By the zigzag path I found three Peacock butterflies in one Blackthorn bush.

Near the bottom of the path some Lesser Celandine provided a seasonal splash of colour.

At West Mead Hide a single Avocet was on one of the islands.

Some Redshank were also in the vicinity, one coming close…

Step into spring at RSPB Pulborough Brooks

Visit with your family and friends over the Easter holidays; some of nature’s best spring spectacles can be seen, heard and felt at Pulborough Brooks! Amphibians and reptiles have emerged from hibernation, butterflies and bumblebees are drinking nectar from blossom and primroses, and the birds are singing.

Join us on a Wild Wednesday when we’ll be leading family activities…

Thanks to volunteer Graham Osborne for his report and photos

I was expecting some rain at Pulborough Brooks on Sunday. However, it remained dry all day, and a good number of visitors, including quite a few families, enjoyed the plentiful wildlife that was to be seen and heard on the reserve.

A pair of Mallard were on the garden pond by the Visitor Centre, the male providing a colourful start to the day.

At the corner…

Thanks to volunteer Graham for his report and photos.

It was a bright and sunny Spring day at Pulborough Brooks on Sunday.

I could hear a Chiffchaff singing in the distance as I walked down the zigzag path, and more closely the wheezing call of a Greenfinch alerted me to the presence of a pair of them in a tall tree.

I turned left at Pipe Pond and as I continued on the path I spotted a bird to my left. A quick look…

Thanks to volunteer Graham Osborne for his report and photos.

Sunday at Pulborough Brooks was bright and sunny.

As I walked down the zigzag path there was plenty of birdsong, mostly from Robins and Blue Tits, and some visitors were enticing the tame Robins to feed from their hands. A bit further on I spotted a pair of Long-tailed Tits that appeared to be nest building by the path. As I moved on a male Bullfinch flashed…

With thanks to volunteer Graham Osborne for his report and photos from last Sunday.

Having been away for two weekends it was good to get back to Pulborough Brooks on Sunday. It grew quite windy as the day wore on, but the rain held off until it was time to go home.

At Upperton’s Pond I watched a few brief visits to the surface by Palmate Newts before heading off along the trail. There was little bird action on the zigzag…

With thanks to volunteer Graham Jacobs for his report from Thursday 20 February.

"I am only working part shifts at the moment so arrived late and went straight to West Mead where I caught up with Derek and John. On the way I was delighted to find a group of 7 Bullfinches munching away on the leaf buds of the Hawthorn tree at the top of the zig zags and they were accompanied by a single Greenfinch. 

Male Bullfinch…

With thanks to volunteer Graham Osborne for his sightings report and photos.

It was cool, bright and clear at Pulborough Brooks on Sunday. There was a lot of water on the South Brooks, as well as a good number of birds.

As I walked down the zigzag path I came across a group of six Bullfinches, followed by a single Greenfinch. At Fattengates Courtyard I topped up the seed feeders, and this seemed to be appreciated by…

Sorry, due to staff sickness we are not able to open the visitor centre on Sunday 26 January.

The car park and nature trails will remain open but there will be no access to the toilets, shop or cafe.

Over the next two weeks we’ll have contractors on site undertaking tree safety work. Sadly, many of the Ash and Elm trees have succumbed to disease and now present a health and safety risk, especially where they are beside the trails or along the roadside.

Inevitably there will be some noise whilst this work is underway. We shouldn’t need to close the trails or hides for any extended periods of time, however please…

With thanks to volunteer Graham Osborne for his report and photographs.

Sunday at Pulborough Brooks was cold and dry with very little wind.

As I left the Visitor Centre I checked the large tree favoured by our regular pair of White-tailed Eagles, and I was pleased to see that one of them was in the tree and easily viewable through my spotting scope. I walked back to report the sighting to Janet at the Welcome Hut just…

With thanks to volunteer Graham for his sightings report and photos

The final Sunday of 2024 at Pulborough Brooks was dry and still, and it stayed misty all day.

I got off to a good start with a view of a Stoat in the weather station enclosure near Upperton’s Pond.

Unfortunately, this individual did not appear to be in tip-top condition, with a couple of growths on its neck and shoulder, and what looks like a…

With thanks to volunteer Graham Jacobs for his wildlife report from Thursday 19 December

A beautiful clear and sunny day awaited us as we arrived at the reserve and although it clouded over a little in the afternoon we enjoyed far better visibility than has been the case in recent weeks, but it was jolly cold.

The raptors began at the top of the zig zags, where I spooked a perched Sparrowhawk which then flew off down…

With thanks to volunteer Graham for his report and photos from this weekend.

The weather was mild and dry at Pulborough Brooks on Sunday, and occasionally the sun briefly broke through the clouds. My first stop was Fattengates Courtyard, where I put out some seed. Numerous birds immediately flew in to claim their share. Visitors included Great Tit and Blue Tit, Chaffinch and even a sleek-looking Carrion Crow.

Moving…

With thanks to volunteer Graham for his report and photos

As forecast it was raining when I started out on the wetland trail at Pulborough Brooks on Sunday. As a result I quickly made my way to west Mead Hide, where I found a number of sheltering visitors.

Shortly after I arrived I enquired if anyone had spotted a Snipe, and almost immediately a visitor opened a hide window, causing two Snipe to flush from the near bank…

If you are starting to make plans for the festive period, here are the details of our opening and closing times. To give our team a break we'll be closing the nature reserve for a few days around Christmas.

If you're hoping to visit on Saturday 28 December through to Friday 3 January and would like to hire one of our tramper mobility vehicles please make your booking by Friday 20 December.  You can book a tramper…

With thanks to volunteer Graham for his report and photos.

As a consequence of the high winds at Pulborough Brooks on Sunday I initially helped Anna in carrying out a safety check of the wetland trail. After we had covered most of the trail and met up at Hanger View I stayed at the viewpoint to survey the birdlife on the North Brooks while Anna went down to Nettley’s Hide to complete the safety check. I could see a number…

With thanks to volunteer John for his report from November's monthly meander.

We took nine visitors on the Monthly Meander today. It didn't rain, it didn't blow, we weren't dazzled by the sun. The visibility was however, to put it politely, poor. From the terrace we saw nothing. By the time we reached Fattengates we had heard a Robin. It could only get better...

The usual mob of Blue and Great Tits greeted…

With thanks to volunteer Graham Osborne for his report and photos.

After a two-week break I was pleased to return to Pulborough Brooks on a beautifully warm and sunny day.

As I walked down the zigzag path the early morning dew was still visible on grass stalks and on numerous spider’s webs.

At Fattengates Courtyard I put out some seed, which was appreciated by the visiting birds, including Blue Tit and Great…

With thanks to volunteer Graham for his report and photos

Although the weather forecast for Sunday was for thundery showers it stayed dry for most of the day.

The growing pond in front of West Mead Hide had attracted a good selection of wildfowl, including Wigeon, Mallard and Pintail.

At this time of year many of the male birds are in their eclipse plumage, such as this Pintail 

and this Wigeon.

Having had views of…