Thanks to Gary for this week's sightings and photos
What a sparkling cold day at Pulborough Brooks. The white frost persisting all day in sheltered spots and most water was covered in a layer of ice.
The most notable bird of the day was the robin, I'm sure they were passing the baton to one another as one seemed next to us for the whole day! As well as the reed buntings and bullfinches, which have been a regular feature of the zigzag in recent weeks, they have been joined by a small group of acrobatic lesser redpoll eating the silver birch seeds. Gold crests and long-tailed tits were also very active at various places around the trail.
A frozen West Mead pool had some rather forlorn looking lapwing and teal but seven snipe livened things up.
A further group of eight lesser redpoll were feeding near West Mead and three meadow pipits came ridiculously close. The first visit to Winpenny was almost bird less, but a second visit later in the day turned up trumps with a green sandpiper, twelve snipe, two stonechat and two very close passes by the female marsh harrier.
On the north brooks the ducks were mostly concentrated on the only ice free section of water; a nice selection consisting of wigeon, teal, shoveler, gadwall, pintail and she duck. A single ruff was located among the distant lapwing and a sleepy snipe on the causeway. Another volunteer had seen the peregrine earlier in the day and although the ducks panicked as though there was one present, I failed to find it.
As the daylight faded into a golden glow, I located a sparrowhawk on the fence below the visitor centre, and later still, two woodcock silently flew towards the south brooks. A perfect day – just need to thaw out my toes.
And a message from our wardens - just a reminder that we're doing essential ditching work out on the wetlands at the moment which might create some disturbance.