After the deluge...a day of surprises

Thanks to volunteer Phil for his report and photos: Recent Sightings – Friday 18 November – After the deluge a day of surprises

After very heavy rain earlier in the week it was no great surprise to arrive at Pulborough Brooks to find yet another big flood to follow the ones we had in the winter of 2019-20. While producing a spectacular scene it does have an impact on our winter waterbirds.

Wigeon for example, while classified as dabbling ducks, actually prefer to feed on open grass which had disappeared under the flood, and most of the water was far too deep for upending. A few wigeon were reported but I failed to see any during the day despite several hundred seen on the official monthly Wetland Bird Survey earlier in the week. Long legged black tailed godwits will move to feeding on wet grass when the water gets too deep, so I thought that the flock would most likely have moved to the coast.

In recent weeks there have been several red kites seen over the wetland but on this day there was no food to scavenge there, and 3 were circling over Uppertons Field instead. One came almost directly overhead by the Visitor Centre.

I went straight to check accessibility to Nettley’s Hide and it was no surprise to find that it was surrounded by the flood, suggesting that the water level must have been something like 10ft above normal.

There were plenty of ducks and geese to be seen on the “Pulborough Lakes” but most were quite distant. On normal days mute swans inhabit the ditches and are not so easily seen, except maybe when a head pokes up occasionally, but several could be found easily on the open floodwater including a pair that surprisingly seemed to be courting a few months early.

From the viewpoint at the hairpin bend above Jupp’s View I was surprised to see a marsh harrier over the water apparently trying to land in a willow bush that was still partly showing. I couldn’t quite work out whether it was simply finding difficulty in perching or was trying to reach a small mammal clinging to the lower branches of the bush.

Working my way round the trail I went to my favourite “Sun Deck” viewpoint behind the Hanger. Here another surprise awaited in the form a small herd of fallow deer in the field by the viewpoint. It is much more normal to see deer out on the wetland during the day at this time of year.

It was no surprise to find a few common darter dragonflies again basking in the sun on the seat and fenceposts but I was a little surprised to see a mating couple. 

Shortly afterwards I had the biggest surprise of the day in the shape of a pale butterfly which fluttered around and then landed on the ground. This proved to be a painted lady, one of only a small number I’ve seen this year!

It is not very unusual to see species such as red admiral and peacock flying on fine days in November as some of these butterflies will overwinter as adults, typically by sheltering in outbuildings. However the painted lady migrates from North Africa every year over several broods, with some reaching the Arctic Circle, and then manages to make it back to North Africa to restart the cycle by flying at high altitude and taking advantage of weather patterns. This was by far the latest painted lady I’ve seen by about 2 months. I wondered if this could have been a butterfly on the return migration that had its journey interrupted by the bad weather.

Before leaving the sun deck, I noticed a swirling flock of birds catching the sunlight in the distance over the “South Lake”. This turned into another great surprise as I was delighted to identify these as the large flock of black tailed godwits, still with us.

It is unusual to see a flying godwit spectacle from this viewpoint, but their usual favoured perching place on the North Brooks was underwater. It became clear later that they were using the very top of the River Arun floodbank which was perhaps 2 ft above the water not far from Winpenny Hide.

Before leaving the viewpoint a visitor showed me a photo of a Dartford warbler taken near West Mead and this was soon followed by another report of it being in the rough pasture between Winpenny Hide and Redstart Corner. I looked for it later with no luck but it was certainly a surprise as this species is only rarely seen at Pulborough Brooks.

At the Hanger I was told by several people that I’d missed a flypast by one of the local white-tailed eagles. A large bird of prey perched briefly in the peregrine willow tree, but it was neither eagle nor peregrine, just one of our resident buzzards.

Buzzards are not often seen in this tree, preferring to perch quite close to the ground on fenceposts or low bushes out on the wetland from where they can ambush passing small animals simply by dropping on them.

I went briefly into Little Hanger Hide to survey the scene. A few mallards could be seen on the flood close by but it was interesting to see the height of the water which was lapping all the way up to roots of the magnificent oak tree to the left of the hide

Proceeding down Adder Alley I was stopped in my tracks by another great surprise.  Here a kestrel was eating a small rodent perched only a few feet up a bush less than 10 yards away and right by the side of the path. It was impossible to move past until it had finished eating especially as 2 visitors were watching it from further down the path. 

We watched the kestrel take out the intestine and quite deliberately drop it on the ground, evidently not to its liking.

Without doubt this is the closest I’ve been to a kestrel and to find it eating prey afforded an exceptional view. It must surely have been aware of our presence and I was astonished that it didn’t fly away.

In the afternoon the morning sun had been replaced by a large bank of cloud, so I sat in the café with no thoughts of chasing another sunset. However as 4pm approached the sun found a gap between the Downs and the cloud to illuminate the trees down the side of Upperton’s Field and around West Mead Hide with brilliant orange light, providing the last surprise of my day.