Bank holiday birding

I have started to notice a pattern...

Bank holiday Mondays seem to be doomed to disappointing weather; Storm Katie on Easter Monday and a rather gloomy start for May Day bank holiday. But it's not all doom and gloom - we have also been visited by some rather exciting birds who perhaps also feel they have a long weekend and will go exploring on the bank holiday. Easter Monday saw the arrival of the American Wigeon and the May Day holiday by a group of 10 black-winged stilts.

This photo of the stilts was taken by Pete and we suspect he came to summon them to his reserve at RSPB Medmerry where they bred in 2014.

And this one was taken by volunteer Anne (who I shan't accuse of any underhand business!)

Would anyone care to hazard a guess as to who might put in an appearance  on our next Bank Holiday on 30 May?

Although the black-winged stilts have not stayed with us, there are plenty of other goodies to see & hear.  These are just some of volunteer Phil's highlights from Monday:

1.  Identifying Cetti’s Warbler calls at Fattengates.
2. Grandstand view of swallows and martins whizzing over the pool in front of Little Hanger Hide
3. 10 Black Winged Stilts (my first ever) and showing close up view to a lot appreciative visitors
4. Identifying possible sedge warbler nest site at Nettley’s
5. My first ever grass snake sighting in 30 years of wildlife watching.

Here is Phil's first ever grass snake.

We now think we have 8 or 9 male nightingales singing around the trail which is fantastic.  They seem to be inhabiting all the traditional spots and are also maintaining their reputation of being exhibitionists.  As our nightingales don't skulk, could I just give a little reminder to all our visitors that there are lots of breeding birds in the hedgerows and scrub (as well as grass snakes & adders in the undergrowth) so please keep to the paths and don't pursue the wildlife into the undergrowth!

We have had reports of 2 Cetti's warblers on the reserve, one of which has been around near Fattengates courtyard for a couple of weeks - they have previously seemed to stop at Waltham Brooks just south of our site along the Arun Valley so it is exciting to think that they might start to breed here.

Swifts have arrived and hot on their heels have been hobbies. Garden warblers have arrived in force to complement the blackcaps and make bird song identification more challenging. The woodlands are glorious with carpets of bluebells and greater stitchwort and colourful brimstones are fluttering in the sunshine.

It's a wonderful time to visit with so much to see, hear and smell so don't miss out!