Eagle and egrets, Redshank and Ruff - wildlife sightings at Pulborough Brooks

Thanks to volunteer Graham Osborne for his sightings report and photos.

A lot of visitors came to Pulborough Brooks on Sunday, and the weather was dry and bright, but with a stiff breeze.

 A Nightingale was singing loudly near the car park as I arrived. Some visitors had managed to get photos of it, but it was singing from dense cover while I was there. I had hoped to have better luck with a Nightingale singing near the path by Pipe Pond, but again it stayed stubbornly out of sight. A male Stonechat perching on a post behind Simm’s Pond provided a much easier target.

There was a lot of activity at West Mead Hide, including at least one nesting Avocet, some Lapwing chicks and aerial Swallows, Sand Martins and House Martins.

I also had a distant view of at least four Swifts. 

 It was very busy in the hide, so I only stayed for a few minutes before continuing along the trail towards Redstart Corner. By the path I spotted an Empis tessellata dagger fly.

As I approached Winpenny Hide a White-tailed Eagle appeared in the sky to the north. It circled overhead a few times and at one time was harassed by a Herring Gull..

 I joined a (birdsong) group of visitors, staff and volunteers by the path where they were watching of a pair of Adders, and I assumed ‘scope duty’ there for a while to provide close-up views to some other passing visitors.

I joined fellow Hides & Trails volunteer Steve in Winpenny Hide for a spell in the hope of seeing a Yellow Wagtail that a visitor had told me had been spotted at close range. There was no sign of the wagtail but a visitor found a Greenshank, and then Steve located a Whimbrel that had been previously recorded. The hide was quite full so I returned to the Adder viewing spot for a while. When the hide was a bit less busy I went back inside in time to see a Lapwing diving at one of the pair of long-staying Oystercatchers.

I was also lucky enough to enjoy a brief view of a very bright Yellow Wagtail.

On Adder Alley I found a male Xysticus cristatus crab spider resting on a Primrose leaf 

as well as a Large Red Damselfly.

A Nightingale was singing loudly for a while, once again out of view.

 A brief visit to Little Hanger Hide produced views of a couple of Little Egrets. The head plumes and pinkish tinge to the lores of this individual show that it has developed its courtship plumage .

 It was too chilly to spend any length of time at Hanger View, and time was moving on, so I decided to head back to west Mead Hide to finish there for the afternoon. Fellow Hides and Trails volunteer Martin was there and we were also shortly joined by another H&T volunteer Philip. Martin pointed out a Ruff at the end of one of the islands, which was approached at one point by a Redshank. 

After another good day at Pulborough Brooks it was soon time to return to the Visitor Centre.