You're unlikely to see much water down at West Mead hide at the moment, and as a result, you're unlikely to spot any waders or ducks.
This makes it the ideal time for us to undertake some habitat management work, so what you might spy from the hide over the next few days is a big yellow digger!
As part of the Heritage Lottery funded Arun and Rother Connections (ARC) project we are deepening and extending the pool in front of West Mead hide. As you will have seen this summer (and during previous dry summers) by August this pool is reduced to a small muddy puddle. The work we are doing should help us to retain water in the pool for longer, providing important wetland habitat for birds and other wildlife and also improving the views of wildlife for our visitors.
By digging out some areas and deepening the pool we will also have plenty of mud to use - we'll be using it to create some small islands in the pool to act as 'loafing' areas for the ducks and potential muddy edges to attract the wading birds. By extending the pool and adding a few more islands and areas for the birds to shelter we're also hoping that the pool will be less vulnerable to disturbance in the winter.
This is just a small part of the work that is being undertaken here at Pulborough Brooks and in the wider Arun and Rother area as part of the ARC project. In September, once the busy summer holidays are over, we will be starting work on resurfacing some of the pathways and creating a new trail that avoids the areas prone to flooding in wet winter. We'll be keeping you updated as the work progresses.
In the meantime, we're sorry for any disturbance but are sure that for some of our visitors at this time of year, the sight of a big yellow digger may cause just as much excitement as the sight of a bird!