With thanks to volunteer Graham for his report and photos.
It was a pleasant Spring day at Pulborough Brooks on Sunday. After briefly joining Gary on the Tea Terrace, from where he spotted one of our regular White-tailed Eagles, I made my way to Fattengates Courtyard, closely followed by Anna & Rob’s 10 0’clock Birdsong Walk group. One of the many singing Nightingales provided excellent views close to the path,
and Rob spotted a nearby Adder.
On Simm’s Pond there was an impressive display of Water-crowfoot.
After a short spell in West Mead Hide I moved on to Winpenny Hide. While I was getting a distant view of a Wood Sandpiper a visitor spotted a White Stork circling to the south. This was soon joined by a White-tailed Eagle providing an impressive though fairly distant dual display. The eagle flew off but the stork drifted directly overhead, causing those present to leave the hide for a better view. A Common Buzzard and a couple of Red Kites also got in on the action, and I was at last able to get a few reasonably sharp photos of the stork, mostly on its own, but also a few in the company of one of the kites .
While enjoying my lunch on the bench near Winpenny I got into conversation with a a young couple who were visiting the reserve for the first time. They had already seen the Adder at Fattengates, but were keen to observe more reptiles. We were fortunate enough to find this Slow Worm.
In Adder Alley we spotted a Large Red Damselfly.
On the large scallop there were a number of Dandelion ‘clocks’.
A Dark-edged Bee-fly was nectaring on the Primroses,
while a pair of 7-spot Ladybirds were mating on a branch .
At Hanger View visiting passerines included a Sedge Warbler ,
and a male Linnet .