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Anna Allum

My first outing at Pulborough Brooks after a lenghty holiday brought another warm sunny day and much speculation about whether this would be the day to see the arrival of the first nightingales of the season. Despite the rather monotonous and ubiquitous chiffcaff calls there was much lovely birdsong to be heard but was there nightingale song mixed in?  

Now the blackcap is also one of the UKs very best songsters but is rather less famous than the nightingale – I don’t know of any lyrics about it singing in Berkeley Square – but there were several of these birds singing in plain view in various parts of the reserve. One person I spoke to said that it is possible to mistake a blackcap song for nightingale song but I can’t claim to be an expert. Another person thought they’d seen a nightingale but on further questioning conceded that it could just have been a robin!

So was the first Pulborough Brooks nightingale of the year seen or heard on Friday? Well most of my observations suggest not

BUT

there was a nightingale sighting recorded on the sightings sheet and our reception staff who quizzed the visitor reporting it said it had been claimed to have been both seen and heard.

So all I can conclude is that I will not be the first to see a nightingale at Pulborough this year and that by the time I return next week its likely that there will have been a confirmed sighting.

Many people had come from far and wide to see the Scarce/yellow-legged tortoishell butterfly that had been spotted near the bottom of the zig zag path several times earlier in the week. They were to have a long and frustrating and ultimately fruitless day. Some welcome relief came around lunchtime when an adder appeared nearby right in the middle of the path junction near the pond. Word spread quickly and the butterfly photographers were soon clicking away at what must now be one the worlds most photographed adders (my own effort attached).

Arriving at Nettley’s Hide later I found that since my last visit nearly all the wintering wildfowl and all the black-tailed godwits had left. Howver 2 little egrets right in front of the hide gave an excellent view of their feeding technique of stirring up the water with one foot to disturb prey. Out in the middle of the North Brooks a pair of little ringed plovers were busily feeding on a grassy spit – my first sighting of the year.

It was good to see so many younger visitors enjoying the wildlife. Late in the afternoon I came across a small family group near the Visitor Centre with a little girl who thought she’d found a ladybird on the path. Closer inspection revealed something much smaller – a brilliant red mite. I’d never seen such a thing before but a little research later suggested this could have been a velvet mite which has an important role in the decompoisiton of plant matter to produce soil. This was a welcome reminder that the insect world will be providing us with lots of interest in the coming months.

Sitting outside the café a few minutes later one the butterfly hunters on his way home rushed in to say that there was an osprey flying over. Sure enough the binoculars revealed a large bird of prey with a white breast glinting in the sun. I finished my coffee wondering where it was headed and how many people would have the pleasure of seeing it on the last leg of its Spring migration.   A wonderful end to another fascinating and varied day at Pulborough Brooks.

Since our volunteer, Phil, wrote this lovely report, nightingales have indeed been confirmed at Pulborough Brooks.  Over the weekend at least 3 were heard - who is going to send in the first photograph?  Adder alley seems to be one of this year's 'hot spots'.

This year's nightingale festival is taking place on the bank holiday weekend Friday 01 May - Monday 04 May with the 'evening concert' guided walks on the Friday night and morning walks taking place on the bank holiday Monday.