Thank you to Gary for his report and photos from last week.
After a promising sunny start, it soon deteriorated into another dull, cold and misty day at Pulborough Brooks. The arable field in front of the visitor centre is certainly doing its job with plenty of finches, including a flock of 10+ reed bunting enjoying the seeds. About 50 linnets are also commuting between the field and the south brooks. Nervous redwing and fieldfare were along most of the hawthorn hedges but started to disappear as visitors walked past. The north brooks were packed full of ducks and geese; the most notable being 13 white-fronted geese, and a handful of pintail and shoveler.
They all had to be on their toes as a peregrine, a buzzard and a fox each had a go at making them dinner, but without success. Makes you wonder how often they catch something and manage to survive.
I had a wonderful afternoon in Winpenny, not seeing anything rare, but just watching the comings and goings of a grey wagtail, pied wagtails, goldfinches, linnets, reed buntings and meadow pipits as they came to bathe in the pool.
At one time about ten pied wagtails, including the washed out one from last week, were all splashing around together.
A pair of stonechats could also be seen as they fly-catched from the reed tops.
Walking back through the carpets of falling leaves, some goldcrests, long-tailed tits and a single chiffchaff could be made out – it won’t be long before the leaves are gone and it will be easier to pick out everything.