With thanks to volunteer John for his lovely report from Saturday 27 January.
It was too nice a morning to stay at home and count the garden birds, that can wait until tomorrow. With the temperature still at zero I set off for Pulborough and couldn't help noticing the large number of Woodpigeons clinging to wires and perching in trees trying to keep warm. I passed a Red Kite scavenging on the roadside and felt that it was going to be a successful day.
It was. Armed with a radio ( yes, Anna bullied me) I checked the frosty field and icy pools on the South Brooks. There were plenty of little blobs worthy of closer attention from Westmead but a stop at the Yurt feeders came first. The usual suspects were there - Squirrel, Blue and Great Tits, Greenfinch, Nuthatch and Long-tailed Tits.
Long-tailed Tit by Graham Osborne
A Great-spotted Woodpecker carefully removed insects and possibly seed from the feeder supports, maybe denying the Nuthatch it's stashed lunch.
A Goldcrest flitted in the branches down the zigzag and a Kestrel flew purposefully over. At Fattengates I added a noisy Fieldfare and in the hedge at the foot of Upperton's Field a flock of Meadow Pipit worked it's way along.
And so to a busy West Mead. A teenage lad was taking photos of a nearby Snipe which posed beautifully with one or two others staying camouflaged in the background.
Snipe by Anne Harwood
All the dabbling duck were there amongst the hundreds of very argumentative Canada Geese and one Greylag. Hundreds of Lapwing stood around with the occasional take-off if anything large flew near. They ignored the Red Kite - too far away - and weren't too bothered by the pale wannabee Osprey / Buzzard sitting on a post. A distant Dunlin caught the sun and a Skylark caught my attention. From Winpenny two more Skylark flitted about but it was quiet for a little while. Then the Lapwing took off and minor mayhem ensued. You can guess the cause. Two adult White-tailed Eagles zoomed in from the north and landed in their favourite tree. We lucky viewers barely had time to get the scopes pointing in the right direction before they were off heading south to a tree so distant that even I couldn't see them.
En route to the Hangar several visitors coming towards me told me excitedly of their great views of the Eagles. Apart from a retreating Redwing there was nothing new on the North Brooks so I headed back resisting the temptation to go to Nettley's to look for the Kingfisher which had been seen by several people and the two Treecreepers at the viewing platform.
Treecreeper by Graham Osborne
For good measure I also missed a Stoat near Little Hangar, five Ruff and a Marsh Harrier seen on the South Brooks and the Redpoll at the Yurt. My final check added a Stock Dove on it's usual oak tree.
By then the sun was shining and the temperature was a balmy 9 degrees. The car park was full, I had met and chatted with a good number of visitors, I had added five species to my 2024 list and had even radioed in to Anna twice with information. My cup was full.
Tomorrow morning it will be a cup of coffee, the crossword and the Big Garden Bird Watch. Maybe much the same for you?