This Sunday (23 November) we'll be playing host to local artists Kerry Vaughan and Paul Wharmby.

Between 9.30 and 5 pm you can meet the artists and view their work in the visitor centre.  Entry to the visitor centre and exhibition is free.

Wildlife and Aviation Art Exhibition and Sale at RSPB Pulborough Brooks 

On show will be a selection of original artwork, prints, cards, jewellery and gift packs for pet portrait…

Paul Spiers and I have just been checking the state of the Nature Trail in a couple of places where heavy machinery has crossed the trail.  A combination of both the machinery and the foul weather we've experienced recently has meant there are a couple of spots on the trail that are quite muddy.   This includes the section of public footpath down onto the Brooks towards Pulborough and the crossing point at the top of…

A little message from Trevor and his team in the shop

"Our full range of binoculars and telescopes are being demonstrated this weekend and now, with Christmas looming,  is a great time to treat someone or yourself  with new or improved “optics”. Free expert help will be available between 10.00am and 4.00pm to answer any questions. Come along and get real, no obligation,  hands on experience and advice.…

If you enjoy administration support for a small team, and want to work in this unique and special environment, we have a perfect opportunity for you.

We are currently looking for an administrator to work on a part time basis (30 hours per week -over 4 days)

Based at Pulborough Brooks nature reserve, you will be supporting the whole team in the Sussex and Surrey Area, supporting our reserves in their everyday business…

Last week I wondered whether autumn had really arrived - temperatures were balmy and butterflies were still on the wing.  But I think I now have to accept that summer is over, autumn has arrived and winter is on its way!

The brooks are rapidly filling up with water - due to the hole in my wellies, I'm not looking forward to our monthly wetland bird survey tomorrow morning - but the ducks are enjoying it with our finest…

We are very proud to announce that we are one of the finalists in LandLove magazine's 'countryside champions' awards.

The awards are designed to celebrate the very best things about the British countryside and categories include 'favourite heritage site','favourite food producer' and 'favourite nature reserve'. We have been nominated in this latter category alongside our colleagues…

On the same day last week  I saw a clouded yellow butterfly and my first fieldfare of the autumn - a strange mix! 

There are still plenty of insects to be seen, all enjoying the record Halloween temperatures - red admiral, brimstone, speckled wood, hornets, migrant hawkers and common darters.  Also, appropriately, given it was found during our Halloween bug hunting event, a devil's coach horse beetle!

In contrast,…

Just a brief message from me this afternoon. 

The  two grey phalaropes are out on the North Brooks as we speak. They are busy little birds, always on the move so although 'loyal' to the North Brooks since their first appearance on Monday I can't pinpoint an exact spot for you.

Our first redwings of the autumn were seen on the wooded heathland trail - heard flying over during our fungi walk this morning.  Also…

All the rain we've had over the past week has certainly raised the water levels out on the brooks, much to the satisfaction of the ducks who are starting to arrive in significant numbers.

Most numerous are the lovely chestnut-coloured whistling wigeon, but you can also find elegant pintails, mine-sweeping shovelers and zippy little teal. As autumn progresses, more and more of the dabbling ducks will arrive here to…

Please be aware that the nature trail will be closed until 9:30am tomorrow (2nd October) morning.  

Sorry for any disruption and inconvenience!  

Andy, Assistant Warden

As we approach the end of September, things are certainly starting to feel more autumnal; leaves are starting to turn golden, you have to dodge the spiky sweet chestnuts as they fall from the trees, earthball fungi have emerged on the woodland floor and sulphur tuft mushrooms decorate tree stumps.

There are lots of birds on the move - some of them stopping off for a rest and re-fuel and others arriving to make us their…

Next week sees the start of our work close to Winpenny Hide.  The big yellow digger (a prominent feature in both our blogs and our reserve management work at the moment) will start by scooping out some of the earth to create a new scrape/pool to the left hand side of the hide.  As we progress into autumn and winter this will fill with water, and hopefully attract more waders and wildfowl to enable close-up views.  Come springtime…

September is bring a distinct damp chill to the air in the mornings, and despite the warmth of the sun in the middle of the day, it looks like the bird life at Pulborough and elsewhere is noticing the change. 

With plenty of work needing to be done across the reserve, our team of wardens spend a lot of time out and about; the perfect opportunity for some lunch-break birding! I had a brief chat with one of the team this…

On Monday 22 September the café will be closed so that the team can complete a stock take.  The shop, toilets and nature trails will be open as usual from 9.30 am to 5 pm.

On Wednesday 24 September the shop will be shutting at 3 pm for their stock take.  On this date the café, toilets and nature trails will be open as usual.  (Café open 9.30 am - 4.30 pm)

We're sorry for any disappointment this may…

For anyone who has visited us at Pulborough Brooks in April or May, I’m sure you were wowed by the virtuoso performance of the nightingale.

We are very proud of our nightingales – not only do they sound wonderful but they are exhibitionists too!  (Thanks to Mick Davis and Dave Andrews for these photos of this year's show-offs!)

This year we had 9 or 10 singing males, a memorable nightingale festival…

Pulborough Brooks has now launched a family volunteering scheme, encouraging families to get closer to nature, make new friends, learn new skills and make a genuine contribution to nature conservation.  During the days you will have the opportunity to get involved with a variety of tasks including wildlife surveys and practical conservation tasks designed with 5 to 14 year olds (and their parents and grandparents) in mind…

There is always a rather narrow window of time between the breeding bird season and the onset of autumn/winter flooding for us to ensure we've completed all of our habitat management work out on the wet grassland.

Over the next couple of weeks you're likely to spot one of our wardens in the tractor out on the brooks 'topping'.  Mowing the grassland helps us to keep the vegetation height under control and…

September gets off to a promising start with no less than 3 marsh harriers patrolling the reserve today.  Peregrine, kestrel and buzzard were also out hunting today.

Following on from last week's rain the water levels on the north brooks in particular are rather higher than we'd like. The waders are still out there, but without the muddy edges to the pools, they are a little trickier to spot amongst the vegetation.…

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…

Starting on Monday 18 August and continuing for a few days a section of the public bridleway and footpath running through our wooded heathland site will be closed.

Work is being undertaken to raise the level of the path in the area adjacent to 'black pond'.  This should be good for both our wildlife and our visitors:

It  will enable us to maintain higher water levels in the pond during dry summers which should…

A good day for migrant birds on the reserve.

Pick of the bunch are spotted flycatcher and redstart who have been making good use of the hedgerows and fence posts to perch on between sallies to catch any passing insects.  It's important for them to fatten up before they continue on their southward journey.

The redstart is a rather shy bird and will often only allow you a brief rear-end view as it darts away. However…

Many of you will know the exciting news about black-winged stilts breeding successfully at the newest of our RSPB reserves at Medmerry.  Having raised 3 chicks, these splendid wading birds have now consented to go on tour and seem to be putting on a show at each of the RSPB's Sussex reserves.  

Having left their breeding patch at Medmerry, the stilts dropped in our colleagues at Pagham Harbour and posed for photos…

We've got lots to offer our visitors at the moment - both our human visitors and our wilder ones...

Top of the list for our visiting waders is the mud (and the invertebrates and worms inside the mud).  The North Brooks is currently offering the perfect blend of water, soggy mud and grassy cover for a nice mixture of wading birds.  Perhaps the highlight of the past couple of days are the avocets - 5 of them in total…

Have you ever seen a cricket, face to face? Or met a dragonfly nymph measuring several centimetres long? or have you heard the story of Swallow and "The Journey Home"? This week we have had Grass Sweeping  in our wildflower meadow, where butterflies, moths and caterpillars can be found with grasshoppers, beetles and spiders hiding amongst the tall grasses. Pond Dipping at our pond has revealed (with the help…

At last the long awaited summer holidays, those endless school-free days, are upon us once again! But what do do when the kids start the dreaded "I'm bored'...? Turn off the tv, pull on the sun hat or wellies and get outside of course! Here at Pulborough Brooks reserve we have a summer long program of family events to entertain, enthrall, and educate children, both young and old! 

Delve into the mysterious…