Another busy birdwatching week
Tuesday 11 February: Bird survey at Knepp estate
Knepp has been in the news a lot recently as a rewilding project which is attracting a lot of interest related to climate change. For several years we have undertaken a quarterly survey in a small group, noting our observations and monitoring seasonal changes and developments over time as the landscape evolves. Two years ago Hannah accompanied us on our winter survey and played a key role in getting the rest of our group onto a Lesser Spotted Woodpecker. We failed to locate any of this declining species last year, but I was delighted to find another bird this year in almost the same location.
Wednesday 12 February: Family Walk
Fresh from her recent trip to Sri Lanka, Nicola came to visit and as well as hearing about her adventures and bird sightings, we enjoyed a lovely walk up to the downs and then back along the river. Unfortunately there was no sign of the Yellowhammers we had found on my birthday, but a bonus was a lovely Barn Owl hawking the ditches adjacent to the river near Coombes farm, a location where we have never seen them before.
Friday 14 February: Volunteer visit to Adur reserve
Tim and I led another walk around the Adur Nature Reserve for a group of volunteers from Pulborough Brooks. Fortunately the birds were co-operative, and alongside the usual suspects we managed to locate the regular Curlew and Greenshank as well as an overwintering Whimbrel, which is quite unusual as the majority of birds migrate. I also spotted a Grey Wagtail which gave it's high pitched call before disappearing over the top of one of the houseboats.
Saturday 16 February: Visit to Pulborough Brooks
For our final outing of the week, our friend Becky invited us to join her for a morning at Pulborough Brooks before the rain arrived. We left home around 7.30 and arrived before the crowds, finding a good variety of birds, especially raptors, with Buzzard, Marsh Harrier, Kestrel and Peregrine all seen, as well as the highlight - and a new tick - a low-flying 'ringtail' Hen Harrier.
Knepp has been in the news a lot recently as a rewilding project which is attracting a lot of interest related to climate change. For several years we have undertaken a quarterly survey in a small group, noting our observations and monitoring seasonal changes and developments over time as the landscape evolves. Two years ago Hannah accompanied us on our winter survey and played a key role in getting the rest of our group onto a Lesser Spotted Woodpecker. We failed to locate any of this declining species last year, but I was delighted to find another bird this year in almost the same location.
Wednesday 12 February: Family Walk
Fresh from her recent trip to Sri Lanka, Nicola came to visit and as well as hearing about her adventures and bird sightings, we enjoyed a lovely walk up to the downs and then back along the river. Unfortunately there was no sign of the Yellowhammers we had found on my birthday, but a bonus was a lovely Barn Owl hawking the ditches adjacent to the river near Coombes farm, a location where we have never seen them before.
Friday 14 February: Volunteer visit to Adur reserve
Tim and I led another walk around the Adur Nature Reserve for a group of volunteers from Pulborough Brooks. Fortunately the birds were co-operative, and alongside the usual suspects we managed to locate the regular Curlew and Greenshank as well as an overwintering Whimbrel, which is quite unusual as the majority of birds migrate. I also spotted a Grey Wagtail which gave it's high pitched call before disappearing over the top of one of the houseboats.
Saturday 16 February: Visit to Pulborough Brooks
For our final outing of the week, our friend Becky invited us to join her for a morning at Pulborough Brooks before the rain arrived. We left home around 7.30 and arrived before the crowds, finding a good variety of birds, especially raptors, with Buzzard, Marsh Harrier, Kestrel and Peregrine all seen, as well as the highlight - and a new tick - a low-flying 'ringtail' Hen Harrier.
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