A Frosty Days Birding!

At last had got out birding after feeling pretty ill these past two weeks! A nice frosty day at Pulborough today with a nice selection of birds seen around the reserve! As we left the visitors centre we were greeted to a Lesser Redpoll feeding close but on the thistle heads. In the courtyard we sepent around half an hour looking for the Lesser-Spotted Woodpeckers along with a few others. No luck but there was a flock of Siskins overhead around 10+. Have been disappointed with the lack of Winter thrushes around the reserve recently this time last year it would have been easily 50+ Fieldfare and Redwing even reaching over the 100 mark today only 3 Fieldfare and 1 Redwing! Disappointing...

On to the North Brooks now where the Ringtail Hen Harrier put in an appearance along with a rather pale morph Common Buzzard. Other raptors sighted today 1 Kesterl and 1 Female Sparrowhawk. There was a Juv Bewick Swan on the North Brooks but was not relocated after a while and we did not see the bird. Another one of our Siberian friends was recorded today on the reserve (not by us) and that was a Whooper Swan which raised a few eyebrows and was later thought to be a Bewick.

The Male Peregrine was seen from the hanger view point along with various duck. Teal, Shoveler, Wigeon, Pintail. 

There was a report of a Brambling yesterday on the cafe feeders I personally hadent see one in a few years so was pretty eggar to see this bird. As we got there a nice couple informed us the bird was seen    Every 10 minuets so was pretty certain we would see it. Waited an hour and half and still no luck now these birds may not be "rare" but are certainly becoming more scarce so was very disappointed! Oh well there is always tommorrow! 

Last stop of the day as its getting dark so early was Amberly Wildbrooks to see the Bewick Swans. At the view point we were greated to 4 which was an added bonus at there was only three reported before hand. Later another 2 joined bringing the total to 6 Birds.

George Kinnard