It was a bright and slightly breezy morning in the Arun Valley, with plenty of birds to see!
We we walked through the entrance gate, we were serenaded by Blackcaps and Chiffchaffs. A Wren posed beautifully as it sang in the lower branches of a tree by the path.
A Greenfinch obligingly perched at the top of a tree, allowing us to get lovely views through the telescope.
The sewage works might not be the most glamorous part of the site for birding, but it was well worth a look, with two Song Thrushes, several Blackbirds and House Sparrows, and a Pied Wagtail, making the most of the feeding opportunity. Meanwhile, a Great Spotted Woodpecker was drumming away in the distance.
As we walked towards the railway crossing, a Red Kite drifted overhead and we got some glimpses of a flock of Goldfinches feeding in the bushes. We could hear Long-tailed Tits calling, and with some patience managed to see these charming little birds. While we were watching, a Kestrel flew by and broke into a hover.
A Whitethroat gave its scratchy song to the right, then a Lesser Whitethroat burst into its rattle to the left. These are similar birds in appearance, but there is no confusing these two songsters by voice.
Once on the marsh itself, we came across several Cetti's Warblers, mainly by ear but we were lucky enough to get some good binocular views of one. Sedge Warblers are far less introverted and kept flitting into the sky to perform their parachuting song-flights. Another pair of Long-tailed Tits gave far better views as they gathered food for their young, in a nest somewhere unseen.
Three Shovelers flew past us, followed by a singleton, and three Gadwall were feeding on the lake. A pretty male Stonechat was singing in a bush on the other side of the path and gave fantastic views through the scope, alongside a gorgeous male Linnet — but a male Reed Bunting only gave a fleeting glimpse.
Just then, a Swallow split the sky overhead — relatively few have arrived so far this spring so this was a real treat!
The wind may have kept some of our target species out of sight and earshot but in two hours we managed 39 species!
Shoveler
Gadwall
Mallard
Pheasant
Woodpigeon
Collared Dove
Moorhen
Coot
Red Kite
Great Spotted Woodpecker
Kestrel
Magpie
Jackdaw
Rook
Carrion Crow
Blue Tit
Great Tit
Sedge Warbler
Swallow
Chiffchaff
Cetti's Warbler
Long-tailed Tit
Blackcap
Lesser Whitethroat
Whitethroat
Wren
Starling
Song Thrush
Blackbird
Robin
Stonechat
Dunnock
House Sparrow
Pied Wagtail
Chaffinch
Greenfinch
Linnet
Goldfinch
Reed Bunting