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Twelve of us met in the car park of the Wildfowl and Wetland Trust in Barn Elms London on an overcast and chilly November day.  We could hear and see Ring Necked Parakeets whilst getting ready, and a single Redwing was spotted sitting high in a tree.  As we made our way to the Visitors Centre the pools outside contained the first of many Coot and Moorhen.

The spectacular (and warm) view from the main observatory gave us the chance to see a variety of ducks such as Gadwall, Tufted Duck, Pochard, Shoveler, Mallard, Wigeon and Teal, along with Cormorant, Great Crested Grebe and Grey Heron.   Geese were represented by Canada and Egyptian varieties and a flock of Lapwing took off and swirled around in the sky at regular intervals.   As we watched all the activity one of the group called out a raptor flying low over the reeds which turned out to be a Sparrowhawk.

We made our way to the south route first and as we followed the path, we saw Blue Tits and a busy Chiffchaff in the Birch trees.  A group of Long Tailed Tits worked their way along the tree line.  The next two hides offered little in the way of new birds for the list but did give us the chance to brush up on our gull identification, comparing the Black Headed Gulls, Herring Gulls, Lesser Black Backed Gulls and Common Gulls as they stood side by side.  

The bird feeding station was busy with Blue and Great Tit, Chaffinch, Greenfinch and Goldfinch.  There were also one or two Siskin feeding in the Alder trees alongside.  Roger introduced us to his friend the Robin who flew over for the sunflower seed produced from his rucksack.  A Great Spotted Woodpecker also came down to the feeders.

The Peacock hide was surprisingly quiet but we stayed for a while enjoying more of the same birds already seen.  A Blackbird was in front of us on the path back to the Visitors Centre where we had our lunch.  Another Robin (or perhaps the same one from earlier) sat on one of our telescopes looking for crumbs that we might spill during lunch.

The word then spread that the hoped for Bittern had been seen from the Headley hide on the Western route, so we set off again with a purposeful stride, pausing only to admire the close-up views of the captive Barnacle and Red Breasted Geese.  Some of the group who had been quicker off the mark had already seen the Bittern, but it had vanished into the reeds again just before the latecomers arrived at the hide.  There were also views of a distant Peregrine from here on it’s usual perch on one of the buildings outside the reserve.  On walking to the Wildside hide, this also proved quiet, although there were a pair of Stonechat on the fences here which were a nice addition to the list.

We then made our way back to the Otter enclosure for the feeding session, noticing the captive White Storks and Common Cranes on the way.  These birds are clearly not yet fully on display but are gradually being prepared for more extensive viewing, presumably to highlight the recent conservation work with both these species here in the UK.  

Some of the party who had not seen the Bittern returned to the hide at this point and were successful, so that all the group had then seen the secretive star of the show.  The resident Asian Short Clawed otters were delightful at their feeding time, but the commentary stressed their important place in the eco-system as an apex predator rather than the cuteness factor.  

This brought our visit to a satisfactory close and with the birds heard throughout the day (Green Woodpecker, Kingfisher and Cetti’s Warbler,) we had managed a respectable tally of 50 bird species in all, excluding the captive specimens.

Fourteen members of the group had an enjoyable morning walk round the RSPB’s Pulborough Brooks reserve in West Sussex on what turned out to be a cool, slightly cloudy but rain-free day.

We started outside the visitor centre, looking over Upperton’s Field towards West Mead and beyond to the River Arun and South Downs. A Kestrel was perched on a dead tree and a Sparrowhawk flew over the field.

Next stop, Fattengates Courtyard. Here we saw a range of garden birds such as Blue and Great Tits, House Sparrow, Robin, Dunnock, Chiffchaff and Chaffinch, no doubt encouraged by the sunflower seeds that had helpfully been scattered just before our arrival. We also heard Green and Greater Spotted Woodpecker and, just as we left, a flock of about 20 Long-tailed Tits flew over.

Next, we headed for the hairpin viewpoint overlooking the North Brooks. Here we saw good numbers of Teal, Lapwing and Canada Goose, with Greylag and Egyptian Goose, Mute Swan, Shoveler (many still partially in eclipse), Mallard and Black-tailed Godwit amongst them. A solitary Ruff was feeding at the water’s edge and a few Swallows and House Martins were still flying.

We then walked to Hanger View to look over the southern part of the North Brooks. Here we found more Teal with smaller numbers of Wigeon.

From Winpenny hide, the main excitement was provided by very active Marsh Harrier flying low over the marsh and at least three Buzzards.  There were also several Gadwall and a Snipe, the latter well camouflaged in the reeds at the edge of the water. Among the cows was a juvenile Cattle Egret.

The view from West Mead hide included many more Canada Geese, as well as a solitary Shelduck amongst the other duck species.

In the afternoon, the walk leaders headed to the viewpoint at Rackham, overlooking Amberley Wild Brooks, where we were rewarded with good views of a young White-tailed Eagle perched in the “eagle tree”. A Raven flew over and a Bullfinch was perched in the shrubs in front of the viewpoint.

The overall total for the walk at Pulborough was a respectable 50 species.

Six of us had a very enjoyable, if slightly damp stroll around Farlington Marshes.

On our arrival the tide was completely out but a Cetti’s warbler welcomed us with a burst of song and large flocks of Starling flew in all directions.  Once on the sea wall we began to see Black Tailed Godwits in some numbers, with three at very close range.  Also out on the mud were plenty of Redshank, Oystercatcher and Curlew and a large group of ducks, mainly Wigeon, in non-breeding plumage. Little Egret were numerous and occasionally Grey Heron were seen.  Arriving at The Lake the water levels were too high for any of the usual waders. There was no shortage of Coot however, and we saw two Little Grebe and a Great Crested Grebe here diving for food.  Sharp eyes picked out a Kingfisher sitting in a bush near the lake.

Continuing around the sea wall we were able to see numerous Meadow Pipit, a couple of Stonechat and a little Chiffchaff busily flitting around in the scrub.

Many birds were at some distance out in the harbour but the increasing drizzle and wind made identification difficult.  The Deeps was strangely quiet but fortunately here the rain eased off and we were able to see large numbers of Brent Geese flying in out at sea.  On Biness Island a large bird perched in the dead trees was confirmed on closer inspection through telescopes to be a Peregrine, and three Greenshank were spotted on the shoreline as the tide was coming in.  A group of Shelduck did a flypast for us.  Six Cattle Egret could be seen in the fields living up to their name by associating with the livestock.  Closer inspection revealed half a dozen or so Yellow Wagtail also present.  A Raven ‘cronked’ as it flew by and landed in one of the fields.

We had our well-earned lunch in the visitor’s centre hut and as we were finishing a Marsh Harrier began to quarter the fields and reed beds.  The stream was very quiet initially but as we cut across the fields and scrub we also saw some Shoveler and Pintail along with groups of Black Headed Gull and two Common Gull.  A Buzzard began circling around in the sky.

As we climbed the steps up to the sea wall again the tide was fully in on the other side and numerous Brent Geese bobbed around on the open water.  We had seen a respectable total of 52 species for the day.

A dozen of us enjoyed glorious weather – sunshine and a light breeze – for this stroll along the edge of Pagham Harbour.  The Ferry Pool was glassy and still, reflecting the Avocets, Lapwings, Black-tailed Godwits and Teal roosting there.  Both Common and Green Sandpiper were busy feeding along the edges, while the scrub and wooded area behind the hide offered close-up views of Common Whitethroat, Greenfinch, Chaffinch, Dunnock, Robin, Tits and Sparrows.  Various raptors appeared for us: Buzzards, Peregrine and Kestrel.  A little later, along the walk to Church Norton, we added a flying Sparrowhawk, plus many of the usual harbour birds (Little Egrets, Redshanks, Curlew, Great-crested and Little Grebes) and, in the walk-side bushes: Chiffchaffs, Cetti, Stonechat and a young Yellowhammer.  Newly released Red-legged Partridges scampered about in the fields.  The tide was still quite high by the time we reached the beach.  Sadly, only a few gulls (and no terns) were visible out on the open sea.  Back on the shingle spit in the harbour, we ate our picnic lunch with fairly distant views of Cormorants, Oystercatchers, Turnstones and a solitary Bar-tailed Godwit.  Some of us tried our best to convert the young (i.e. shorter-billed) Curlews into Whimbrels!  On our return walk, we simply enjoyed the lovely warmth and the many Migrant Hawker dragonflies.  Our bird species total was 67 – a great day out!