Category: Walks

Fourteen of us braved the rather forbidding rain first thing in the morning to travel to West Wittering.  However, the weather brightened up considerably during the day, and even from the car park we began to see groups of Avocet and skeins of Brent Geese flying overhead.  The adjacent fields held Lapwing and the car park Robin and Pied Wagtail came to say hello.

Walking out onto the exposed salt marsh on the west side of Snowhill Creek there were Curlew and Redshank and lots of small passerines such as Stonechat, Skylark, Meadow Pipit and Linnet were active in the low vegetation.  Further out still we took in the different waders in front of us-a large group of Avocet again, Dunlin, Ringed Plover, more Redshank, one or two Golden Plover were joined by more reinforcements.  Grey Plover and both Black Tailed and Bar Tailed Godwits were in evidence.  A pair of Red Breasted Merganser worked the shoreline and gave good views and a couple of Sandwich Terns flew around, diving for food in spectacular fashion.  Once around the headland eventually we saw four Great Northern Divers at some distance and watched them battling against the wind and tide.  On a distant spit of land we could just make out the shape of a Peregrine perched on the ground surveying the goings on.  We also saw one or two Red Throated Divers flying low over the water here.  Walking back along the beach a lovely party of Sanderling ran about in front of us.

We had some lunch back at the car park after which we walked along the other side of the creek to view the freshwater pools, adding Wigeon, Teal, Gadwall, Mallard and Moorhen to our list in the process.  A lone Greenshank was picked out.  We heard the explosive song of a Cetti’s Warbler and in the distance suddenly a Grey heron, Buzzard and Kestrel were all in the air together.  We puzzled over the identification of some large Gulls which on reflection were probably immature Great Black Backed Gulls.  The tide was still high although falling and a couple of the Great Northern Divers had ventured nearer to us giving splendid views.

By the time we arrived back at the cars, together with ever present common birds such as Black headed Gulls, Cormorants and Blackbirds, we had amassed a grand total of 53 species in all for the day.

Fifteen of us enjoyed a dry, mild, slightly overcast excursion to the WWT London Wetland Centre where we encountered large numbers (probably forty-five upwards) of Redwing taking advantage of the bumper crop of red berries.  As ever, Parakeets were very much in evidence.  However, the reported Bitterns, Snipe and Water Pipit failed to appear for most of us.  The hides provided excellent views of good numbers of waterbirds including Teal, Wigeon, Shoveler, Gadwall, Tufted Duck, Pochard, Mallard, Coot, Moorhen, Cormorant, Grey Heron, and Canada, Greylag and Egyptian Geese.  A pair of Great Crested Grebes performed a mating dance which perhaps was rather unusual for mid-November?  Numerous Gulls loafed and preened on the lagoons, accompanied by a few Lapwings, Starlings, Crows and Jackdaws.  Keen-eyed observers added lots more sightings to our list, including Peregrine, Sparrowhawk, Kestrel, Siskin, Redpoll, Reed Bunting, Long-tailed Tit, Cetti’s Warbler, Chiffchaff-even a Kingfisher!  A certain keen photographer in the group returned to one of the hides and proved that there was a Bittern present all along by getting a series of marvellous shots of it.  Our final total for the day was 55 species.

Ten members met at Kingley Vale car park on the 6th of November under heavy clouds. 

From the car park we got our first Kestrel, Robin, and Pigeon. Along the path to the Yew tree woods we saw Blackbirds which I understand from the group have become quite a rare sight in Surrey recently. There were about 4 males and 1 female in Kingley. The group did not have to wait long before spotting Red-legged Partridges. Once in the woods we were lucky to have 20 Redwings fly over our heads and then land, which gave us a chance to study them.

The clearing which was a planned stop at to give us a chance of finding the Hawfinches was roped off but luckily enough we found a way around this and were rewarded instead with views of a distant Sparrowhawk. Also we observed Kites, Buzzard and Ravens. Once back on the main track some of the group saw a Marsh tit and a Hawfinch. Both Green and Spotted Woodpeckers were seen along with 3 Goldcrests. For some reason the group had other ideas about climbing to the top to view the Devil Jumps! With the gold, yellows, and reds of the autumn leaves, the family of 4 Sika deer, and the total of 31 species of birds, a successful return to Kingley Vale for Guildford RSPB after many years absence from the programme.

Lunch was had in the carpark along with freshly brewed coffee. There is always a man in a van that sells coffee here to the local dog walkers. After lunch we all made it back to the Bulls head pub. Highlights at Fishbourne Creek were soggy feet, good numbers of Redshanks, Grey Plovers , Curlews, Black Headed Gulls, 1 Yellow Legged Gull, Turnstones, many Wigeon, and a couple of Teal making some welcome additions to the list.

Fourteen of us met in the car park at Moor Green Lakes.  The first sighting was what turned out to be a Mistle Thrush sitting on top of a tree in The Paddock.

Taking the recently opened path around the New Workings, we quickly saw a Great Spotted Woodpecker and could hear a Nuthatch calling.   Several Redwing flew over and one sat more obligingly in a tree.  Canada and Greylag Geese flew noisily overhead at intervals and Jays were very active. We came to a pond which held Mallard, Teal, and Gadwall and as we watched them a Water Rail could be heard calling.  Two Stonechat flitted around in the grass and on the path.  A bridge over a ditch was our next stop and in a small dead tree numerous passerines were landing and taking to the skies again.  On closer inspection the birds were a selection of Meadow Pipits, Goldfinch and Redpoll.  There was also a large flock of Redpoll (estimated to be about 100 birds) in a nearby birch tree which also contained a single Siskin and a single Brambling. Unsurprisingly, a Sparrowhawk was seen chasing some of the finches at one stage. A Kestrel also gave some good views at various stages throughout our walk.

We heard a Goldcrest and saw a flock of Long Tailed Tits as we walked further around the path. The circular route took us back to our more usual view over the water and here we could make out a Great White Egret and a surprise lone male Pintail.  Two Egyptian Geese flew in as we watched and two Little Egret flew overhead.  Some of the group picked out a Snipe which unfortunately disappeared before everyone had a chance to see it.  There was a brief sound of a Skylark singing although no sighting of one. The usual collection of Herring Gull, Black Headed Gull, Lesser Black Backed Gull and Cormorants were out on the water. A group of Shoveler worked their way down one of the channels.  We joined the path by the river Blackwater from here and continued to the viewpoint along Grove lake where large numbers of Wigeon, Tufted Duck and Coot could be seen along with one or two Great Crested Grebe.

Unfortunately the Tawny Owl was not in it’s usual tree nearby and so we returned to the car park stopping briefly at the Colebrook Lake hide which added Lapwing and Little Grebe to the list taking us to a total of 55 species in all.

16 members met at RSPB Pulborough Brooks a day earlier than the scheduled walk due to forecast adverse weather.  Fortunately we had dry and calm conditions all morning. From the visitors centre we were able to see two Stock Dove in a dead tree and a Stonechat in the nearby grass.  As we set off along the zig zag path a few Redwing flew over.

We opted to walk to the West Mead hide first and were met with the sight of no water in the scrapes here!  As a consequence there were few birds.  The biggest attraction were some distant Marsh Harriers flying low above the marshes and a Buzzard circling in the sky.  At the Winpenny Hide there were large numbers of Lapwing and groups of Wigeon and Teal.  One or two Shoveler were also present.  A Merlin shot by in a flash and some of the group had fleeting views of it.

At Hangar View we eventually picked out a White Tailed Eagle sitting on the ground in a distant field.  It sat here for some time before flying off, giving some great views through telescopes.  There were Greylag, Canada and Egyptian Geese.  After a while we made out three Ruff out in the margins of the water, and a small Pipit was confirmed to be a Water Pipit after some observation.

Making our way back to the starting point we stayed a while in Fattengates Courtyard enjoying the Blue Tits, Great Tits, Chaffinches and House Sparrows around the feeders.  A Great Spotted Woodpecker put in an appearance on a nearby tree.  It had been a very pleasant walk and by the end we had seen 32 species in all.

Sixteen members met at RSPB Pagham Harbour for the walk out to Church Norton. In the car park, House Martins flew over constantly, House Sparrows congregated in the bushes and there were the usual Blue and Great Tits and Chaffinches on the feeders.

The Ferry Pool was unusually quiet on this occasion, with four Black Tailed Godwits and some Teal on view.  Perhaps the low numbers of birds were due to the recent work re-shaping the pools and scrapes?

Looking back along the Ferry Pool channel we saw our first Redshank of the day, a Moorhen and some Mallard along the bank.  Whilst watching this we could see a Sparrowhawk and a Kestrel circling above.  A pair of Great Spotted Woodpecker flew from a nearby tree and a flock of Linnet took to the air.

At the next viewpoint there were more Redshank and a Common Sandpiper.  One or two Curlew were spotted in the grass.  The cry went up “Kingfisher” and most of the group got a fleeting glimpse of a flash of blue flying low over the water and vegetation.

On the path out to Church Norton we began to see a few Great Crested Grebe in the channel.  Little Egrets were active and flying around and from time to time Chiffchaff and a solitary Common Whitethroat were seen in the bushes beside the path.  Three Marsh Harrier put on a wonderful display at quite close quarters.  There was little of note in the field behind the hide apart from a Green Woodpecker and some Peacock butterflies on the wing. 

As we neared the harbour the tide was already fairly high.  There was a collection of waders including Oystercatcher, Turnstone, Grey Plover and Dunlin.  We stayed to have lunch here and then cut through by the Church where again we were given the chance to compare raptors with a Buzzard, a Sparrowhawk and a Kestrel circling round together high in the sky.  Walking on, we took a path through farmland and woodland towards the beach.  Here two Raven were seen and heard ‘cronking’ overhead.

Once on the beach the sea was very quiet but seawatching revealed some Cormorant out fishing.  We continued walking by the Severalls where three Stonechat perched on fence posts. A Clouded Yellow butterfly put in a brief appearance before doing a disappearing act in the gravel of the beach.

Back at the harbour again we counted three Spoonbill and five Little Egret on Tern Island.  Two Wheatear were on the concrete slabs and around 150 Linnets flew around from island to island.

Making our way back to the Visitors Centre we saw a large mixed flock of Blue Tit and Long Tailed Tit with numerous Chiffchaff amongst them.

On returning to Ferry Pool, Green Sandpiper and Lapwing were added to the list.  The feeders were quiet but a Greenfinch sat in one of the trees above.

Throughout the day we had heard two birds-a Cetti’s Warbler singing and a Pheasant calling, making a respectable total of 57 species for the day.  It had been a very pleasant day in sunny weather with a chilly breeze at times.

16 members joined the Puttenham Common walk on a day when the weather was fair but windy, which in turn meant that bird numbers were down. Despite ongoing work to restore/repair the dam and road between the Tarn and Cutmill Pond, the Pond provided  a pair of Mandarin ducks lurking on the far side, which were then joined by a further 8 flying in. Mallard, as ever, were present, plus one Kingfisher was heard and later seen, along with a Grey Heron on sentinel duty.

The group moved on past The Tarn, where 11 Black Headed Gulls were noted, apparently oblivious to the roadworks. We then walked through oak woodland, up to the acid grassland and heathy area at the Bronze Age camp, where some late House Martins and a Swallow were flying. After enjoying the view at Hill Brow where there was sadly very little bird activity, the group moved on towards the Top Car park, with mature gorse bushes and scrub, in the hope of seeing or hearing a Dartford Warbler or Stonechat. However, none were forthcoming on this occasion. En route, we picked up 8 Carrion Crows, 2 Jackdaws, Raven, Buzzard (and also a dead young buzzard), plus heard numerous Nuthatch.

The Hampton Estate is doing a lot of work to restore the Common, with clear felling of selected areas of secondary woodland, exposing the topography, and, hopefully, allowing the valley mires to re-establish. This work has been coupled with re-introducing grazing by Sussex cattle (using virtual fencing) – 2 seen on our walk, which should increase the biodiversity. A final stop on the acid grassland area between the Top and Middle Car Parks, provided distant sightings of 2 Spotted Flycatchers – huge thanks to one of our members who carried his scope all the way around the Common, which allowed better views. Altogether, 33 species were recorded, with the hope that the ecological enhancement work will provide even better species numbers in the future.

16 people joined the walk at Sheepleas on a very pleasant July day. Despite the recent and prolonged dry weather, the flowers were spectacular and an absolute delight. Butterflies on the other hand were down on last year although Ringlets, Meadow Browns and Marbled Whites were in good numbers. Although Common Blues and Small Heaths were hard to find, Silver-washed Fritillaries, Speckled Woods, Red Admiral, Peacocks, Gatekeepers and Brimstones were all seen. The star of the show which put in a brief appearance was a Hummingbird Hawk Moth, seen at the very end of the walk on a large Buddelia bush near the car park. A list of species is below.

Flowers: Enchanter’s Nightshade, Herb Bennet, Dock sp. Black Bryony, Agrimony, Sanicle, Bramble, White Valerian, Common Spotted Orchid, Red Clover, Hedge Bedstraw, Marjoram, Common Knapweed, Dark Mullein, Great Mullein, Hogweed, Wood Sage, Cowslip (seed pods), Common Mallow, Vervain, Figwort, Hedge Woundwort, Herb Robert, Ragwort, Rock Rose, Creeping Thistle, Hop Trefoil, Birds-foot Trefoil, Thyme, Dwarf Thistle, Harebell, Clustered Bellflower, Basil, White Helleborine, Everlasting Pea, Cotoneaster, Small Scabious, Oxeye Daisy, Salad Burnett, Yellow Melilot, Fairy Flax, Small Willowherb, Yellow-wort, Pyramidal Orchid, Burnet Saxifrage, Lady’s Bedstraw, Self-heal, Common Dodder, Pineapple Weed, Yellow Rattle, Mugwort, Lesser Centaury, Common Centaury, Rosebay Willowherb, Great Willowherb, Silverweed, Cinquefoil, Mignonette, Nipplewort, Common Field Speedwell, Broadleaved Plantain, Ribwort Plantain, Teasel, Marsh Thistle, Jack-by-the-hedge, Buddleia. And last but by no means least, Deadly Nightshade.

Butterflies: Green-veined White, Red Admiral, Ringlet, Speckled Wood, Marbled White, Dark green Fritillary, Silver-washed Fritillary, Peacock, Brimstone, Large White, Comma, Common Blue, Small Heath, Gatekeeper. Also seen were Hummingbird Hawk Moth, Brown Hawker and Southern Hawker   

The Nightjar walk at Blackheath was very successful. The fourteen assembled members had many sightings of roding Woodcock which was a lifetime first for several of us. The Nightjars were getting the leader worried by their non-appearance when suddenly the first one was heard. A nightjar was then spotted perched on a distant bare branch. We were then treated to many views of them flying, including around our heads. There were others calling. This again was a first for several. In addition to the billed species we also saw Crow, Blackbird, Linnet, Dartford Warbler and heard Chiffchaff, Willow Warbler, Cuckoo, Wren and Tawny Owl

Thirteen members assembled in the walker’s car park next to the Jolly Farmer pub.  A Jay hopped around in a nearby oak tree and a Blackbird foraged for worms on the adjacent grass as we began the walk.  Moving to view the woodland next to some houses there were numerous baby birds calling and a blue tit begging to be fed by its parent on the telegraph wire.  An unusually stationary Nuthatch could be seen in the trees.

We could hear birds such as Robins, Wrens and Goldcrests calling all around us as we walked further through the woods but nothing more of note was seen until reaching the pond.  Here a single Moorhen swam across the surface, two Canada Geese flew over and a male Bullfinch put in a brief appearance, seen by two of the group.

We took the boardwalk out onto the first heathland area and immediately began to hear Whitethroat, Dartford Warbler and Linnet singing.  A surprise Grey Heron flew over us.  Eventually we had good views of Whitethroat, Stonechat and Dartford Warbler.  The Dartford Warbler in particular was very obliging, singing loudly in a pine tree and posing for photos.

On a sandy path near to the railway line that cuts across the common someone pointed out a Bee Wolf Wasp cautiously emerging from its burrow and we watched these fascinating insects for some time as it transpired there were numerous wasps in the area

Crossing the bridge over the railway line onto a second heathland area we saw a Buzzard soaring along with a couple of Red Kite.  A Green Woodpecker flew onto a dead tree and as we were watching it a Willow Warbler came into view singing at the top of the same tree.  More Stonechats were perched on vantage points.  A bird was briefly seen which presented an identification challenge, but the consensus was that it was a female Redstart.  A Song Thrush flew from the leaf litter beside us to a nearby tree as we walked.

Retracing our steps back to the cars through the woodland area added Chaffinch and Coal Tit to the list.  We arrived back having seen a total of 29 species with 5 heard.  A very pleasant walk in warm sunshine.