Birding Expedition to RSPB Pulborough Brooks

On Saturday I spent the early part of the day at RSPB Pulborough Brooks, my first birding event with the GBC. I don't drive but the reserve is only a ten minute cycle from Pulborough station, and very well signposted.

The reserve itself has a wide variety of habitats, scrub, woodland, wetlands and heathland (which is in the process of being expanded/reclaimed from the coniferous forest). This means there was a good range of diverse species to be spotted all in a relatively small area as well as some amazing vistas of bluebell woods.

Bluebells, fern and oak at RSPB Pulborough Brooks

At the start of our walk we ambled through some open scrub areas with trees, bushes and open grassland as well as small ponds. We were lucky enough to spot a whitethroat in some brambles only a few feet away - affording some great views and superb photo shots from one of our group. Around us we could hear chiffchaff, willow warbler, blackcap, greenfinch, wren, chaffinch. A solitary cuckoo was calling as well. As we headed along the path, we spotted a nightingale on some exposed branches, where it stayed for a few minutes giving us a lengthy rendition of its rich, throaty and complex song. It was the first nightingale I had ever seen or heard, so an experience I definitely won't forget.

As we approached the wetland hides, there were nightingales and other warblers singing all around us. My ability to identify these small birds by song alone is limited, however thanks to the expert members of the group, I've now added a couple to the list that I should now be able to identify.

On the wetlands and flooded meadows, we saw most of the usual suspects - mallard, mute swans canada geese, coots and moorhens as well as a heron, but the highlight was a sedge warbler, which was flitting round a bramble bush, but stayed still long enough for me to get a good look thanks to Malcolms super-powerful telescope - well enough to see its eyebrow stripe clearly. We also saw a linnet fleetingly - another new one for me.

On our way back to the cafe for a lunch break one eagle-eyed member of the group spotted an adder dozing in a sunny spot in the long grass by the footpath - which soon made a hasty exit as the shadows of nine inquisitive birders took away his sunny patch.

At the end of lunch I noticed a couple of the group had moved toward a field with a ploughed area - situated behind the cafe garden. I heard whispers of 'wheatear' and moved across with my binoculars to catch a glimpse of another new species for me - a female wheatear flitting around the ploughed furrows.

After lunch we took a brief stroll into the woodland on the other side of the reserve - the area where some of the forest was being cleared to make way for more heathland. It was a sight to see so many tree stumps in one area in a reserve. We didn't see much here, other than hearing a long-tailed tit and nuthatch.

By that point it was 3:30 and the rain looked like it was on its way. Time for a farewell to my new birding friends, a swift cycle to the station and a pleasant train journey home - one very happy birder indeed.

Species seen:

1. House sparrow
2. Chaffinch
3. Bullfinch
4. Greenfinch
5. Mute swan
6. Mallard
7. Grey heron
8. Canada goose
9. Coot
10. Moorhen
11. House martin
12. Barn swallow

New species seen:

1. Nightingale
2. Whitethroat
3. Gadwall (male)
4. Nuthatch
5. Sedge warbler
6. Linnet
7. Wheatear (female)

Species heard (but not seen):

1. Willow warbler
2. Chiffchaff
3. Blackcap
4. Long-tailed tit
5. Cuckoo
6. Goldfinch
7. Wren