An unpromising moth trap started the day with little of any interest followed by a slower than usual drive to Pulborough.
First visit to Hails viewpoint produced single Green Sandpiper, three Wheatear on the dried out pool and three Buzzards. A single Spotted Flycatcher in Black Wood. Later, at Westmead, the small amount of remaining water played host to a Green Sandpiper and Greenshank. A smart adult male Marsh Harrier was a nice bonus whereas the Redstart perched up at Redstart Corner was less of a surprise. A number of very distant passerines on the South Brooks were obviously chats but only singles of Stonechat and Whinchat could be ID'd; others earlier had four Whinchat from Hails.
On the North Brooks the Wood Sandpiper was picked up quite quickly but, as usual, was hugely distant. Two Dunlin, single Snipe and reasonable numbers of Teal and Shoveler were present.
A skywatch over lunch produced four Raven and a Sparrowhawk.
Returning to Hails after lunch didn't produce anything new but the Spotted Flycatchers had increased to four with two adults feeding two (at least) very spotty and short-tailed youngsters presumably only a few days after fledging and definitely the highlight of the day.
A final look from Westmead produced a second Marsh Harrier, this time a cream-crown, a good flock of a hundred or more Goldfinches and fifteen Yellow Wagtails for once happy to leave the company of distant cows and put on a bit of a show.
Finally, after few butterflies (Red Admirals and a Comma being the best), the walk back up the zigzag produced a single Clouded Yellow.
(Reports from others included the four Whinchat alluded to above, two Hobbies and a second Redstart).
