Its been a long haul since the autumn with continuous and ongoing mobility issues limiting the amount of birding to just a few sites with easy access and short, flat footpaths or boardwalks such as Titchfield and Arundel.
The autumn petered out with little on offer although the TH Wryneck did eventually give in, providing great views in the garden of the westernmost north side chalet before working its way around the edges of the play area and eventually disappearing back eastwards of out view.
Two different Snow Buntings were in the Titchfield area, the first above(two pictures) in November being just 50yds or so from the Seafarer's carpark and the second in December on the Titchfield beach and watchable from the car.
The autumn winds and rains have continued seemingly almost non stop and winter never arrived; no snow, no ice, not even frost on the car windscreen!!
Flooding and danger of falling trees limited some access and the most notable feature of this 'winter' was lack of birds such as Bittern and quality gulls at Blashford and precious little in terms of quality seaducks, divers etc although the Chilling Eider flock were present on many dates with the odd Great Northern and a single Velvet Scoter.
Visits to Arundel produced nothing more than Kingfisher, Firecrest and Snipe although for those able to stay later the harrier roost has continued to pull in one of the Arun valley's ringtail Hen Harriers. The local Bewick's Swans were at an all time low of three but did later increase to just six; they'll be off soon if they've not already departed.
Locally, a Chiffchaff has been calling on many dates from a neighbours garden and a lot of gull noise alerted to a pair of Peregrines over the house one morning; maybe the birds that sometimes roost on St Judes? On the pond, high water levels and the typical numbers of Tufties and Shovelers but with so little thick cover, no sight nor sound of Cettis and, for the second winter, no Water Rail.
Yesterday saw a first visit to the well flooded RSPB Pulborough which despite dropping water levels still looks like an inland sea. Just White-fronted Goose and a rather more unusual Pale-bellied Brent. If last week's early Garganey was still on site, decamping from south brooks to north ensured it was like looking for a needle in a haystack. Luckily the weather held out just enough for this first-of-year Adder, possibly the individual relocated from the flooded Winpenny hide by AA.
