Well it's pushing a month since the last post due to a number of factors. Obviously continuing Covid and personal health issues affect outings but the early part of the month saw fuel shortages compounding things especially with a virtually empty tank. Once sorted the car was out of MOT for over a week. With that in mind it's mostly been local walks and pretty little wildlife.
So just a few things of note:-
Jackdaw... See next post
Jay... One to three birds on many days usually flying with acorn-stuffed beaks
Grey Wagtail... One or two birds on many days but frequently heard-only. Two together on pond edge twice.
Pied Wagtail... Becoming more regular with up to 20 using the refuge field
Kestrel... A male hunting along 'Butterfly alley' on one date, a female on another and both together briefly on a third day. A second male was seen distantly dive-bombing a Buzzard.
Buzzard...Two birds on the refuge field were harrased into the taller trees whilst a third bird flew in from the north.
Sparrowhawk... Regular for the first couple of weeks; typically one of male, female or youngster but two birds circling together on one date.
Chiffchaff... A handful of birds on most dates but have dwindled away since mid-month to a singleton today (27th). One inspecting flower pots in the garden was the first in the garden for ages.
Cetti's... Singles twice, once heard only.
Kingfisher... The star bird, my first here and with no other GoB records. Seen by a member of the public, seemingly absent on the next day but present and calling frequently on day 3 before departing east over Squirrel Wood, presumably with no intention of returning!!
Grey Heron... One and sometimes two present. One watched eyeing up the smallest terrapin on a bough just below it but it escaped into the water as the heron pounced.
Little Egret... One present day roosting/resting on many days usually on the same branch.
Shoveler... Built up from two to a dozen before all disappearing. Today saw two birds reappear.
A couple of trips to TH and one to Pulborough and WWT (on the same date) produced little other than singles of Hobby on two consecutive dates and a couple of Marsh Harriers the best being an adult at TH. Finally another Kingfisher, this time at Heath Pond, my second there and only the fourth on GoB although I guess locals, fishermen and other pond users probably seem them now and then and they go unrecorded.
