Busy tomorrow and the next few days so, with it being dry, not too windy and the possibility of a few (short) warm spells, it seemed an opportunity to visit Pulborough.
Passing Waltham Brooks, I saw a couple of birders in the distant and so I stopped just in case the Garganey was showing but, as not, I continued on to PB where, over a coffee, the sky was alive with raptors. Not exactly Batumi but seven Buzzards and two Red Kites - during the day there were always Buzzards in view so who knows how many were knocking about. Other than two Kestrels, no other BoPs unfortunately.
Chatted to G and M in West Mead with little other than Stonechat on show.
Further round male Adder AA71 was in exactly the same place as on March 21st. Spent time pointing him out to at least eight visitors.
With little time and, as usual, no scope only four Avocets were seen on the north brooks although it was nice to see so many Primroses around the upper paths - don't recall such a good showing.
Spent a little time at the feeders and later tried to find some interesting early hoverflies on Salix but just Merodon equestris to show for it and some well-dusted Honeybees.
Sadly, the little amount of Cuckooflower was devoid of Orange Tip butterflies although GT had his first of the year a little later as the weather warmed a little. A few Bee Flies was all I could manage and a single Comma.
(Blue Tit at feeding station, Chiffchaff - one of many, male Andrena haemorrhoa on no-entry sign)
Should've stopped at Ivy Lake on the way back as the Bonaparte's Gull was still present!!
A quick look off Broadmarsh before returning home saw a distant Osprey-shaped blob on the Long Island post where it was reported yesterday and again either side of my visit today. But frankly, with no scope, it could've been anything.
