Wednesday's journey into PB was considerably less painful than last week and was in glorious blue, warm weather.
A coffee on arrival whilst waiting for PW and a brief catch up with SDOS members before setting off down the zig-zag (or at least the straight path) as contractors were on site re-laying it.
A gaggle of people were watching a day-roosting Woodcock on the left side of the path found by a volunteer with a thermal aid following up a couple of other sightings in previous days. It barely moved other than looking up once in a while and was still present at leaving time. This was a real pleasure not having seen Woodcock at Pulborough nor anywhere else for a dozen years!! And, being slightly concealed, the ATB came into it's own again; being , let's say, vertically challenged(!) I doubt I could have seen it with a conventional scope and tripod.
The floodwaters hadn't noticeably changed since last week and the only extra birds of note were a single Great White Egret and two Ruff until one of the adult eagles arrived, frightened everything and then departed off towards Rook Wood where crows saw it off and a little later when seven or eight Egyptian Geese were keen to help it on it's way.
Further around, Libby was pointing out one of the 'Winpenny' Adders to everyone; it had crossed the path into a sunnier, warmer area. A little later a second one, curled up tight, was spotted nearer the hide before slithering away.
Maybe half a dozen Pochard were the only duck of interest on both the North and South Brooks.
Three each of Cettis and Chiffchaff were noisy.
Plenty of Brimstones on the wing all round the reserve and a single Peacock.
Lunch (pasty) on the tea terrace in t-shirt for the first time this year and some welcome vitamin D followed by the first Magnum icecream of the year!
Before leaving a quick check of the bee slope produced lots of Early Colletes - I'm sure these were probably my earliest ever.
(Woodcock below copyright B Clough)
The previous day, in similarly welcome bright conditions and just a local walk, produced a birdtrack list of 35 species in half an hour, the best being calling Firecrest in a back garden, a day-roosting Little Egret in the company of five terrapins and three noisy Cettis.
Some Andrena flavipes and a Hairy-footed Flower Bee were NfY and there were plenty of Honeybees on the gorse; curiously no early butterflies.
And the forecast for the next few days is back to wind and rain **sigh**.
