Owl Herding

Selected birds recorded on walks in the valley this week. 3 Jan (09.15-12.15) – Littlehampton to Arundel: 1 Cattle Egret, 2 Little Egret, 3 Grey Heron, 4 Common Shelduck, 1 Common Sandpiper, 1 Redshank, 260+ Lapwing, 1 Mediterranean Gull, 2 Great Black-backed Gull, 90 Fieldfare, 70 Skylark, 12 Reed Bunting, 2 Yellowhammer. Seal. 2 Jan (08.10-09.35) – Arun East, Millstream, Mill Road: 1 Sparrowhawk, 3 Grey Heron, 2 Yellowhammer, 2 Reed Bunting. 1 Jan (13.50-16.00) – Swanbourne Lake, WWT: 1 Little Grebe, 88 Gadwall, 65 Tufted Duck, 5 Pochard (SL); 11 Selduck, 4 Wigeon, 8 Shoveler, 14 Pochard, 2 Lapwing, 15 Snipe, 1 Kingfisher, 1 Cetti’s Warbler, 1 Coal Tit (WWT). 1 Jan (11.00-12.30) – Water Woods: 2 Firecrest, 1 Marsh Tit, 1 Little Grebe, 2 Buzzard. 1 Jan (09.00-10.30) – Arun South: 1 Cattle Egret, 2 Little Egret, 2 Grey Heron, 1 Buzzard, 190 Lapwing, 1 Oystercatcher, 2 Great Black-backed Gull, 2 Reed Bunting. 31 Dec (13.00-17.00) – Burpham, The Burgh, Arun: 1 Siberian Chiffc

Selected birds recorded on walks in the valley this week. 28 Dec (10.50-12.30) – Arun South: 3 Egyptian Geese, 1 Marsh Harrier, 11 Grey Partridge, 1 Snipe, 210+ Lapwing, 1 Kingfisher, 3 Stonechat, 1 Meadow Pipit, 1 Bullfinch, 2 Yellowhammer. 27 Dec (13.40-16.40) – Water Wood, Screen Wood, Sherwood Rough: 3 Marsh Tit, 2 Coal Tit, 6 Goldcrest, 2 Nuthatch, 1 Hawfinch, 3 Siskin, 3 Bullfinch, 15 Yellowhammer, 1 Jay, 1 Kestrel, 4 Buzzard, Tawny Owl. 27 Dec (08.10-09.35) – Arun East, Millstream, Mill Road: 2 Little Egret, 2 Grey Heron, 1 Red Kite, 6 Reed Bunting, 1 Yellowhammer, 2 Bullfinch. 26 Dec (08.15-09.30) – Arun South: 1 Shelduck, 1 Buzzard, 280+ Lapwing, 1 Kingfisher, 4 Reed Bunting, 12 Yellowhammer. 25 Dec (08.15-09.30) – Arun East, Millstream, Mill Road: 1 Buzzard, 6 Yellowhammer, 2 Reed Bunting, 2 Stonechat, 2 Bullfinch. 24 Dec (08.15-09.30) – Arun South: 2 Egyptian Geese, 1 Buzzard, 1 Common Sandpiper, 1 Redshank, 1 Stonechat, 16 Yellowhammer. 23 Dec (08.15-09.30) –

The river is high this morning. The dog wades across a section of bank she normally walks, nosing curiously through waterlogged reeds festooned with plastic and fragments of wood, detritus abandoned by the passing water. It is an uneasy passage. With each rising tide, the runoff from heavy rains over the valley and downs is penned back. The banks here are too high for the water to spill out, but its level is rising and other areas of the valley are already well flooded. This is for now an ordered outcome, the water levels set to stabilise and then recede as the rains subside. The meeting point of the flood water and tidal flow also appears orderly, with little surface movement. But this is one of the country’s fastest-flowing rivers, and appearances can be deceptive. The rise in water levels can be insidious. At lunchtime two weeks back the path over the bridge connecting Pulborough to the RSPB reserve was dry. Returning in the afternoon, after successfully twitching the valley’s

Selected birds recorded on walks in the valley this week. 20 Dec (08.55-12.15) – Amberley station, Burpham SW, Arundel: 1 Siberian Chiffchaff, 10 Chiffchaff, 6 Bewick’s Swan, 80 Teal, 25 Snipe, 2 Red Kite, 2 Kestrel, 5 Buzzard. 19 Dec (09.45-10.50) – Arun East, Millstream, Mill Road: 2 Buzzard, 1 Kestrel, 1 Raven, 1 Stonechat, 3 Reed Bunting, 82 Common Gull, 23 Gadwall. 17 Dec (10.15) Burpham water meadows from train:   6 Bewick’s Swan. 17 Dec (08.00-09.20) – Arun East, Millstream, Mill Road: 2 Little Egret, 1 Bullfinch, 4 Yellowhammer, 4 Reed Bunting. 16 Dec (08.20-09.50) – Hiorne, Swanbourne Lake, Millstream, Mill Road: 1 Marsh Harrier, 21 Teal, 8 Mandarin Duck, 6 Pochard, 70 Gadwall. 15 Dec (08.15-09.15) – Arun South: 1 Marsh Harrier, 3 Wigeon, 1 Great Black-backed Gull.

Selected birds recorded on walks in the valley this week. 14 Dec (08.55-12.35) – Amberley station, N Stoke, Canada, Burgh, Dewpond, Burpham: 6 Bewick’s Swan, 3 Marsh Harrier, 5 Red Kite, 4 Buzzard, 2 Kestrel, 36 Red-legged Partridge, 2 Grey Partridge, 28 Lapwing, 164 Linnet, 9 Corn Bunting, 8 Yellowhammer, 42 Reed Bunting. 13 Dec (08.20-09.40) – Arun East, Millstream, Mill Road: 1 Kingfisher, 140 Lapwing over, 1 Kestrel, 1 Yellowhammer, 1 Reed Bunting. 12 Dec (09.00-11.40) – Arundel-Littlehampton: 5 Little Grebe, 8 Redshank, 3 Common Sandpiper, 2 Oystercatcher, 2 Mediterranean Gull, 1 Stonechat. 10 Dec (13.00-16.00) – Water, Screens, Rewell, Sherwood Rough: 2 Firecrest, 12 Goldcrest, 7 Marsh Tit, 2 Coal Tit, 3 Lesser Redpoll, 14 Greenfinch, 1 Stonechat. 10 Dec (08.20-09.40) – Arun East, Millstream, Mill Road: 5 Siskin, 7 Yellowhammer, 1 Kestrel. 9 Dec (08.00-10.00) – Hiorne, Swanbourne Lake, Millstream, Mill Road: 1 Hawfinch, 1 Firecrest, 4 Goldcrest, 83 Gadwall, 1 Shoveler

Selected birds recorded on walks in the valley this week. 7 Dec (12.30-13.00) – Arun East, Millstream, Mill Road: 1 Treecreeper, 1 Coal Tit, 1 Goldcrest. 6 Dec (09.00-11.00) – Amberley stn to Arundel: 1 Red Kite, 1 Buzzard, 1 Kestrel, 3 Snipe, 1 Stonechat, 1 Chiffchaff. 5 Dec (08.20-09.50) - Arun East, Millstream, Mill Road: 1 Marsh Harrier, 2 Little Egret, 2 Grey Heron, 100> Redwing + Fieldfare, 1 Cetti’s Warbler. 4 Dec (14.30-16.00) – Arundel Park – Hiorne: 1 Hawfinch, 1 Brambling, 80 Goldfinch, 50 Chaffinch, 30 Yellowhammer, 10 Reed Bunting, 4 Goldcrest, 2 Jay. 4 Dec (08.10-9.40) – Arun South: 1 Sparrowhawk, 3 Buzzard, 1 Common Sandpiper, 120 Lapwing, 2 Meadow Pipit, 20 Skylark, 6 Reed Bunting, 2 Yellowhammer, 400> Redwing + Fieldfare. 3 Dec (10.35-11.40) – Waterwoods: 1 Firecrest, 2 Goldcrest, 1 Nuthatch, 2 Mandarin. 3 Dec (08.10-09.40) - Arun East, Millstream, Mill Road: 5 Meadow Pipit, 100 Redwing + Fieldfare. 2 Dec (14.00-16.30) – Swanbourne, WWT: 113 Gadwa