There are
many ways of delimiting the Arun Valley, ranging from its geological structure
to parish boundaries. Here it is arbitrarily defined as the area extending up
to three miles on either side of the river for the twenty miles from the coast
to Pulborough.
Starting from
the coast and travelling north, the Climping Gap area runs west from the river mouth
to Atherington and Poole Place. Its patchwork of farmland, woodland, dunes and
shingle is worked by a dedicated band of watchers who have amassed a bird list
of 265, including many rarities. Sightings and further information are on The
Birds of Climping Gap and Lower Arun Valley site (climpingbirds.blogspot.co.uk).
Following the river north from Littlehampton to Ford and on to Arundel involves moving into feast or famine territory. The river, water meadows and hedgerows at times appear birdless, but no visit is entirely wasted. My own list for the Ford to Arundel stretch stands at 148, though the number of hours spent watching is considerably bigger…
Beyond the
flood plain, the downland rising to the northwest is cloaked by woodland including
Binsted, Rewell and Water woods. In the right spots at the right seasons, these
woods are the haunt of Firecrests, Woodcocks, Hawfinches and Nightjars. Nowadays
there are raptors, too, though in 1272 it was reported that there were no
eyries of falcons, sparrowhawks or herons, though it added intriguingly that an
eyrie of sparrowhawks had been destroyed by bustards. Or had it?
To the north of Arundel the river meets the Millstream, a short walk but often fruitful. It lies just south of Swanbourne Lake and the Wetland Centre (wwt.org.uk/wetland-centres/arundel). Both are worth a look, with the former having records of Ring-necked Duck and Spotted Sandpiper, and the latter having hosted Little Crake and Spotted Crake. Beyond them is the Black Rabbit, from which Barn Owls and Marsh Harriers may at times be seen in winter.
Heading north the valley narrows and the river path passes Offham, where Bewick’s Swans can winter. To the east Burpham and North Stoke give access to the Burgh and its roster of downland birds and raptors. Hen Harriers and Short-eared Owls are more or less annual, while there is an outside chance of rarities such as Pallid Harrier or Rough-legged Buzzard. The area hosts good flora and butterfly sites, with Large Tortoiseshell discovered near North Stoke in 2017, while going further back mammoth remains were found at Peppering in 1821.
Amberley and its chalk excavations passed, the path diverges from the river, leaving the option of directly crossing Amberley Wild Brooks or skirting it to the south and east via Rackham Plantation. With few tracks and sometimes impassable in winter, Amberley Wild Brooks always offers the possibility of something exceptional, such as the White-tailed Eagle seen in 2010 or the American Bittern shot there in the 1880s.
To the north of Amberley Wild Brooks, Waltham Brooks Nature Reserve is immediately west of Greatham Bridge while the area recorded in 1636 as Fowl Mead and now the RSPB's Pulborough Brooks reserve (rspb.org.uk) beckons to the northeast. Waltham Brooks should not be discounted but Pulborough’s size and combination of wetland, heathland and woodland habitats, and its long and growing list of rarities, make it a fitting terminus to the journey.
Following the river north from Littlehampton to Ford and on to Arundel involves moving into feast or famine territory. The river, water meadows and hedgerows at times appear birdless, but no visit is entirely wasted. My own list for the Ford to Arundel stretch stands at 148, though the number of hours spent watching is considerably bigger…
To the north of Arundel the river meets the Millstream, a short walk but often fruitful. It lies just south of Swanbourne Lake and the Wetland Centre (wwt.org.uk/wetland-centres/arundel). Both are worth a look, with the former having records of Ring-necked Duck and Spotted Sandpiper, and the latter having hosted Little Crake and Spotted Crake. Beyond them is the Black Rabbit, from which Barn Owls and Marsh Harriers may at times be seen in winter.
Heading north the valley narrows and the river path passes Offham, where Bewick’s Swans can winter. To the east Burpham and North Stoke give access to the Burgh and its roster of downland birds and raptors. Hen Harriers and Short-eared Owls are more or less annual, while there is an outside chance of rarities such as Pallid Harrier or Rough-legged Buzzard. The area hosts good flora and butterfly sites, with Large Tortoiseshell discovered near North Stoke in 2017, while going further back mammoth remains were found at Peppering in 1821.
Amberley and its chalk excavations passed, the path diverges from the river, leaving the option of directly crossing Amberley Wild Brooks or skirting it to the south and east via Rackham Plantation. With few tracks and sometimes impassable in winter, Amberley Wild Brooks always offers the possibility of something exceptional, such as the White-tailed Eagle seen in 2010 or the American Bittern shot there in the 1880s.
To the north of Amberley Wild Brooks, Waltham Brooks Nature Reserve is immediately west of Greatham Bridge while the area recorded in 1636 as Fowl Mead and now the RSPB's Pulborough Brooks reserve (rspb.org.uk) beckons to the northeast. Waltham Brooks should not be discounted but Pulborough’s size and combination of wetland, heathland and woodland habitats, and its long and growing list of rarities, make it a fitting terminus to the journey.
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