April - May 2012
A hundred birds in a day!
Date and time: Saturday 5th May
Where to meet : Meet in the car park at Pulborough Brooks RSPB reserve at grid ref TQ059164 (meeting time to be agreed).
Early May is one of the busiest times of the year in the birding calendar. The resident birds are busy nesting, most of the summer visitors have arrived and migration is in full swing with a wide range of species passing through the county on their way to their breeding grounds further north. With a little careful planning and the right weather, early May is as good a time as any to see/hear 100 or more species in Sussex in a day. Today we will start our quest at Rackham Woods, a site always guaranteed to produce a good selection of woodland birds. We will then head to the coast to Selsey Bill where we will seawatch for a while before visiting Pagham Harbour. In the afternoon we will make our way back to Pulborough Brooks via Chichester Gravel Pits, West Dean Woods and Iping Common.
Cost: £15 per person
Additional information: Further details of the day will be provided nearer the time.
Abbot's Wood amble
Date and time: Wednesday 16th May (6.30pm - 9.30pm)
Location: Meet in the car park by Arlington Church at TQ543074.
One of the qustions I'm sometimes asked is where is the best place to see a turtle dove in Sussex. This is not an easy one to answer as this is a bird that is becoming increasingly scarce and hard to find. One area though where there is a reasonable chance of seeing one and hearing its lovely purring song is around the village of Arlington. We will start this evening's walk by taking a leisurely stroll across the fields from Arlington Church to the reservoir and back where hopefully we may be lucky with this scarce bird. Later in the evening we will move on to nearby Abbot's Wood which is one of the best places in the county for nightingales. We will amost certainly hear this superb songster as darkness approaches but seeing one is an entirely different matter....
The Yew Tree Inn is nearby for a post walk pint of Harvey's.
Cost: £10 per person
Additional information: Bring warm clothes, stout shoes/trainers and possibly insect repellent.
New Forest
Date and time: Saturday 19th May (8.00am - 4.00pm)
Location: Full details of where to meet will be provided on booking.
The New Forest is a unique area
which contains several kinds of important lowland habitat including valley
bogs, wet heaths, dry heaths and deciduous woodland which
support a profusion of rare wildlife. Specialist
birds are a feature of the area and in late May we have a chance of seeing amongst
others hobby, curlew, cuckoo, wood
lark, tree pipit, Dartford warbler, redstart,
wood warbler and with a lot of luck honey buzzard. Today we will visit some superb woodland and heathland sites across the Forest including Acres Down and Shatterford in an attempt to see the birds listed above.
Additional information: Come well prepared with walking boots/stout shoes and a packed lunch. There are no facilities at the sites we will be visiting though Lyndhurst is not too far away. Please let me know if you are willing to offer or require a lift.
Disclaimer
To enhance your enjoyment of the walks, please note that they are weather dependent. In the event of poor weather being forecast, it may be necessary to cancel a walk and offer you another date. Although I will make every effort to ensure your comfort and safety, please note that I accept no responsibility for any loss, injury or inconvenience from your participation in these walks. Passengers accept lifts in private cars at their own risk. Please do not leave valuables in parked cars.