The March Survey was done on 23rd March 2021 - a cloudy dry day with no wind, with the prospect of a warmer, brighter day to come.
The ground was becoming drier with many signs in the mud made by birds such as blackbirds and song thrushes foraging in the mud on previous days.The river was flowing well, the water no longer muddy and furious but now the colour of the millpond water upstream, a fresher grey/blue/green, translucent. It was clear enough for sharp-eyed birds to spot small fish and amphibians.
Signs of regrowth were everywhere amongst roots and piles of last-years fallen leaves washed to the banks during 'water out of bank' events. Old bramble fronds support the new growth whilst providing continuous shelter for small mammals and birds during what is sometimes the hardest month for wildlife - March. The fruit trees all have buds, remaining closed whilst Blackthorn blossom staged a graduated appearance, the shaded areas still in bud. On the grassed areas, daisies Dandelions and Ground ivy had started to flower but brilliant Lesser Celandine flowers were spreading rapidly across the verges now.
Given the chance, Lesser Celandine ( Ranunculus ficaria) a type of buttercup, will be the first wild flower to brighten banks and verges in spring as it tolerates partial shade in addition to thriving in bright sunshine.
Chiffchaffs - the first of our migrant warblers:
The first bird of the day was also the first of our spring migrants - quite an amazing 'fall' of many birds arriving together and filling the riverside with their song, an unmistakable 'chaff - chaff' or interesting variations thereof. Fifteen were present where the previous day there had been none. They were easy to see as they worked their way through the bare trees feeding on insects, occasionally stopping to contact each other. Their song was definitely the dominant song of the day.
One other song was significant - the song of a blackcap in the willows, just one which may have been one of our winter migrant blackcaps which has decided to stay here rather than fly off to the continent to breed.
As well as sightings of new spring birds, another first sighting of a spring flower was also seen today:
Wood Anemone ( Anemone nemarosa)
A well-known sign of mature or ancient woodland, this was probably seen in swathes on the woodland floor when West Sussex was forest. It still exists in clumps but is very slow-growing and needs undisturbed ground to flourish.
Blackbirds were seen in many different places today, 34 in total which included two males fighting loudly in a ditch. Often the only calls made at present are alarm calls with birds already nesting, although a few were still singing. Five song thrushes were present, taking advantage of shady areas where the mud is still soft. They run into cover rather than fly low like the blackbird when alerted. A single redwing flew across to some old ivy on a tree where it stayed to eat ripe ivy berries. It will be leaving very soon for it's summer breeding grounds probably in the north east of Europe.
There are so many robins here that although most are now nesting under cover, some are still preparing. 24 were seen today, many of them singing, ever watchful. Dunnock (6) were still more easily seen than during the summer and appear to be doing well under the base layers of hedges
Almost the same number of wrens were seen today (22) but we have to remember that wrens make themselves almost invisible when nesting along the banks and are less easily seen throughout the year.
Four goldcrests were seen, a good view of one perched on a mossy branch, picking at the moss and filling its beak - an obvious sign of nesting activity whilst another two were seen chasing in a conifer.
No chaffinches or greenfinches were seen or heard today in this area but there are a few in other places not far away. There were 23 goldfinches, most active flying across the river whilst others were singing almost out of sight in thickets. They nest in secret and don't advertise their presence at this time of the year.
A single bullfinch was calling but unseen amongst the willow catkins.
Large numbers of house sparrows (over 90) were seen and heard in most places where there are hedgerows and thickets - safety in numbers - they outsmart the local sparrowhawks which are far more successful in catching wood pigeons. The resultant piles pigeon feathers provide good nesting material for the house sparrows. 23 wood pigeons were seen today along the river.
The crow family is not large here and numbers are few. Seven magpies, twelve carrion-crows and four jackdaws were seen.
In the tree canopies, still mostly bare, about forty blue ts were very active with seventeen great ts mostly lower down and amongst tree roots and a pair of long-tailed ts were busy nesting under a bramble bank.
Woodpeckers are doing well in the old trees, usually oaks, with one great-spotted woodpecker flying across and calling to its mate, with another heard drumming and a green woodpecker heard yaffling on a grassy slope under some old oaks. Starlings (54) were more numerous than usual today, mostly around their ivy roost or seen foraging in pairs. Nuthatches (6) change their calls in spring but they mostly keep to their traditional nest sites, adapting where there are changes. It is reassuring that they are present in good numbers here, sending out youngsters into the wider landscape to establish new territories each year.
Finally :
The bird flew up into a tree from the river onto a branch overlooking the water where it perched for some time intent on surveying the river. I had a good view this time as had seen it on several days recently but only glimpsed distanced views. It was a Little Egret . It is usual for a few of these birds to move inland along the Arun each winter at the first frosts, preferring to choose areas with trees over the warm river which doesn't freeze over rather than stay on the freezing windswept coast.They then return to the coast to
nest after the winter. Perhaps the March weather had proved too cold to encourage the little egrets to return to their summer habitat.
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