CROYDON RSPB MEMBERS' GROUP - TRIP REPORT

The recent run of abnormally mild weather continued for this visit to one of our most popular birding venues. Beginning our day with a preliminary look out over the harbour from behind the Visitor Centre, we found the tide very definitely 'out' and a good range of commoner ducks and waders in view on the mud. Turning our attention to the Sidlesham Ferry Pool, four avocets were noted, although easily overlooked as they rested amongst several hundred black-headed gulls. Dozens of rabbits were active in the rough grazing pasture beyond the pool, and birds were present there too - the first of the day's many brent geese and curlew, feeding along with a flock of about a dozen black-tailed godwits and a single ruff, a strongly-marked male (head and upperparts mainly white and legs a very bright orange-yellow).

Our mile and a half walk down to Church Norton and the sea was interrupted almost immediately, first while we located a chiffchaff that was heard singing to the right of the path and then for a comparison through telescopes of spotted and common redshanks as they posed obligingly together in a tidal channel on the left. Passing grassy fields a little further on, we found that the fine weather had induced several meadow pipits to commence their parachuting display flights. Part of the group also identified a whinchat here, a very early record for this summer visitor (Sussex Ornithological Society records give the average arrival date for whinchat during 1970-93 as 12 April). A little further on again, and a curlew was recorded in previously undocumented feeding habitat - a field of rhubarb!

From the beach at Church Norton, the Channel looked a very enticing blue but, as usual, first glances suggested a complete lack of birds upon its surface. However, this site is a regular wintering haunt of Slavonian grebes and, with more careful scrutiny, we managed to find at least fifteen of these scarce birds. These including one in something close to summer plumage, which was displaying to a second individual still in standard black and white winter garb. Several great crested grebes and some two dozen red-breasted mergansers were also located offshore, as well as a distant group of four scoters (which we recorded as 'commons', but which could as easily have been the 'velvets' reported in the area earlier in the week).

Moving on, we noted a sizeable roost of turnstones on the shingle at the western end of the reserve, but saw few birds while walking inland through Church Norton village. Finding even the renowned chuchyard very quiet, we headed back towards Sidlesham Ferry and the cars, hearing snipe drumming and seeing stonechat and the whinchat again on the way. There were also good views of reed buntings, yellowhammers and a covey of four red-legged partridges.

As a final fling after leaving the reserve, a few diehard twitchers insisted on diverting into the heart of the Chichester gravel pit complex and, among flotillas of tufted ducks, quickly managed to find the female long-tailed duck that had been reported there.