Wildlife with Hugh

I spent a thoroughly enjoyable two hours as the birdwatching guide on the Chichester Harbour solar boat on Saturday afternoon. There was an excellent turnout, and fortunately there were enough blankets on board to insulate all of the guests from the chilly sea air!

A simply glorious day in the areas surrounding Westdean Woods lived up to expectations with a wealth of interesting sightings. Those familiar with the area may have heard of the ‘little owl tree’, well this tree had succumbed to a recent storm and was totally uprooted and lying on the ground. I wonder where the little owls will choose to roost now.

What better way to start the new decade than with confiding bearded tits happily feeding in the reedtops. These birds are at Farlington Marshes all year round, but seldom do they make themselves as visible as they did on a new years day guided walk. Here are a few pictures of some of the 20+ individuals that were seen:

A great amount of rain had transformed the landscape around Sussex. With so many flooded areas it was a fantastic time to be a duck. The promise of a great number of ducks and the chance of birds of prey lured my partner and myself to Amberley Wildbrooks. Walking from the path at Amberley it was immediately obvious that the brooks were now in fact a lake.