Things did improve in April beginning with a trip to that old favourite, Pagham Harbour on April 9th. For details follow the link. Suffice it to say it was a minor 'twitch' and we were successful and added ten new birds to the yearlist.

Next was a trip to Pulborough Brooks RSPB Reserve in Sussex (centered on TQ055175, Landranger 197). This is an area of watermeadows, marshland, woodland and downland and is part of the Arun valley. It was a good day, beginning with Marsh Tit and European Nuthatch. The walk to the hides, which overlook the marshland, added our first Common Whitethroat of the year, a nice, close singing male plus another heard further away, and a male Blackcap. The marshland added a Sedge Warbler and an excellent bonus bird in the form of a terrific and unexpected male Hen Harrier. Willow Warbler was our final new migrant and we were lucky to find Tree Sparrows, a bird seemingly hard to find almost anywhere in the UK these days.

We were back at Pagham on the 23rd, hoping for some more migrants. We were not disappointed, getting Common Cuckoo, European Reed-warbler, Common Tern, a singing Lesser Whitethroat and a very nice male Ring Ouzel. Migrating waders included Common Sandpiper and Eurasian Whimbrel. Up at the gravel pits warblers were again in evidence as were hirundines. A surprise was a single Common Swift with the Barn Swallows and Martins. This trip added another nine species to the yearlist bringing the end of April total to 133 with the top ten looking like this: