We regularly go west, but rarely go east. In fact some of the good birding spots in West Sussex are closer to me than those in Hampshire. Today Ian and I decided to give the RSPB reserve at Pulborough Brooks a go. However the first problem we faced was the fact that the cafe was only open from Wednesday to Sunday and we hadn't brought any lunch with us.
From the car park there was a good number of red Admiral feeding on the agrimony behind the closed welcome hut. Good to see some number of this impressive butterfly at last.
Walking past the closed visitor centre, the view out across the brooks and the South Downs beyond.
There was nothing from the two hides, West Mead and Whinpenny. Plenty of butterflies along the paths though, mostly Gatekeeper and Meadow Brown.
And a slightly damaged Green-veined White.
The Wetlands Discovery Trail was open, a set of paths through small pools and reeds. Here a Beautiful Demoiselle, a female.
A Blue-tailed Damselfly settled on a horsetail stem.
On one of the larger pools a brown Hawker flew up and down posing a challenge for photography, but I managed two acceptable images.
This Grey Squirrel was quite interested in me.
The view point in the Hangers over looks the North Brooks, in the bushes and bramble in front of it there were warblers showing, here a female or juvenile Blackcap.
The water on the brook was receding and a Green Sandpiper fed on the edge of the pool.
A Snipe also on the edge of the mud.
More warblers in front of us, a Whitethroat.
The view out across the North Brooks.
We walked to the hide, which is lower down, but a little closer to the pool, but with the heat haze, good images were not possible. Here a Green Sandpiper.
And a single Ruff.
Walking back to the visitor centre, we came across this male Banded Demoiselle.
We managed to get some lunch, then decided to walk around the heathland. First stop was the Black Pool, and some lovely views of the small Ruddy Darter.
A close up of the diagnostic features, the ruddy coloured eyes and mouth.
And from here the club like shape of the abdomen.
A new Damselfly for me was this Emerald Damselfly.
Here showing the blue eyes and green thorax.
There were plenty of Four-spot Chasers flying around the pool, some settling on the Bulrush stems.
A female Emperor Dragonfly was ovipositing around the pool, the abdomen pushed into the water to lay eggs.
Leaving the pool we walked around the Heathland trail. We came across a family party of Spotted Flycatchers in the Scots Pine trees on the edge of the heath.
It was an interesting trip, we didn't get to see the White-tailed Eagles that have nested around here, but it was nice to spend some time in a different location and habitat. We will be back in the winter when the eagles are apparently more evident.
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