Welcome to the Countryside Services Unit News and Sightings page, check back here for news updates and any recent sightings across the five sites.

WLNR = Warnham Local Nature Reserve, LOW = Leechpool and Owlbeech Woods, SCP = Southwater Country Park, CWF = Chesworth Farm, SGP = Sandgate Park.

Sightings can be reported by email to: sam.bayley@horsham.gov.uk

15/02/2010
Latest sightings - 1st Jan to 14th Feb 2010
The harsh winter conditions this last couple of months have created some unusual sightings across the sites. Highlights included a Barn Owl regularly being seen sat on the nest box or hunting over the fields at CWF during the day and one seen at WNR on 12th Jan. Little Egrets have been a constant presence throughout with up to three at WNR and a single sighting at CWF on 11th Jan. A Water Rail was being seen at SCP throughout January while occasional sightings also came from WNR. Two Snipe were at CWF on 4th Jan with singles at WNR on 9th and 11th Jan and a Woodcock was seen at WNR on 8th Feb. 20,000 Woodpigeon came into roost at WNR on 7th Jan. A female Wigeon was at WNR on 8th and 10th Jan followed by a pair on 16th Jan while the female Pochard x Tufted Duck hybrid first seen at WNR in 2006 was present again on 5th Feb. Peregrines have been seen on three occasions with singles at SCP on 9th Jan and at WNR on 12th Jan and 9th Feb. Amongst the gull day roost at WNR, on 9th and 31st Jan two different adult Mediterranean Gulls were present along with up to three Great Black-backed Gulls and a Yellow-legged Gull present on 15th and 16th Jan. The first January record of Chiffchaff for the sites came on 21st at LOW and on 31st Jan the first 11 Crossbills of the year were also seen at LOW and the first Brambling was seen in the feeding station at WNR. This period has also seen a small influx of Linnet records with up to five being seen during the day at CWF between 15th and 31st Jan and up to six regularly roosting at SCP throughout this period. Undoubtably the best sightings have been the now regular presence of Firecrests at LOW with up to four being seen at any one time and the surprise visit of three Dunlin to WNR on 10th Jan which only briefly landed on the ice before departing S.

By the end of this period the first signs of spring are being seen with the first Skylarks returning to CWF on 8th Feb, as well as Song Thrush, Wren, Chaffinch, Blackbird, Greenfinch and Moorhen seen diplaying and lots of Long-tailed Tits have now paired up around the sites.
30/11/2009
Latest sightings: 6th to 29th November 2009
A relatively quiet month with GREAT BLACK-BACKED GULL seen at WNR on most days within the gull flocks. A nice bit of passage was seen at CWF on 9th with 80 WOODPIGEON and 110+ STARLING heading W and the highest count of the year so far of MEADOW PIPIT here of 30. LITTLE EGRET were seen this month with the first being one at SCP on 11th, followed by three at WNR on 12th (new site record) and singles here on 13th, 17th and 18th. A WOODCOCK was flushed from Walnut Plantation at WNR on 19th and a few late CHIFFCHAFF have been seen with two at CWF on 17th and singles at WNR on 20th and 29th. The LINNET roost at SCP built up to at least 70 on 26th and three were seen at WNR on 27th. Also on 27th a huge group of 12 BULLFINCH werre seen at WNR.

The highlight of the month was a WILLOW TIT moving through the willow carr at WNR with a tit flock and c40 GOLDCREST on 29th.
05/11/2009
Latest sightings - 30th Sep to 5th Nov 2009
Another good autumn month with a few summer visitors lingering were; WILLOW WARBLER on 1st (2 LOW), 2nd (1 WNR), 8th (1 LOW) and a very late one at CWF on 23rd Oct; CHIFFCHAFF almost daily until 8th and then singles at WNR on 13th, 14th, 18th and 22nd and 2 at CWF on 19th Oct; BLACKCAP included 4 at WNR on 1st, 7 at CWF on 2nd and 2 at CWF on 5th Oct; REED WARBLER were still present with 2 at WNR on 1st and a late bird at CWF on 19th Oct; HOBBY with singles at CWF on 1st and 19th Oct; SWALLOW saw 4 at CWF on 2nd, 3 at CWF on 3rd, 4 at WNR on 6th, 1 at SGT on 7th and 1 at LOW on 27th Oct; HOUSE MARTIN 20+ at CWF on 3rd, 45+ at CWF on 7th and 3 at SGT on 3rd Oct; SAND MARTIN 1 at CWF on 3rd Oct.

Autumn migrants included BRAMBLING 3 over WNR on 1st and 1 at CWF on 19th Oct; SKYLARK over WNR included singles on 7th, 14th and 18th and 5 on 26th and 6 on 27th Oct and 1 over LOW on 17th; WOODPIGEON have been seen in migrant flocks of c500 over CWF on 2nd Nov and c1000 over WNR on 5th Nov.

Winter visitors are coming in fast as well; GREAT BLACK-BACKED GULL have been seen in singles at WNR on 1st and 3rd Oct and 3 on 5th Nov and 1 at LOW on 29th Oct; a female SHOVELER was at WNR on 4th and 5th Oct; REDWING and FIELDFARE were first seen on 13th with high counts of the former being 217 over WNR on 14th, 150 over WNR and LOW on 17th, 150 over WNR on 27th and 350 over LOW on 29th; REDPOLL ans SISKIN in good numbers throughout the month at all sites; WATER RAIL up to 6 have been seen at WNR through the month.

Other exciting sightings included a report of a WILLOW TIT at WNR on 30th Sep, 4 FIRECREST together at LOW on 1st Oct (a single also seen here on 15th), the female POCHARD X TUFTED DUCK hybrid which has been returning every winter since March 2006 has been back since 25th Oct. The most impressive has been the numerous CROSSBILL sightings at LOW and WNR, being seen almost daily between 13th Oct and the end of the month with highs at LOW of 20 on 17th and 50 on 27th.
22/10/2009
Fungus Foray 3
Here are the results of the Fungus Foray held on the 4th October. All together there are 50 records for Fungi, spread over two pages, and 5 for Lichen, on a third page. An image of each of the three pages is attached, as a picture, to Sightings reports. Click the "Picture" button to view the records page. This report has the Lichen record page.
22/10/2009
Fungus Foray 2
Here are the results of the Fungus Foray held on the 4th October. All together there are 50 records for Fungi, spread over two pages, and 5 for Lichen, on a third page. An image of each of the three pages is attached, as a picture, to Sightings reports. Click the "Picture" button to view the records page. This report has the second of the Fungus records pages.
22/10/2009
Fungus Foray 1
Here are the results of the Fungus Foray held on the 4th October. All together there are 50 records for Fungi, spread over two pages, and 5 for Lichen, on a third page. An image of each of the three pages is attached, as a picture, to Sightings reports. Click the "Picture" button to view the records page. This report has the first of the Fungus record pages.
29/09/2009
Latest sightings: 3rd to 29th September 2009
The highlights of this period were an immature male REDSTART at WNR and an OSPREY over SCP on 5th, a WHINCHAT at CWF on 7th, a TREE PIPIT over WNR on 10th, a WHEATEAR at CWF on 16th, 2 CROSSBILL over WNR on 20th, a LITTLE OWL at CWF on 28th, but all surpassed by a WRYNECK at SCP on 22nd.

Warbler migration was still in full swing withcounts of c50 CHIFFCHAFF, c30 BLACKCAP and 10 REED WARBLER at WNR, still up to 6 WILLOW WARBLERS at LOW, the last WHITETHROATS being 4 at SCP on 4th, 1 at CWF on 7th and 1 at SCP on 16th, the last GARDEN WARBLERS being 2 at CWF on 15th and 1 at WNR on 24th and single SEDGE WARBLER at WNR on 5th and 26th. A LESSER WHITETHROAT was seen at SCP on 4th and at CWF on 21st, but the highlight was an immature female CETTI'S WARBLER that was trapped and ringed at WNR on 26th.

Birds of prey have been few and far between with the exception of BUZZARDS which have been almost daily recorded with a maximum of 7 at WNR on 20th, but single HOBBIES were seen at WNR on 3rd, 4th and 6th and another over CWF on 21st.

Some large movements of hirundines were noted with over 300 SWALLOW and 100 HOUSE MARTIN on 8th, c200 SWALLOW and HOUSE MARTIN over WNR on 13th, c300 HOUSE MARTIN at SCP on 20th and 26th, but the huge count of c1000 HOUSE MARTIN over SCP on 28th was exceptional. Other migration has included MEADOW PIPIT passage from 20th at most sites, a huge count of at least 20 ROBIN by the pond at CWF on 21st, 6 LINNET over WNR on 23rd, c20 PIED WAGTAIL over WNR on 24th, at least 30 SONG THRUSH over WNR early on 28th and 107 ROOK going west over WNR on 29th.

Last sightings for the year were 1 SWIFT and 6 SAND MARTIN over WNR on 4th, 1 COMMON TERN at WNR on 5th, COMMON SANDPIPERS on 6th, 8th and 12th, 1 SPOTTED FLYCATCHER at CWF on 7th and a YELLOW WAGTAIL at CWF on 21st.

First sightings of winter birds included the first LITTLE GREBE on 10th, SHOVELER on 18th and GREAT BLACK-BACKED GULL on 26th.
03/09/2009
Latest sightings: 28th July to 2nd Sept 2009
Passage of migrant warblers is now in full flow with SEDGE WARBLERS seen at WNR on 28th Jul and at CWF on 3rd and 30th Aug; GARDEN WARBLERS seen at LOW, CWF and WNR on 28th and 31st Jul, 2nd, 3rd, 6th, 13th and 21st Aug; WHITETHROATS at CWF and WNR on 30th Jul, 3rd, 10th, 17th, 28th and 30th Aug; WILLOW WARBLERS in unusually high numbers at all five sites throughout the period with highs of 10 at CWF on 3rd and 9th Aug, c20 at WNR on 6th Aug; but the best were a WOOD WARBLER at WNR on 31st July and a LESSER WHITETHROAT at CWF on 3rd Aug.

Other migrants have been a WOODLARK at LOW on 31st Jul; a huge count of 7 COMMON SANDPIPERS at SCP on 3rd Aug; the first autumn COMMON GULL at WNR on 4th Aug; a STONECHAT, a MEADOW PIPIT and 4 REDPOLL at LOW on 9th Aug; a female SHOVELER at WNR on 26th and 27th Aug; a YELLOW WAGTAIL at CWF on 30th Aug; a POCHARD seen at WNR and SCP from 31st Aug.

Other highlights have included regular sightings of up to 20 CROSSBILL and 40 SISKIN at LOW and WNR over the period, HOBBY sightings at LOW, CWF, WNR and SCP on 31st Jul, 6th, 14th and 30th Aug, a male NIGHTJAR was still displaying at LOW on 5th Aug and the BARN OWLS at CWF successfully fledged thre young by 19th Aug.
 
 
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