Birdwatch at RSPB Pulborough Brooks

THIS time last year, I was writing about a remarkable number of black-tailed godwits that were present on the Pulborough Brooks reserve during the latter part of the winter.

By The Newsroom

Published 29th Jan 2008, 14:05 BST

Updated 8th Jun 2018, 04:43 BST

Up to 75 birds were seen feeding on the brooks during early February, with a few of them being colour-ringed, allowing us to know where they had been and how old they were.

This year it looked like the same thing was occurring, with the flock of godwits gradually increasing since the Christmas period, when there were just five or six present, to about 40 birds in mid-January.

This was almost an exact copy of last year, when there were just a few on site at the end of December and 50 or more by mid-January. This year it was brought to an abrupt halt by the heavy rains of two week ago.

Pulborough Brooks rapidly went under water as the River Arun overtopped its banks '“ not good for wading birds!

For full feature see West Sussex Gazette January 30

West Sussex Gazette