Williamson's weekly nature notes - Feb 10

Then the mink came in for a while but they are now trapped if ever they appear and so the water vole has made a bit of a come-back. Either of the two aforementioned would make short work of the water vole today.

As for fish - there are still bream, tench, roach, rudd and perch in those dark old waters, and pike sometimes grow into reasonable monsters. Warm summers have however taken their toll of fish.

But a wander down the towpath makes a pleasant excursion for birdwatchers because the hedges and surrounding fields are alive with birds and flowers.

Park in Hunston village where the canal takes a sharp turn westward, or better still take a canal boat from the basin in Chichester.

The volunteers who run the old motorboats allow you to charter them for special occasions such as birthdays, anniversaries, or even cream teas. All safe and sound and a good excuse for a party afloat.

But supposing you want to go for a walk from Hunston. There is a view of the towpath which will take you down to Birdham.

You might see a group of mallard with one wild duck, which are the most obvious of the birds, apart from mute swans that is. On the opposite bank I usually see a dozen or more moorhens quietly hiding under the bushes, their deep grey plumage sometimes making them almost invisible.

The bright red beak can give them away. Like the mallard they can be early nesters with first eggs in late February if the winter be open.

Certainly by April they will have chicks which look completely unreal: they almost resemble chimney sweep brushes with their spikey black feathers. Don't the old pike rejoice when they see those swimming innocently above. One swirl of water and another one gone into the old Jonahs in the deeps.

With clearance of bankside and reeds in places, those nesters that need dense cover are today not so obvious here. I am talking of reed and Cetti's warblers, and also even water rails.

The trouble with reedbeds is that they close the waters with vegetation build-up and so are somewhat inappropriate in a canal. Fortunately there are other reedbeds close at hand around Chichester Harbour to take in these rarities.

Richard Williamson will be giving a talk illustrated with slides on Sussex Wildlife at Christ's Church, South Street, Chichester at 7.30 on Thursday 25 February.

Tickets available from Hidden Nature, Westergate, Chichester."