24th March 2019 - Goring Gap, Knepp Estate and Waltham Brooks SWT

A very quick look at Goring Gap in the morning produced very little. The only birds of note were 5 Red-breasted Mergansers and a few Great Crested Grebes offshore. In the fields were the usual Skylarks and the plantation held a Green Woodpecker.

Later in the day, Sophie and I had a walk around the Knepp Castle Estate. The main birds of interest were 23 Chiffchaffs, a pair of Kestrels and a Raven. The hammer pond held 2 Great Crested Grebes, 6 Tufted Ducks and a handful of Coots and Moorhens. The standout highlight of the walk was my first Painted Lady of the year which showed nicely on one of the footpaths and also 2 Peacocks.

Painted Lady, Knepp Castle Estate, West Sussex

On the way home we called into Waltham Brooks SWT, to have a look at the drake Garganey which had been found earlier in the day. It wasn't immediately obvious but we eventually saw it hiding in amongst the grass. Also on the lake were a few Shoveler, Teal, Wigeon, Gadwall and Mallard and from the reeds a Cetti's Warbler was heard singing.