Warnham Local Nature Reserve

Great White Egret - S. Collins

A very busy day on the Reserve with lots of people visiting and as a result a nice mixture of birds were recorded. The best bird and rarest by far today was found by Sean Collins which was a GREAT WHITE EGRET. The bird above represents only the second record of this species at Warnham. The other record was also found in the same month on the 4th October 2013. September and October seem to be the month to see the species in Sussex after it presumably disperses from its breeding sites on the near continent. The Great White Egret is a recent colonist in the UK and has become much more regular along the southern counties of England but is seldom seen this far inland.  Despite a good search in failing light we did not relocate the bird roosting so presumably it moved on before nightfall. Well done to Sean for finding and photographing this stunning bird.

The only other avian highlight of the day was a first-winter Yellow-legged Gull that dropped in with 30+ Herring Gull in the morning but soon departed towards the tip. The nets were quiet again this morning with a single Marsh Tit being the only bird of note.

Marsh Tit

Totals from today are below:

GREAT WHITE EGRET 1, Yellow-legged Gull 1, Redwing 33, Woodpigeon 91. Carrion Crow 4, Water Rail 2, Grey Wagtail 1, Pied Wagtail 1, Robin 2, Blackbird 1, Great Spotted Woodpecker 2,  Grey Heron 2, Little Egret 1, Mute Swan 1, Coot 1, Mallard 36, Black-headed Gull 49, Herring Gull 38, Tufted Duck 2, Kingfisher 1, Great Crested Grebe 2, Little Grebe 2, Moorhen 2, Chaffinch 4, Lesser Redpoll 9, Marsh Tit 1, Long-tailed Tit 8, Wren 1, Goldcrest 1, Greenfinch 4, Common Buzzard 2, Red Kite 1, Starling 80, Sparrowhawk 2, Goldfinch 4, Dunnock 3, Coal Tit 3, Pheasant 1

Red Admiral 2

Migrant Hawker 1, Common Darter 1