RFI - Arundel birding in June (1 Viewer)

The missus and I are hoping to get away to Arundel for a week in very late May or early June. The plan is to take in the Arundel WWT a couple of days but we'd also like to get some other birding in as well, even though it's not a full-on birding break.

Where else should we considering? Please bear in mind that we won't have a car so will be dependent on public transport and good old foot power!

Pagham Harbour RSPB looks like it could be a really good spot but I haven't yet worked out how accessible it is by public transport.

Are Amberley Wildbrooks RSPB and Pulborough Brooks RSPB worth a visit?

What about more coastal sites?

Most of our birding is done around SW London, Richmond Park and the London WWT so we'd be quite happy with species we don't see that often around our local patch, not necessarily looking for rarities and life ticks.

I know this isn't really the best time of year to go birding in this area but this is more of a holiday than a birding break - at least it that's sort of the intention! :eek!: But if we can get some nice birding in that would be great :t:

Hi Mat

Pagham Harbour should be fairly straightforward (bus/train to Chichester) then the Selsey Bus. You should be able to get to Pulborough Brooks by bus..... well to Pulborough anyway, then there's a footpath from there through the reserve (and yes, it is well worth visiting). You are supposed to keep to the public footpath if you haven't paid to get in. There's a train to Amberley and you could walk back along the river (or vice versa depending on the timings).

Arundel Castle grounds are worth exploring too.

Hopefully Ads (BBB) will see your post and will have more thoughts for you.

If you are not been and gone yet, Farlington Marsh Portsmouth, at the turn of the lower tide is excellent. It is off the A27. Hilsea BR station is closest. It is my current favourite place to visit when I am south. Easily do'able with bins

Another good place at low tide is Dell Quay at Appledram, nearest BR station is Fishbourne. The low tide mud flats are easily accessible from the A259. Need a scope, and good bins.

I am a regular visitor to WWT Arundel, worth a visit, generally spend a couple of hours there, no more. The boat trip and a chance to see a Vole is worth doing.

obm

Cheers OBM. I did actually see this while I was away last week but have only got round to replying.

In the end our itinerary took in:
Arundel WWT (three times - 1 x full day, 1 x morning only & 1 x final hour of the day)
Chichester & around the east side of the harbour, down from near Fishbourne to the marina
Pagham harbour
Pulborough Brooks
Arundel Castle grounds

I can see why you said Arundel WWT is worth a couple of hours but not much more, especially if you go there regularly. The first day we went we checked out all the conservation birds, watch the Icelandic diving ducks being fed etc. After that we spent more time on the 'proper' birds, including getting some decent views of the peregrines feeding in the trees of Offham Hangar. We did the boat trip & saw a vole though.

We also got unexpectedly good views of the peregrines on Chichester cathedral. I didn't know they were there & having walked round the old city walls in the morning we got as far as the cathedral when it was more or less lunchtime. The missus pointed out the cathedral cafe but I dismissed it as not my sort of thing. Then I saw a picture of bird on the cathedral "what's on" board & decided to see what it was all about - that's when I read about the peregrines and did a quick about-turn on the cafe idea. The RSPB had a couple of scopes set up as well as a camera on the nest so we saw both adults coming in & out (live) plus the 3 chicks on the camera.

Chichester harbour was disappointing, not that I really knew what to expect. We went there based on little more than me seeing a decent stretch of water on Google maps and having read one or two websites say it's worth a look. Maybe we didn't do the good bits or it was the wrong time or day (I think it was low-ish tide). It may also have been the wrong weather - it was blowing a gale! We didn't see very much. I expected to see more waders, to be honest, but Little Egret & the odd Oystercatcher was about it. That said, I got a life tick in Brent Goose so it wasn't a completely wasted trip.

Pagham Harbour was a bit of a different story. We got off the Selsey bus at Ferry Pool and immediately saw Black-Winged Stilt, Black-Tailed Godwits, Redshank & Avocet. That's more like it! From there we walked up past the visitors centre, round the harbour, along the north wall round to Pagham spit, going through the holiday camp. From there we walked back through Pagham (to find a cafe for a brief sit down, drink & the loo!), back round the north wall & round the harbour again & down to Church Norton to find the hide there. A long day, a lot of walking & possibly not as rewarding as one would have liked but decent nonetheless.

Pulborough was a game of two halves. The heathland walk was disappointing - we saw very little. The wetlands walk was better though. I don't think the missus was too impressed about us walking to Pulborough RSPB from the train station on the main roads but we came back via a footpath through the reserve. I was saying on the walk there that there is bound to be a path and it would be great if the RSPB would signpost it from the road but I guess if they did you could get into the reserve without paying. Ah well.

A reasonable week with I think 82 species seen, so not the greatest number but there were 3 lifers in that lot (Brent Goose, Barn Owl & Lesser Whitethroat). Would have liked to have picked up Nightingale at Pulborough but despite listening to various recordings of them I wasn't able to pick out the song amongst a lot of bird noise there & we certainly didn't spot them. We got some good views of birds we have seen before but don't see that often too so like I say, a reasonable week.