A lone remaining Short-eared Owl hunting mostly along the riverbank tonight between 18.00 and 19.00 during a quick walk around the reserve. Also a pair of Stonechats, three pairs of Tufted Duck and a few Teal remaining. Cetti's Warbler calling.

A days volunteering at WWT started well with a garden warbler singing in the car park and blackcap, chiffchaff, a willow warbler and a sedge warbler singing around the site. A sparrowhawk mobbed by corvids over the hanger and two goldcrests singing in close competiton, along the the Mill Road, towards The Black Rabbit. A trickle of swallows in the late afternoon provided additional vis-mig interest.

Single, wing flicking, Willow Warbler in my Durrington back garden.

Cuckoo calling at 8.30am in woods north of Weir Wood Reservoir.

A post work visit was well worth the effort, I had a hunch it maybe looking at the weather. Firstly on the mud the mix of birds started with four Little Ringed Plovers, two males and females, also two Green Sandpipers that may be new in, five Snipe still, two pairs of Lapwings plus four others. There were also 36 Wood Pigeons and 11 Stock Doves and with a few male and female Pied Wagtails, two male White Wagtails and to round off five Linnets. On the canoeists beach a Black-tailed Godwit and Common Sandpiper. Around the car park no less than four Great Spotted Woodpeckers, a Nuthatch and Marsh Tit. Many Chaffinches, Greenfinches, Blue and Great Tits are also still at the feeding station. Among the many singing Chiffchaffs my first Willow Warbler of the year was found along the lane. I then ventured along the north bank to get better godwit views, luckily it performed well and whilst viewing this lovely wader a Common Whitethroat burst into song, eventually showing very well, hopefully this will be the forerunner of many. Lastly a Common Buzzard flew over as did three adult Herring Gulls. What an enjoyable 90 minutes this was.

Walking from West Bexhill to Galley Hill this morning I came across 4 wheatears on the beach, while offshore Sandwich terns were trickling west and 1 black-throated and 2 red-throated divers were on the sea. Further on towards Glyne Gap and Bulverhythe a further 6 wheatears, 1 black redstart and 150+ turnstones. Virtually nothing inland except for six summer plumaged water pipits and numerous chiffchaffs and blackcaps.

A short visit to Ardingly reservoir at lunchtime today, around 13.30, produced the usual fare; Mallard, Great Crested Grebes, Pied Wagtails, Chiffchaff, and now Blackcaps but more especially a single Brent Goose. The only other "inland" one I've ever seen was at Bough Beech Reservoir in Kent 14 years ago.

Ring ouzel still at Seaford Head at 09.15 in bushes in field at Harry's Bush - distant view.

A male Redstart came out of the rape field just south of Kithurst Hill and into a hedgerow (pic).

At least seven singing willow warblers around the Visitor Centre this morning at about 10.30, also 3+ blackcaps, and a couple of chiffchaffs. Also in the area were 2 buzzards and 1 kestrel. On the ferry pool there was 9+ tufted duck and a black-tailed godwit as the highlights. Just as I was leaving I saw two hirundines drift past distantly over the Ferry Pool heading N, I think they were sand martins but I'm not certain. Church norton from 11.50 was quieter, only producing 2+ chiffchaffs, 2+ willow warblers, 1 male blackcap, 1 buzzard, and I heard a distant Cetti's warbler singing from The Severals. At Halsey's Farm area from 13.15 there was two singing blackcaps, 1 singing stock dove, 1 chiffchaff and a pair of great spotted woodpeckers. Cycling along Chichester Canal (from Hunston to Chichester) on the way home Iheard 4+ chiffchaffs and two blackcaps and saw a juvenile grey heron.

In my Horsham garden this morning I had a pair of Siskins which stayed for 10 mins or so, shortly after two male Blackcaps arrived, feeding on sunflower and Niger seed. Also have a pair of Wrens nest building.

Today I was checking on yet more Red Kites in West Sussex (what else would I be doing!). I was scanning from the local high point when I picked up a distant kite a tad under mile away. It came in and out of view as the bird was foraging on the other side of a block of woodland. A Heron flew past quite close to where the kite was located. They ignored each other (I have yet to see any interaction between these two species). Then a very large bird came very close to the kite and proceeded to mob it, not once but twice. The kite easily avoided the attack. The mobbing bird was a White Stork. It was a black and white bird roughly twice the size of the kite with long trailing legs, long extended neck and bill, black and white wings (actually seemed more dark grey than black). Total viewing time perhaps 15-20 seconds. It was a long way away and I only had my bins but I can't think what else it could have been. I am very familiar with White Storks in Portugal but there they are an easy ID. Location not revealed at the landowner's request. Not that the stork is likely to hang around. I assume it is a spring overshoot?

A notable fall of 40 Wheatears at Climping Gap this morning, including 28 in the horse paddock alone. Also logged were a couple of Willow Warblers, five Blackcaps and plenty of Chiffchaffs. A couple of Brent Goose flocks and a few Sandwich Terns passed E, then a nice flock of nine Med Gulls flew W. And then our resident Red-legged Partridge appeared, still apparently single and looking for love!

Female Hen Harrier quartering fields to the south of the South Downs Way as we walked west of Kithurst Hill carpark at 9am. Also a male Corn Bunting and three male Yellowhammers using bushes either side of path as songposts and several Skylarks in fine voice.

Started of a Climping this morning and there was a single Swallow just over the golf course and two calling Mediterranean Gulls overhead. We then continued down the beach a little way and there was 20+ Wheatears including 4 or 5 males. There was also two Sandwich Terns just offshore and another three Mediterranean Gulls just overhead and around 50+ Sanderlings out on the rocks. In the afternoon we headed over to Pulborough Brooks where there was a single Swallow just outside the Visitor Centre and three House Martins higher up. Also three Crossbills on the conifers near the courtyard. We also saw a single Willow Warbler, two Buzzards, 54 Shoveler, three Little Egrets, a Nuthatch, two Great Spotted Woodpeckers, lots of Chiffchaffs and a single Grey Heron. There was also a single Red Kite just over Wick, Littlehampton.

Three Sandwich Terns stationed on a yellow buoy, seen from the end of the western arm of the harbour wall looking east in a line with the Palace Pier.

Great to be back in West Sussex and catch up with some real birding for a change! Pulborough Brooks was our first birding stop his morning, with plenty of Chiffchaffs and Blackcaps in song on the reserve. Out on the brooks we found three Little Ringed Plovers, one of them displaying, still good numbers of wintering duck and the Pink-footed Goose looked slightly out of place at this time of year! Scoping the goose it has a white rim at the base of the bill which looks a little strange! Female Peregrine sitting in its favourite tree left of The Hanger. Waltham Brooks: not much of note with only a single Willow Warbler in song and a lone Cetti’s Warbler. Mill Stream, Arundel: two Mandarins. Peppering Lane Triangle viewpoint: plenty of raptor activity on the Downs north of Burpham including a single Short-eared Owl. Raven seen and heard plus at least 120 Stock Doves. We had prolonged views of the wintering Rough-legged Buzzard we think it is the same bird that has been around since early November although it has changed its appearance somewhat which is only to be expected as it advances well into its second year. (Bernie Forbes, Dave Smith & Dorian Mason).

ROUGH-LEGGED BUZZARD still at The Burgh this morning looking south from the dew pond. Later at Pulborough Brooks RSPB reserve, pink-footed goose, water rail (from the Visitor Centre) and two little ringed plovers (on north brooks). (Paul James & Martyn Kenefick).

Red Kite seen from my office window in Sedlescombe Road North at 13.50 heading north. Also at 14.55 what I think was a Goshawk, also heading north. I have not seen a Goshawk (to my knowledge) before but we get plenty of Sparrowhawks here and this one looked too strong and heavy to be a female Sparrowhawk. Strong in its filght and heavy in the hips giving the impression of a beefy looking bird. I'd be inteerested if anyone else saw it.

This am, one lone tern flying east along beach (presumably Sandwich based on size), several Blackcaps and singing Willow Warbler in Beach House Park, and one Swallow heading purposefully N up the High Street.