The Bittern seen on several occasions recently near the Ditchling Garden Centre has been rescued today. It is very emaciated and has a damaged claw but otherwise fine. It was fed some sardines before being taken to Roger's Wildlife Rescue in Brighton. Roger has rung me tonight to say he will keep it a few days to build up its' strength before a local vet operates on the broken claw. When the bird has recovered it will be taken to Rye Harbour LNR for release.

Watched a Barn Owl hunting at Wiggonholt Woods today. Seemed quite happy with our company giving us several fly pasts fairly close by. Watched for about an three quarters of an hour - went home happy. Probably the same bird reported on 27th Feb by Mike Russell.

Thank you Bill for your useful comment on the text accompanying the provisional winter map for Stock Dove (which I didn't write myself). I would add that the whole point of the Atlas fieldwork is to discover what exactly are the winter and breeding distributions of our birds during 2007-11, which may of course be quite different from what we expect! When the records from this past winter are added to the maps, we'll start to get a much more accurate idea of the actual winter distributions, and because winter survey coverage has been so good we'll be able to start interpretting absences of species in some areas as "real" rather than due to a lack of records. Thank you to everybody who has contributed winter records or carried out winter Atlas surveys. The challenge for the next few months is to make good progress with completing our breeding season distribution maps.

I know that their reputation predeeds them, but the pair of Dunnock in my garden this morning, were putting me off my cereal! Get a room!

Four Bitterns at Burton Mill Pond and a Little Owl in its usual tree at Stapleash Farm, West Dean Woods (Mick Davis). A pair of Grey Wagtails adjacent to a garden pond in Withdean, Brighton (Brian Jackson).

THE CONSERVATION WORK PARTY AT CHARLESTON REEDBED ON 6 MARCH HAS HAD TO BE CANCELLED. The reedbed is flooded so I'm afraid it is too wet to do any work. Any queries to me (Tim Parmenter) please.

This isn't a sighting but a comment on the very misleading statement accompanying the Stock Dove provisional winter map. Far from being "extremely sedentary" Stock Doves in my experience regularly flock up (often with Woodpigeons) and move onto arable and grass land miles from their breeding areas. They often move to river valleys and low lying coastal areas. Here in NE Sussex there is a good breeding population utilising the many old oaks in parkland and pasture. I have about four pairs on my land but rarely see them in the winter months!

A possible adult Caspian Gull at the Ouse Estuary NR mid morning roosting with large numbers of other gulls in the field to the left of the path to the viewing screen. (Paul James & Jon Curson). Although it showed a number of features typical of Caspian Gull including a small dark beady eye, a small head and long, sloping forehead, the bill was shorter than in most of the photographs I've looked at since and we did not see the pattern of the 10th primary (P10). To my mind the bird looked almost like a very large Common Gull so perhaps it was an adult female Caspian Gull which are smaller and less distinctive than the males? I'm certainly not claiming it was a definite Caspian but if you are passing that way, have a scope in the car and there are large numbers of gulls present, it may be worth a look. Also a singing Cetti's Warbler there and Water Rail heard calling. Newhaven Tidemills was almost devoid of birds except for 37 Redshank on Mill Creek.

There are still mixed flocks of Redwing and Fieldfare in Sussex, yesterday and to today at about 07.50 there has been a mixed flock of 30+ birds on the fields behind Colworth, south of the railway bridge, next to the road through from Oving.

This was my last visit to this site and what a beautiful day to enjoy the birds found here, which were on form today. As usual, mixed feeding parties of Crossbill, Siskin and Redpoll noisily feeding in the plantation, Common Buzzard circling low overhead, Great Spotted Woodpecker drumming, Nuthatch and Goldcrest in song, Treecreeper amongst the roving tit flock which included Long-tailed Tit, Great Tit, Blue Tit, Coal Tit and Marsh Tit. Around the farm and fields were a mixed 56 strong flock of winter thrushes split 50/50 Redwings and Fieldfares, and Mistle Thrush, Song Thrush and Blackbird, Robin, Dunnock and Wren all in song. Goldfinch, Chaffinch and Greenfinch were announcing their presence in the very spring-feeling day. A few Magpies seen carrying nesting material and the odd Jay squawking loudly. A very pleasant finale to my recent regular visits here. Also reports of the first reptiles lured out by the sunshine with grass snake, adder and common lizard sighted locally today.

I enjoyed a good walk along the rather wet Arun valley today. Of the 33 species seen, the most notable were a pair of Greylag Geese between Warningcamp and Wepham, a Green Sandpiper in Burpham and a solitary Fieldfare at Downs Farm.

Spent a very pleasant morning watching offshore from first Selsey Bill then Church Norton. Nothing moving at all, but at Selsey Bill 3 Slavonian Grebes, 1 Great Northern Diver, 1 Shag, 1 Common Scoter and 20+ Red-breasted Mergansers, and from Norton Spit a minimum of 20 Slavonian Grebes, 3 Red-throated Divers, 1 Eider, 4 Great Crested Grebes and 16 Red-breasted Mergansers.

There's a Bar-headed Goose on Hampden Park pond today as well as a pair of Mandarins and lots of Great Tits but the Blue Tits were not there.

Whilst strolling along the beach at Patterson's walk in Goring, we found a oiled Guillemot luckily alive on the shoreline. I phoned WADARS, who arrived and promptly rescued the bird, the rescuer mentioned that he was called out yesterday to rescue another Guillemot not far away, so if you come across a oiled seabird etc, give WADARS a call on 01903 217788.

you might see a Barn Owl hunting! Perhaps I don't get out enough these days but we watched a barn owl hunting through the pines plantation at Wiggonholt today and actually catch a small mammal from the bracken. I don't remember ever seeing barn owls hunt in woodlands before, perhaps it was just forced to do this because everywhere else was flooded.

At Chesworth Farm, Horsham today a pair of Canada Geese flew W over at about 11.00. Nothing unusual, except that one was significantly smaller with a really small stunted looking bill - almost certainly one of the small forms of this species. Have there been any of these seen in the county at the moment or recently?

The fields behind the North Wall at Pagham Harbour are looking pretty spectacular at present, more under water than above. Highlights this morning included 1 Ruff, 2 Spotted Redshank, 2 calling Cetti's Warblers, at least 5 singing Reed Buntings, somewhere between 800 and 1000 Black-tailed Godwits, numerous wildfowl including at least 6 Gadwall, 10 Shoveler, 10 Pintail and hundreds of Wigeon, and at least 500 Brent Geese.

I watched as two Buzzards took off from their usual location on the north side and then circled directly above The Ring. I then realised that two had morphed into six. On chatting to a fellow observer, he commented that last week he saw nine circling. COMMON Buzzard indeed!

A beautiful morning to start the Spring recording season at Selsey Bill, very little movement but a few odds and ends offshore, including 3 Great Northern Divers, 1 Black-throated Diver, a Red-necked Grebe and also 1 Slavonian Grebe. Also ca. 10 Red-breasted Mergansers, 1 Gannet W, 2 Mediterranean Gulls E, 1 Sky Lark W. Along the beach 1 female Black Redstart. and 1 Rock Pipit. A brief visit to Church Norton on a rising tide provided a male Peregrine, ca. 200 Knot and ca. 150 Grey Plover.

Huge flood today, flat calm with hundreds of pintail and wigeon spread across the site. 7 great crested grebes were on the south brooks - that's 5 more than I have ever seen together at PB! Not birds to hang about, 2 of them were diplaying. The trail remains flooded around winpenny hide, nettley's hide is open but possibly will be flooded tomorrow. Several adders out today (monday) - at least 5 seen this morning between Winpenny and Little Hanger hides.