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Arun Valley Bird List


This list is compiled from various sources. These include the website of the Sussex Ornithological Society (SOS) amplified by information in its annual reports and landmark publication The Birds of Sussex, as well as site lists such as that on climpingbirds.blogspot.co.uk.

It adopts a rough definition of the Arun Valley as the area three miles either side of the river between the sea and Pulborough. It includes all birds recorded in the area, whether common residents or vagrants that have occurred only once, but does not include birds such as Black Grouse or Great Bustard that were formerly resident but are long gone.

The list contains 288 birds (at 31 March 19), some 71% of the birds recorded in Sussex to the end of 2016, excluding five feral or escaped species. This is a work in progress: please advise any errors or offer comments to mcdbirder@gmail.com.

Also bear in mind this is not primarily a sightings blog – records should be posted on Birdtrack, the SOS’s recent sightings page or the sites covering specific locations.

Mute Swan

Bewick's Swan

Whooper Swan

Tundra Bean Goose

Pink-footed Goose

White-fronted Goose

Greylag Goose

Canada Goose

Barnacle Goose

Brent Goose

Red-breasted Goose

Egyptian Goose

Ruddy Shelduck

Common Shelduck

Mandarin Duck

Eurasian Wigeon

American Wigeon

Gadwall

Eurasian Teal

Green-winged Teal

Mallard

Pintail

Garganey

Shoveler

Red-crested Pochard

Common Pochard

Ring-necked Duck

Tufted Duck

Greater Scaup

Common Eider

Long-tailed Duck

Common Scoter

Velvet Scoter

Goldeneye

Smew

Red-breasted Merganser

Goosander

Ruddy Duck

Quail

Red-legged Partridge

Grey Partridge

Common Pheasant

Red-throated Diver

Black-throated Diver

Great Northern Diver

Fulmar

Sooty Shearwater

Manx Shearwater

Storm Petrel

Leach's Petrel

Gannet

Cormorant

Shag

Eurasian Bittern

American Bittern

Night Heron

Cattle Egret

Little Egret

Great White Egret

Grey Heron

Purple Heron

Black Stork

White Stork

Glossy Ibis

Spoonbill

Little Grebe

Great Crested Grebe

Red-necked Grebe

Slavonian Grebe

Black-necked Grebe

Honey-buzzard

Red Kite

White-tailed Eagle

Marsh Harrier

Hen Harrier

Pallid Harrier

Montagu's Harrier

Goshawk

Sparrowhawk

Common Buzzard

Rough-legged Buzzard

Osprey

Water Rail

Spotted Crake

Little Crake

Corncrake

Moorhen

Coot

Crane

Little Bustard

Stone-curlew

Black-winged Stilt

Avocet

Oystercatcher

Grey Plover

Golden Plover

Dotterel

Ringed Plover

Little Ringed Plover

Lapwing

Kentish Plover

Eurasian Whimbrel

Curlew

Black-tailed Godwit

Bar-tailed Godwit

Turnstone

Knot

Ruff

Curlew Sandpiper

Temminck's Stint

Sanderling

Dunlin

Purple Sandpiper

Little Stint

White-rumped Sandpiper

Pectoral Sandpiper

Red-necked Phalarope

Grey Phalarope

Common Sandpiper

Spotted Sandpiper

Green Sandpiper

Spotted Redshank

Greenshank

Marsh Sandpiper

Wood Sandpiper

Common Redshank

Jack Snipe

Woodcock

Common Snipe

Pomarine Skua

Arctic Skua

Great Skua

Puffin

Razorbill

Little Auk

Common Guillemot

Black Guillemot

Little Tern

Gull-billed Tern

Black Tern

Sandwich Tern

Common Tern

Roseate Tern

Arctic Tern

Sabine's Gull

Kittiwake

Black-headed Gull

Little Gull

Mediterranean Gull

Common Gull

Ring-billed Gull

Lesser Black-backed Gull

Herring Gull

Yellow-legged Gull

Caspian Gull

Iceland Gull

Glaucous Gull

Great Black-backed Gull

Feral Pigeon

Stock Dove

Woodpigeon

Collared Dove

Turtle Dove

Common Cuckoo

Barn Owl

Little Owl

Tawny Owl

Long-eared Owl

Short-eared Owl

Nightjar

Common Swift

Alpine Swift

Hoopoe

Bee-eater

Kingfisher

Wryneck

Green Woodpecker

Great Spotted Woodpecker

Lesser Spotted Woodpecker

Kestrel

Merlin

Hobby

Peregrine

Rose-ringed Parakeet

Golden Oriole

Red-backed Shrike

Great Grey Shrike

Woodchat Shrike

Magpie

Jay

Nutcracker

Jackdaw

Rook

Carrion Crow

Hooded Crow

Raven

Goldcrest

Firecrest

Blue Tit

Great Tit

Coal Tit

Willow Tit

Marsh Tit

Bearded Tit

Woodlark

Skylark

Shore Lark

Sand Martin

Barn Swallow

House Martin

Cetti's Warbler

Long-tailed Tit

Pallas's Leaf Warbler

Yellow-browed Warbler

Dusky Warbler

Wood Warbler

Chiffchaff

Willow Warbler

Blackcap

Garden Warbler

Barred Warbler

Lesser Whitethroat

Common Whitethroat

Dartford Warbler

Grasshopper Warbler

Booted Warbler

Icterine Warbler

Melodious Warbler

Aquatic Warbler

Sedge Warbler

Marsh Warbler

Reed Warbler

Waxwing

Nuthatch

Eurasian Treecreeper

Wren

Common Starling

Ring Ouzel

Blackbird

Fieldfare

Song Thrush

Redwing

Mistle Thrush

Spotted Flycatcher

Robin

Common Nightingale

Red-breasted Flycatcher

Pied Flycatcher

Black Redstart

Common Redstart

Whinchat

Eurasian Stonechat

Northern Wheatear

Desert Wheatear

Dunnock

House Sparrow

Tree Sparrow

Yellow Wagtail

Grey Wagtail

Pied Wagtail

Richard's Pipit

Tawny Pipit

Tree Pipit

Meadow Pipit

Red-throated Pipit

Rock Pipit

Water Pipit

Brambling

Chaffinch

Hawfinch

Common Rosefinch

Bullfinch

Greenfinch

Linnet

Twite

Lesser Redpoll

Common Crossbill

Goldfinch

Serin

Siskin

Snow Bunting

Lapland Bunting

Corn Bunting

Ortolan Bunting

Cirl Bunting

Yellowhammer

Reed Bunting

Rustic Bunting


Escapes/feral:
Bar-headed Goose
Swan Goose
Black Swan
Muscovy Duck
Red-billed Teal

Potential splits:

Kumlien's Gull
Siberian Chiffchaff























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The Arun week: 1 to 7 March

4 March: A damp and chilly morning dog walk by the Arun to the east and north of Arundel yielded two  Reed Buntings, a Bullfinch, a singing Cetti's Warbler and a Yellowhammer. 3 March: Early to mid afternoon in Arundel Park yielded three Hawfinches, one Bullfinch, two Kestrels and a calling Tawny Owl. This was followed by brief visits to Swanbourne Lake, where there were two vociferous Little Grebes, and WWT, where there were 47 Lapwings, 10 Snipe, two Oystercatchers, two Shelduck and six Shovelers. Concluded with an hour and a half scan from the river end of the Millstream, which produced a female Hen Harrier, Marsh Harrier, three Red Kites, four Buzzards, a Peregrine, at least one Barn Owl, calling Water Rail, three Little Egrets and at least seven Reed Buntings flying into WWT to roost. 3 March: The morning dog walk by the Arun to the east and north of Arundel yielded four Stonechats, five Reed Buntings, a Firecrest, a singing Cetti's Warbler and a singing Yellowhammer. 2

The Arun week: 17 to 23 Feb

23 Feb: WWT and a scan of the river from the east end of the  Millstream in the afternoon was very productive, with a male Merlin, ringtail Hen Harrier, at least 9 Marsh Harriers, 6 Little Egrets, 2 Kingfishers, 1 Firecrest, 1 Grey Wagtail, 9 Shelduck, 6 Shoveler, 11 Snipe, 64 Lapwings, 2 Oystercatchers, 1 Barn Owl and 3 calling Tawny Owls. 20 Feb: The Klondike, river and Millstream route on a windy, grey morning: 1 Cattle Egret, 4 Little Egrets, 1 Water Rail, 1 Treecreeper. 19 Feb: A Lesser Spotted Woodpecker calling at a site in the area around Arundel in the morning. 18 Feb: Bright, dry morning in the Waterwoods: 1 Firecrest, 1 Goldcrest, 2 Marsh Tits, 3 Coal Tits, 4 Meadow Pipits, 2 Little Grebe, 1 Mandarin, 2 Buzzards, 1 Kestrel. 17 Feb: To Klondike, Offham and WWT on an afternoon of showers and colder weather: 6 Bewick's Swans, 1 Red Kite, 1 Buzzard, 1 Kestrel, 1 Stonechat, 2 Kingfishers, 12 Shelduck, 10 Pochard, 5 Shoveler, 1 Wigeon.

The Arun week: 20 to 26 January

26 Jan: Morning in Binsted Wood: 1 Firecrest, 1+ Marsh Tit. 21 Jan: Afternoon at Swanbourne Lake and late afternoon by WWT : 163 Gadwall, 97 Tufted Duck, 9 Pochard and 13 Mandarin at the lake, 1 Barn Owl, 2 Marsh Harrier and 2 Firecrest at WWT.