Birds in Brooklands Park, Worthing; highlight: Teal Ducklings. 17.04.21

Sim Elliott
Apr 18, 2021
2 min read

On the way to Brooklands I made a detour to Bramber Brooks to see what was there, via the Downs Link bicycle path along the Adur Estuary.

Adur Estuary

I didn't see anything unusual, but I liked this view of two Oystercatchers, two Great Black-backed Gulls and two Mute Swans, as it give a clear idea of the comparative sizes.

This Little Egret had a flyaway feather issue!

Bramber Brooks

Just outside the entrance to Bramber Brooks, I saw this House Sparrow perched on the guttering of a house. House Sparrows were the most common bird seen in the 2021 RSPB Big Garden Bird Watch Big Garden Birdwatch results | The RSPB, although its UK conservation status is still red, as a result of declines in population nationally. I monitor the birds of my garden for the British Trust for Ornithology weekly Garden BirdWatch, and Sparrows are the most common bird I see. Despite the frequency with which I se Sparrows, I always enjoy seeing them, especially capturing interesting poses, like this one with the bird's puffed-up plumage (it was still cold at 09.15 when I saw this bird)

At Bramber Brooks I saw very few birds at all; just a few Blue Tits, Great Tits, Blackbirds and Jackdaws; there were a couple of birds I saw in bramble bushes but they were extremely evasive and hard to identify. This common Blackbird was singing loudly just past the entry gate.

Every time I have been to Bramber Brooks there has been a male Pheasant calling. Male Pheasants are pleasing to see aesthetically but less pleasing to see ecologically as they are an introduced species to the UK (for their look and for game shooting).

Each time I have visited Bramber Brooks I have seen Buzzards circling in the sky; this time again being harassed by a Crow

Brooklands Park

There were plenty of Teal, including two females with broods of ducklings.

As usual there were plenty of Herring Gulls, mostly in second-winter plumage, larking around on the lake.

These are ducklings from the first Teal brood I saw.

Sleeping Mute Swan.

A Grey Heron, with Mallards, and a Black-headed Gull.

A male Mallard preening his wing, to maintain the waterproofing of his feathers.

Male Mallard and a Black-headed Gull (summer plumage not yet fully through)

Male Mallard and Grey Herron

Male Mallard and Male and Female Teal

Grey Heron preening.

Black-headed Gull

Mute Swan and Mallards

Male Teal

Mute Swan and three Male Mallards

Reed Bunting; the first time I have seen a Reed Bunting.

Herring Gulls bathing.

Coots in flight.

Herring Gull in flight.

Coot

Carrion Crow. As usual there were several Carrion Crows0. Crows will eat ducklings, and I noted the two female Teals keeping a close eye on crows, and at one point one chased a crow off.