Twenty two of us set off on a grey, windy morning after Jim Bagley explained to all of us he had done a recce the day before and discovered there were not as many different types of birds as usual on the Chichester Lakes.  This was probably because the birds were still finding food elsewhere since the weather had not been harsh.
However we soon saw blackbird, chaffinch and robin flitting through the trees. It was sad to see quite a number of trees have been felled recently along the banks of the various lakes. This is apparently due to fishing now proving to be a profitable enterprise.  The fishermen do have competition – we saw a great crested grebe catching a big perch, turning it round in its beak and swallowing the fish head first down its long neck.  John Kelsall managed to take an action photograph!
Our botanists discovered giant snowdrop (leucojeum) smooth hawksbeard, lords and ladies (arum lillies), hogweed, daisies, white deadnettle, winter heliotrope and periwinkle.  Hazel and willow catkins were swaying in the breeze.
Members scanned the water with their binoculars and noted shoveler, cormorant, pochard, tufted duck, coot, grey heron, canada geese, mute swan, mallard, greylag geese, dab chick, little egret, gadwall, little grebe.  Also either flitting through the trees or flying over the water we also saw wood pigeon, black headed gull, herring gull, great tit, long tailed tits, magpie, dunnock, crows, stock dove, great spotted woodpecker, wren and house sparrow.  Bringing our total of birds to thirty – a very respectable number.
Jim Bagley as ever entertained us by recounting various stories, pointing out birds and generally was a very good leader.  Our first Field Outing of 2020, roll on the rest of the year.

Daphne Flach