Bluethroat - Brooklands Lake
Brooklands Park is a small oasis of green along our largely urban seafront and can act as a magnet for migrants with its small lake, stream, sewage works and wooded areas. It can be an attractive resting area for newly arrived summer visitors with an outside chance of an early rarity such as a Hoopoe, or something rarer such as the famous Great Spotted Cuckoo, which took up residence for nearly a week in early April 2005. More realistically it will be Chiffchaffs, Blackcaps, Willow Warblers or perhaps a Pied or Spotted Flycatcher later in the Spring, however you never know what’s lurking in the reeds or sallows along the stream.
On the morning of Tuesday 25th March Dave Sadler found a 2cy female Bluethroat in a muddy reed fringed area along the lake, which has been a regular spot for Water Rail in recent weeks. Naturally this was a very popular bird and it remained on site until dusk on Wednesday 26th March. Most local birders managed to catch up with the Bluethroat on day one and it’s visit attracted the great and good from across Sussex and Beyond. Although typically elusive with patience most visitors went away delighted with their views. It wasn’t seen on Thursday 27th March presumably having continued it’s migration overnight.
Also reported from Brooklands this week were two Firecrests by the sewage works, two flyover Ring-necked Parakeets and the usual vocal Water Rail and Cetti’s Warbler.
