March is a month full of expectation as we finally say goodbye to winter and welcome warmer longer days and hopefully the first pulse of summer visitors. Of course singing Chiffchaffs and Blackcaps were reported in February but these birds may have over wintered and what every birder wants is a March Wheatear or Swallow to whet the appetite, ahead of the main arrival of migrants in April and early May.
A warm spell mid month delivered, before cold northerly winds closed the window for arrivals, but not before many local birders managed to ease any Wheatear anxiety. However as always in Spring you had to move quickly before they continued northwards.
Wheatears
The first local Wheatear reports were from Shoreham Harbour on 17th March with two birds seen briefly around the Fort. On the 19th a female Wheatear was seen alongside a very smart Black Redstart on the slope above the Rifle Range on the south side of Cissbury late morning and three birds were present in the horse paddocks at Ferring Country Park the same afternoon. A fine male was present in fields north of the golf course west of Angmering on afternoon of 21st March followed by two birds on the beach at Widewater (23rd) and singles the following day at Goring Gap and Angmering.
The last few days in March saw further reports of two birds at Ferring C.P on 26th and a single at Steep Down on 28th. Single males were present on 29th on the beach opposite Brooklands and in the paddocks at Ferring C.P. and the final record of the month was two females together below the Rifle Range at Cissbury on 30th March.
Ring Ouzel
April is the main month for Ring Ouzel sightings on Spring migration so an early male at Mill Hill on 21st March was a welcome find by Richard Fairbanks though typically it moved on all too quickly.
Willow Warblers
An early returning bird was present at Sompting Brooks on 17th March with the only other reports of singing males at Brooklands on 27th and Ferring C.P on 31st although four birds were singing just north of our reporting area on Henfield Levels on 30th.
Hirundines
Surprisingly few hirundines were seen and although Sand Martin is traditionally the first to arrive back there were no known sightings in the Worthing 10km area, probably reflecting the lack of suitable open freshwater for birds to feed over. The first local Swallows were reported from Angmering on 20th with five birds seen over fields north of golf course and three north over an Angmering garden on 21st.
The only other Swallows reported were two north over Brooklands on 26th and singles from Steep Down on 28th and Widewater on 31st leaving most of us waiting into April for our first sightings of 2026.
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