Pulborough Brooks: April 2024

As the Easter holiday drags on, and our eldest pines for her new school friends, distraction is the order of the day. And some outdoors exercise, in between the rain. Time for our second RSPB reserve of the week. After Arne on Sunday, on Tuesday we were back on more familiar territory: Pulborough Brooks.

Both of the girls have been coming here since they were little. And neither of them have quite outgrown the playpark — yet. But the day is coming.

However, they're both growing more patient and interested in the birds themselves, my youngest especially. Prompted, in part, by the Twitch series by MG Leonard, the scrap has become a surprisingly keen and knowledgeable bird watcher. And so, after the obligatory play park session, we spent a while just watching the birds at Fattengates courtyard, to see who we could spot. The wee dunnock was a particular treat.

In contrast with our decidedly damp last visit, the weather held up for us this time, and spring was much in evidence. Bluebells, buds becoming leaves and other flowers bursting into life…

We do tend to forget about the woodland play area, perhaps because it's on the car park side of the reserve. But the scrap has been hankering to do some den building all week, so after a quick snack from the shop (the café is shut on a Tuesday), we headed there. And a den was duly built — and the other activities explored, for the first time in a year or so.

We're really working that RSPB membership this year…