Autumn is always an exciting time for anyone with a keen interest in birds. We are very lucky in Sussex to enjoy such a rich diversity of habitats and species. The gradual transition from the species which leave the UK in August, September and early October – heading for Africa or southern Europe – giving way to the mass arrival of those coming here to spend the winter in our relatively mild climes. This means there always seems to be something new and exciting to see on any walk at this time of year.

In most years, there is at least one species which seems to particularly proliferate above others, for any number of reasons, though usually related to population and food availability. If a species has had a particularly successful breeding season followed by a poor crop of its particular food species, then many of the population will need to travel further in search of winter sustenance. This is why once every ten years or so we get a ‘Waxwing winter’, as was the case last year.

Six years ago, few birders will forget the extraordinary mass arrival of Hawfinches, when this normally scarce and elusive species quite unexpectedly started to be seen in large numbers and in a host of unusual locations. Few of us thought that such a spectacle would ever be repeated, so it was with some surprise that October this year started to produce a clear increase in sightings of this chunky-beaked, large finch.

I had my first Knepp sighting near the beaver enclosure with a flock of Redwings on 12th October, followed by a flock of five over Amberley Mount on the 16th. It was clear that something was afoot, and these early signs of a large influx have since been followed by multiple sightings at locations within the Weald to Waves corridor including Steyning, Horsham, Arundel, Rewell Wood, Waltham Brooks, Climping, Pulborough Brooks, Houghton and Ashdown Forest.

From the large to the tiny, another species which sometimes has ‘big years’ in the UK, is the Yellow-browed Warbler which breeds in Siberia and traditionally heads to southern Asia for the winter. In the past decade or so though, it’s become clear that the migration route of the species is shifting westwards, and this combined with bouts of easterly winds can see hundreds moving through Britain on their way through to wintering sites further south in Europe. Autumn 2024 has been a big one for Yellow-browed Warbler sightings in the Weald to Waves corridor including Knepp, Storrington, Pulborough, Littlehampton, Warnham, Duncton and Lewes.

Great White Egret sightings continue to steadily increase, with regular recent records from Knepp, the Adur Estuary and various locations in the Arun Valley recently. Their much smaller cousins, the Cattle Egret, are also continuing their rapid colonisation of Sussex, with perhaps as many as a hundred seen in Arundel on 7th November.

Just outside the eastern arm of the corridor, east of Seaford, there was much excitement recently when the first Pied Wheatear seen in Sussex in over 30 years was discovered, first at Seaford Head, then later relocating slightly to Splash Point.

Other typical late autumn/winter species seen within the corridor recently include multiple Black Redstarts (particularly at coastal locations), Hen Harriers (mostly up on the Downs), a Purple Sandpiper at Shoreham Fort and the first White-fronted Geese of the winter at Amberley Wildbrooks.

So, as ever there is lot to see! Do keep your eyes and ears peeled, particularly if you’re out for a walk in the Weald to Waves corridor and record any interesting sightings, either using apps such as BirdTrack, eBird and iRecord, or directly to us or the Sussex Ornithological Society. If you’re interested in birds but perhaps lack the confidence to identify them yourself, then there’s never been a better time to learn! There are a host of free resources including Facebook groups and the Merlin bird song ID app, plus excellent affordable reference guides such as the Collins Bird Guide (available as either an app or in printed form). In January look out for the RSPB Big Garden Birdwatch which is a really fun way to discover some of the birdlife visiting your own garden or local greenspace and supporting national research. Find out more about it here.