Spring slowly arrived over the month, with a trickle of migrants throughout and the odd burst of higher intensity movement. A lot of the action was at Combe Valley CP, which, with water levels remaining reasonably high, becomes a very exciting place to bird at this time of year.

Eastward Dark-bellied Brent Goose passage was in evidence along the coast throughout the month, with my highest count of 680 made during my March WeBS count along the seafront. On the 26th a single Pale-bellied Brent went through with a group of 24 Dark-bellied.

A single Eurasian Greater White-fronted Goose and Pink-footed Goose continued to hang on at Pett Level until at least the 3rd.

Other seawatching highlights were a Great Skua east on the 2nd in a roaring south-westerly and a male Common Eider east with two Red-throated Divers on the 26th. Reduced numbers of Common Scoter remained in Rye Bay throughout the month, my last big count being a mobile group of 200+ viewed from Pett Level on the 3rd.

European Shag were seen off the seafront on the 7th and 10th. Northern Fulmar returned to the cliffs at Rock-a-Nore en mass with my highest count of 26 on the 10th.

Wildfowl numbers at Combe Valley CP started to thin out as the month progressed, Aythas being the exception with high counts of 25 Common Pochard and 35 Tufted Duck on the 11th. A pair of Garganey were present on the floods on the 24th.

My first Sandwich Tern of the year was roosting on the scrape island at Pannel Valley on the 8th. Relatively little in the way of gull action locally but a 2CY Caspian Gull at Combe Valley CP on 11th was new for me at that site. The 2CY Yellow-legged Gull with the broken wing continued to hang around Hastings seafront, with it now in the midst of primary moult many months ahead of schedule.

Towards the end of the month the water levels at Combe Valley CP had dropped sufficiently to support some decent wader habitat along the flood peripheries, with Little Ringed Plover on 24th and Green Sandpiper, 4 Redshank and a Dunlin on the 31st.

Beyond the local Marsh Harrier commencing breeding activity, raptor interest was limited to two Red Kite which passed west over Pett Level on the 3rd.

Hirundines were thin on the ground throughout the month, with just a handful of Sand Martin and a single Barn Swallow along Combe Haven to report. My first Northern Wheatear of the year was a male in the ever-reliable sheep paddock near Greenway-Watermill bridge at Combe Valley CP on the 24th.

The first obvious arrival of migrant Common Chiffchaff I noted were 13 on the 11th at Combe Valley. This site held singing Willow Warbler on the 24th and 31st.

Eurasian Blackcap were present in small numbers at various sites towards the end of the month, with at least one early arrival singing at West Hill from late Feb.

Finally, it was exciting to find (with Cliff Dean) Lesser Spotted Woodpecker at a site near Hastings. This is a species I’ve been hoping (and trying) to see for many years, so what a treat to enjoy such excellent views of this fine male with another bird drumming nearby. They’re out there folks.