Saturday 9th March 2024

Ifield Mill Pond, Crawley, Sussex

I have been planning to visit this site ever since Alastair reported that 100+ ring-necked parakeets came into roost here each night.

• I didn't see 100+ but I did manage to watch 19 parakeets come in.  The first 7 landed in the tree closest to my viewpoint on the boardwalk before they flew across the water and into the woods to roost.  Then another 3 flew across the water followed by another 3, then a single bird and finally a group of 5.

• I didn't stay till the end as I wanted to get back to the car to listen to the rugby on the radio otherwise my count would, no doubt, have been much higher.

Thanks Alastair - this was well worth the drive!

2024 species count=131