Forty Eight Hours

If you’re prepared to get out of bed quite a lot earlier than usual this weekend then you could be witness to one of our natural wonders.

An alarm clock at dawn would mean that you could see the Bewick’s swans fly at sunrise from Pulborough Brooks.

Pulborough’s colony of up to fifty birds flies off as the sun comes up and move to feed around the local area; meaning that any you see within a 15 mile radius could well have come from this RSPB reserve.

We were there at sunrise to see them set off - as you could be if you can face that wake up call.  Peter Hughes, the warden of Pulborough Brooks, gave us a tour:

The Bewick’s swan is the smallest in the UK and is under risk from dwindling habitats.  You may have heard its call: a soft, mellow ‘oop oop’ or ‘hoo hoo’.

Pulborough Brooks, in the Arun valley, runs special dawn swan watching walks and also has a trail with birdwatching hides and viewpoints as well asa  tearoom and gift shop.

Bewick's Swan is named after the Bewick's Swan is named after the English wood engraver and ornithologist Thomas Bewick, who specialised in illustrations of birds and animals.

Bewick was a celebrity in his day; a contemporary of Turner who was lauded by Tennyson and Wordsworth. His engravings are still being published today.