BIRD NEWS:380

Today's post begins with a couple of shots of the Trumpeter swans. In the second pose, you can see they have come up to their description board. Next, two shots of a goldfinch that was pecking mixed seed in the woodland hide - where Liz said she had seen a coal tit not much earlier.

Then I took a shot of the black necked swans in their lake. The following snap may need a bit of explanation - as it may be difficult to see thru the wire netting and water - but is actually a female mandarin duck enjoying the water.

Then, I strolled past the feeder station and spotted some pigeons - so, of course, snap-snap-snap, I went!

Notice something strange about the second feeder station? That's right - along with the show pigeons, stands a wood pigeon! I don't think I often get both of these 'cousins' in the same shot!

BIRD NEWS:379 - Videos and articles

In this blog post, I am going to do something different. I am not going to share photos from my first November Arundel WWT trip - but 5 videos and then 5 articles. These mini-movies depict the 4 swan species sightable at the reserve, along with a video of those cute-noised eiders. First up, BEWICK SWANS.

Next, TRUMPETER SWANS.

Now, BLACK NECKED SWANS.

Our final swan is the MUTE SWAN.

My final video is mainly of the EIDER DUCKS taken near the cafe-side lake. It was not long after taking this video, passing thru the cafe area, and returning to view the Bewick and Trumpeter swans before leaving that I met Liz - again. I had come across her as I exited the reed-hide. We both chosen to spend the afternoon here, without knowing the other was also visiting. As I neared the close of my trip, toying between 2 buses as to which to catch, I spotted her for the second time and we decided to go on the boat trip - more about that in a later post!

Finally for this post - a few articles:

The SISKIN.

The REDWING.

The CARRION CROW.

The TREE SPARROW.

The FIRECREST.

BIRD NEWS:378

My next excursion was taken in the first week of November and was a short trip to Arundel WWT. I had the afternoon and evening free and decided that if I caught the bus, I would go - and if not, I would hike the hill and go shopping at the grocery store my son works night shift at. I caught the bus...

The first thing I saw was a sign about buzzards. I soon spotted some real, rather than picture, birds though.

I stopped to take a few shots of these cute ducks before moving along to the Bewick swans. It was a little later in the day than I usually visit, and also a weekday rather than weekend - so there were far fewer visitors and the lighting was different on this sunny fall afternoon.

Here we go with a Bewick swan cygnet above and more of the family below.

Continuing the news from the back yard at home - we regularly have a host of sparrows, a couple blue tits, a single goldfinch, a wren, robin, a few starlings, couple jackdaws and wood pigeons, and sometimes a magpie visit. One of the younger wood pigeons is tame enough to stay on the tree and wait for me to put seed out for it without flying away when I open the window - and Mr Bob sure knows how to chirp for his supper.

BIRD NEWS:377

One more shot of the nene nibbling away at the feeder, before i wandered on a little further around the reserve. Next, an info board giving information about blue tits.

Here we have the answer to the mystery duck featured several posts back with odd plumage hanging out with the mallards. It appears to actually be a mallard - one who's summer plumage does not turn dull like the female, but who turns black and white in summer, only to regain its normal colors in fall. Why 1-2 ducks do this while the rest turn dull brown I do not yet know - but you can still see a large white patch on the bird to the left.

I was nearing the exit lake but first I came across a group of eiders. A couple of gulls and other ducks are also in first shot, though only a blue-beaked one joins them in the next.

Beyond, a few other ducks were hanging out. There were also some moorhens and geese.

Back home, and my 4-hole seed feeder broke during a clean out. I went to buy a new 2-hole seed feeder, but accidentally picked up a nyger seed feeder. Despite the seed going thru the hole and it looking big enough for the sparrows to eat from, they refused to eat from it. I therefore traded the spare nyjer seed feeder for an old regular seed feeder with my best friend Liz - leaving both lots of birds now well fed and content.

BIRD NEWS:376

The fuzzy spot in the above photo was a buzzard. It was ultra clear - enough to make a definite identification with binoculars, but alas the camera faulted. The second shot was clearer - and shows an unidentified bird of prey group in the bare-tree area. It may be buzzards or another species. In any case, there were three in total, so assumedly parents and child.

The next swans I spotted on my excursion were the black-necked swans. As usual, they were hanging out near the feeder cage for diving ducks, unsuccessfully eyeing the trapped grub.

Not much further along, I came upon the feeder station, also familiar to regular readers. I usually take a picture as it is where the pigeons hang out - and I particularly enjoy watching pigeons. Today i took 2-3 shots attempting unsuccessfully to capture a jackdaw.

Whilst the jackdaw appears in 2 of the 3 photos, it does not appear as I wished - having leapt up on the feeder drop-out and climbing through it to get the food. At the second of three feeder stations, there was a nibbling Nene - along with other birds - including pigeons.