BIRD NEWS:448

I have a few more photos of the bullfinch that visited my garden on the third Sunday of the month. Today's pictures were taken from the coffee lounge, whereas in my last post they were taken thru the kitchen window.

After these shots, it was seen for a 3rd trip on the bird bath later in the day - so it spent at least one day exploring a potential new home. Whether it will become a local drop in or new inhabitant I do not know. I did not see it on Monday, but...

I moved the paving slabs from various 'stepping stone' points that I do not use to the front of the pond and within minutes of my retreating indoors, Mr Bob the robin and the newest male blackbird had decided to grab a quick snack of the grubs and bugs still in situ on the moved pavers.

This wintry looking scene taken towards the end of November might give you a clue to my next excursion - Arundel WWT. I started with a hot coffee at the cafe...

A mass of pigeons flew overhead in the above shot, as I sat there lazing after a 45 minute trot along the riverbank and arrival. They had been dislodged from the cafe roof by a grumpy seagull. They floated back to land soon after making a couple of circles around.

You can see in this shot not only their daytime hangout when not feeding, but the cafe below - and indeed the large room above the cafe where they held the Yoga sessions on wellness weekend.

BIRD NEWS:447

Here we see the infoboard and real thing - of red-breasted geese - and a seagull...

Along with the small geese, were some wigeon and their board. Finally for my Arundel trip in early November, a tit on the feeder. It could be a marsh tit - but the underparts are grey rather than brown, so maybe a coal tit with a wrong shaped bib?

At home, the monster of a black furball has committed murder yet again - on another of my pigeon pals. It is getting so fat, although it only half eats the birds it kills - we are hoping it eats itself into ill health and leaves my lil birdies free and ALIVE!

The next excitement was a spotting mid November of a bullfinch in the back yard. I have not seen them in our gardens before - so was quite excited and hoped at least one of my numerous photos would come out.

At first, he sat on the bird bath and took a drink - and twice I missed him by going to fetch the camera....But then he went on the path to feed and I managed to take a few shots and hope they came out.

BIRD NEWS:446

One last shot of the kingfisher...and I was strolling onwards once more. My next encounter was with a cheeky robin who perched on the fence and stared at me...

I wandered along further, and came across some jackdaws on the fence, pigeons on the path, and birds assembled about the feeder station munching food.

At the cafe-side lake, eiders were back in view after several weeks of not seeing many. Maybe the ones here migrate too - though I am sure on one year I saw females without males, so am not sure if they are resident or mobile.

An info board and group of Emperor geese are next up. I pottered past the Bewick swan lake again to see if I could find the missing parent - but still there were five rather than six swans in the enclosure. One of the youngsters seemed curious.

BIRD NEWS:445

The Trumpeter swans are friendly - even if one preferred to eat than be photographed on this occasion - they swam towards me as usual. Perhaps I am as familiar to them as they are to me! Even after a stint in the hide, they spotted me return to their lake and came towards me again...

Now, what can we see in this tree....perched on the branch? Yes, it's a bird - but until further photos, you might not spot what type.

Then it moved - and now you can see it better, you will probably recognize it as a kingfisher. Well, apart from this bird, on exiting the hide TWO kingfishers flew past me - right in front of my face. Later on, I spotted one dash past again - and on the boat trip, a shot of blue whooshed past... 5 sightings in one day!

BIRD NEWS:444

Starting today's post - here they are - the budgies from Priory Park! That ends that excursion, but it was not long before my next trip. I took the early bus and sauntered along the avenue enjoying the autumnal colors and falling leaves and spotting a pigeon hanging out on the side, as I made my way to wellness-weekend at WWT, Arundel.

The first birds I photographed on my first rushed trip round were a pair of mallards. My trip to Arundel WWT also included several sightings that I did not photograph - a kestrel, 2 buzzards, 5 kingfishers, and a red kite...

My next stop was to catch up with the Bewick swans - does anybody notice something wrong in the photos? Perhaps regular readers may recall that the two parents had 4 cygnets earlier this year - and notice one parent and 4 cygnets in my photos...? I haven't a clue where the other parent went, but it was not in the enclosure! Maybe it was sick, dead, or hiding...

This pair of Emperor geese wanted to chew the fence as I strolled by. I next caught up with my old pals the trumpeter swans! I did not take too long on this ramble round, as I had a Yoga class, coffee, and Chair Yoga class to attend, before a smaller walk and Zero-Balancing session. My trip then ended in a slower ramble round and boat trip. But firstly to the Trumpeter swans.....

BIRD NEWS:443

Back home, and you can see the goldfinch has found the new location for the nyjer seed tube! Talking of which, the stone bird bath is also relocated - I got fed up of walking between it and the overgrown fern and getting wet legs every time I went to the poly tunnel in morning dew!

Here is the view from the coffee room window - and below that from the kitchen window of the new set up. Hopefully it will also now be easier for birds to spot black furball murder-monsters on the prowl!

Can anybody guess where this shot of a wood pigeon and crow was taken? Probably not unless you are a regular reader or local - it was Hotham Park in Bognor Regis. Late October, I had a Liz-less day and a quest to purchase a blueberry plant, so decided to trek out to Chichester markets for the plant, where I had purchased one for just £4 a year or two previously. I stopped en route for a quick trot round the park in Bognor.

I then went on to Chichester - and here we see a wood pigeon resting on a bench in the Bishops Gardens. I then trotted off post coffee to Priory Park...

You are right regular readers - this is not a shot of the aviary of budgies! I spotted a wagtail on the bowling greens first...budgies to come!

BIRD NEWS:442

My first shot from Warnham Nature reserve is of one of the cormorants on the lake. We saw 5 in total and for most of the time I had the binoculars trained on them, although there were a couple of geese and swans as well. The swans came out in this photo along with the ever present gulls.

In fact, the cormorants were the main subject in my photographs, as the noccies did the work at most hides. I SAW - without photographing - a kingfisher, nuthatch, blue tit, marsh tit, jay, dunnock, robin, sparrow, great tit, long tailed tit, grebes...

... and goldfinches, pheasant, wood pigeon - that last trio managed to get into just one shot! Alas, that is mostly all that did get caught on camera this trip - as most of the time I was to busy chatting away to Liz, observing the woodland sights such as fungi and trees, and using the bins when spotting birds. We did come across a very amazing tree trunk though.

At first glance it may look like JUST a tree trunk....but if you work your way from base to sky, you will find much evidence of life. Part way up, Liz spotted a hornet buzzing - and on binocular-observation we found a hornet nest in the trunk...

Midway up was a hole - Liz told me that it had been a woodpecker nest on one excursion she had previously made here. Nearer the top was some fungi....

Not bad for a single tree!