BIRD NEWS:599

 

This is a show pigeon spotted on 'peacock house' chimney as I progressed up the lane...that came out fairly well.

Alas, this camera does not seem to like Goggles very much. I never had difficulty taking focused shots of Goggles on my 'lil pink box'...but this 'blue thing' is difficult - and it doesn't weigh enough to hold steady even if it did focus properly.

These mallards were slightly blurred, but you can see what they are...

Long distance, non-zoomed photos seem to come out better, it seems. Pity...mind you, it may just need the picture size altering; if so I should soon be getting better results.

Sigh - another blurry shot of Goggles - but hey - give me 9.5/10 for trying!! I did not give up.

Finally, a shot I can be proud of. Alas, it was not far away. It seems I will not be able to take photos - only blurrs - of distant birds with this camera.

This duck decided to stay near my feet and let me practice! Well - until it decided food was better than feet!

BIRD NEWS:598

 

I spotted the bird of prey again as I made my way homeward, but, as earlier, was not close enough to determine if it were a red kite or kestrel, though I could rule out buzzard.

I will go with kestrel - as the tail did not look much like a red kite, although they are the more frequent species in the area - but I honestly could not tell from such a distance. I should have spent more time observing and less fishing in my bag for the camera, perhaps!

Another shot of Goggles signifies the end of my stroll at the end of the first week of November. It was also the end of my camera - because although it still takes pictures, the screen is dead, meaning I can no longer see what I am taking or have taken until I get home and load the card into the computer. That alone would not worry me too much, however I can no longer reach the commands on the camera - so cannot turn from still to video, nor erase photos from the memory card, etc.

As you can see I need more practice with the new camera. I took it on a repeat walk of my former ramble...and this is how it treated Goggles!

Well....you can see it is a goose, but... I am NOT impressed with the new camera. I used to be able to aim and press the take-photo button and get some great shots, but not so on this model!

Finally, a shot that shows Goggles rather than 'a goose' or a white splodge!

It is hopeless for taking shots of birds in the distance. This was a red kite and I could see it much better with my own eyes than the camera - for once! I am about to call this camera model BLIND - partially, at least!

This shot of the red kite would have been perfect if it had been taken on my old camera...but my new model appears to see everything with a blurr.

Meanwhile, I would like to share an article I read today about benefiting Turkeys... HERE

BIRD NEWS:597

 

Here is one of the coots that decided to watch me as I watched the birds on the lake. I took another picture of the multiple species on the isle.

That brings us to the end of my final birding hike for the month of October 2020, but not to my final photo. At home, I have had much activity on the feeder poles - recently, mostly the suet balls, peanuts and mixed seed have been going down rapidly. On the windowsill in my bedroom, a magpie has joined the usual crowd - of Pidge, Mr Bob and Mr Black.

Whilst not as tame as the others, Mr Madge did not fly away instantly upon spotting me - although he did not stay around very long.

The destination of my next excursion should be obvious to regular readers if they look at my next picture - Goggles the farm goose.

I was off up Dappers Lane and onto Swillage Lane for another woodland walk. Sometimes I go up to the first turning after the peacock house, and sometimes I go much further into the woodland.

On this occasion I was just taking a half hour stroll, so only went a few minutes along before turning around and returning.

I spotted a bird of prey hovering over the fields to my left - it did not look chunky enough to be a buzzard, but I could not tell if it were a red kite or kestrel or newcomer to our area, so had hoped the photograph might tell me... Alas, it did not come out close enough to tell.

I was likewise disappointed by my next photo - I was wondering if it were a blackbird, goldfinch, swallow....but it did not come out large enough to distinguish. However, this was taken after I had turned around and was making my way homewards.

BIRD NEWS:596

 

The pigeon flutter ended up with most of the gang settling in the pigeon tree.

That brings us near to the end of our late October trip to WWT Arundel. We stopped off for a coffee at the cafe on our way homewards, passing this prelude to the new exhibit on our way to the cafe.

My next trip was a solo hike to Mewsbrook Lake...aimed at spotting some swans, which alas did not appear to be there any longer.

There were plenty of other waterfowl however, even if the mute swan family had moved onwards. Coots, moorhen, ducks and gulls predominated the waterfowl present.

I took a few general shots of the mixed birdlife while searching for the absent swans.

I then took a couple of shots of the mallards, gathered on the edge of the island, as some of them had funny coloring.

My last shot today shows a few isle-edged birds taking a sip of water.

BIRD NEWS:595

 

One more shot of the pelicans in their temporary cage - whether due to the exhibit area not yet being finished or due to having some incubation-isolation period first. Our next stop was the woodland hide.

No rats this visit, but there were a moorhen and chick and plenty of blue-tits, chaffinch and a great-tit or two - and a wood pigeon.

The next pathway took us past the nenes, some of whom were on the path and some in the lake enclosure. We also spotted mute swans - but the black-necked swans seemed absent.

As you can see, due to covid, visitors had to walk clockwise round the reserve. you used to be able to choose which direction you walked in. Liz usually goes anticlockwise and I usually go once each way with a coffee/toilet stop in the midst.

Suddenly, one bird got startled and soon - the entire flock of pigeons took to the air in potential panic.

What a pretty sight - for pigeon lovers anyways.

I will leave you today with an info wall about owls that we saw earlier in the day. We also learned a few things about non birds - such as that spiders have blue blood and baby spiders are called spiderlings...

It was all part of a 'wildlife' Halloween set up in the wildflower hut.

BIRD NEWS:594

 

Of course, I took a few more photos of the trumpeters, including the juveniles. Liz spotted a white headed duck further out, while I was preoccupied by the swans.

It reminded me a little of a black-backed radjah shelduck, but I couldnt recall the full name at that point and Liz was wondering what on earth it was...

I took several pictures to make sure it was what I thought it was - and later on, when passing the place it used to be, and possibly should still be, we spotted the ID board and more to illustrate that that is what it was.

It was the only one of its own kind on the Trumpeter lake, though there were of course coot and mallard with the swans.

This was a very good shot of the mystery duck - and once we saw the illustration later on, we could tell the brown patch behind the black was a giveaway along with the white head. Definitely a black-backed Radjah shelduck! The mystery remains as to why this single one was swimming quite contentedly with the swans though.

I was luckily able to get plenty of shots of the lil fellow just in case it wasn't what I thought it was, though. I also kept taking pictures of the swans as I don't know when I can next get back to see them again now my visits are limited due to covid causing transport troubles.

My last photograph for today is of the sickie-pens. These pelicans are not ill however, it is just that there has been a delay to their new enclosure which was due to open in summer being ready. Autumn is here and the exhibition area is still being set up for the new aviary and pelican lake. Their lake area is almost ready - with logs on grassed lumps and a lake... Though both Liz and I will miss the eiders and their strange noises when seated outdoors with a coffee.

BIRD NEWS:593

 

We next encountered the trumpeter swans - Mr, Mrs, and two of their five youngsters from 2020. We have yet to learn what became of the other three - death, sickness, moving home to a differing reserve, or being set free and wild.

It was nice to see two swan gangs in one day - especially after such a long break. The newbies and offspring all looked quite content.

They seemed relaxed and contented in their lake enclosure. Hopefully the parents will be here for many years and have more families in the future.

They still have info boards - as evidenced by this one near the sand martin hide.

We saw more gulls and geese - and the cormorant from this hide, which is further along from the first one we entered earlier on our trip. So if we looked left here or right from there, we would see these same birds.

Here is some pictorial information on one of the first ducks we saw in the first hide - and which we saw again here.

We also saw shelduck at this location. Before walking much further, we passed the Trumpeter pond again.