BIRD NEWS:586

 

My next solo hike was up Swillage Lane for a brief wander. I passed Goggles on his lake, hanging out with the mallard family and a bunch of other ducks sunbathing...

On my way home, there was Goggles again!

HERE is a link to an interesting article.

Oh, there is Goggles - I must have taken another woodland stroll. A young wood pigeon preens on top the telegraph pole....

...before I turn to return homeward - passing Goggles again.

HERE is a link to an article about swan behaviour. I found this interesting - as I have witnessed Bewick swans getting upset and a bit hissy when mute swans have been in the pond over the pathway from them... but then I have not met Bewick meets Bewick other than the 'partners' or partners with their kids.

BIRD NEWS:585

 

Here is the latest bearer of the title Pidge. The wood pigeon who taps on my window downstairs to let me know it wants food on the upstairs windowsill - as it knows I often curl up in the coffee room and can be relied on to provide a free meal....

From this shot, regular readers will spot Goggles hiding in the undergrowth and know my next few pictures are likely to be from a woodland walk. Sure enough, this walk was taken at the end of July. The main purpose being to go blackberrying up Swillage Lane, as Dappers Lane is too busy with builders making homes instead of countryside this year. A pity - there were some nice big berries - but they would be too dirty to eat.

 

The next birds I spotted were a bunch of swallows darting about then resting on wires overhead.... They don't usually stay still long enough to get a good photo, so I was quite pleased to find some resting between swoops and glides.

From these pictures one can see the telltale tail and coloring depicting swallows, as opposed to swifts, which I had originally assumed them to be as the throat color was indistinct.

 

I might have taken another shot of Goggles on my way home - but an elderly couple were scaring him away from the mallard family as I approached....Not sure if they thought they own the lake or not, but Goggles and the mallards got along fine from my own previous sightings.

BIRD NEWS:584

I eventually passed beyond the mute swan clan and began to walk around the lake to the coast to continue my planned trip. The plan being to walk into Littlehampton along the seafront and then along the River Arun up to the RNLI station and back. I spotted some waterfowl ignoring the sign post as I continued my trip.

A crow greeted me as I walked along the coast, westward, whilst it sat on a beachhut roof. I don't know if he was sunbathing or hunting. My next picture shows the gulls on the other side of the river, as I turned North.

On my return, I walked through Mewsbrooks again. I spotted a butterfly as well as some birds on the statue-post. The swans were still on the lake.

One parent was still alone, watching from a distance - while the main one was hanging with the octet near the footbridge. iI took a few more pictures and then walked home, via Rustington shops.

BIRD NEWS:583

On my next trip - again solo - I walked through Rustington and on to Mewsbrook Park. I got a much better look at the swan family on this trip. They appear to have 8 cygnets! They were hanging out with one parent, while the other stood guard, watching from the bank.

The youngsters were all swimming about munching at the weeds and grasses in the pond and at its edge. Eventually, after having their fill, one or two of them took a nap, burying their beaks in their back and doze-swimming.

Mr or Mrs Mute was minding them still though. I was pleased to see they were more or less tame. Some adults can get very protective of their cygnets so hiss and flap at humans. I JUST managed to get them all in one picture - although I only got the accompanying parent's head, while managing to get the other adult captured in shot.

In the above shot, I managed to get the distant parent with a dozing offspring, whereas in my final picture for today I have a close up of a dozing youngster.

BIRD NEWS:582

Mr Bob regards his options at the feeder pole. I walked to the local garden center early in July - without my camera - but spotted a half dozen show pigeons munching in the pick your own fields, a skylark diving down behind the crops, and at least a dozen swifts bouncing about in the air on the other side of the path.

It is now July, and I began the birding month by taking a photo of one of my friends standing on top of the noisy-neighbor's van. I took a short wander into the woodland to try to cheer myself up a bit, so here is a piccie of Goggles on his pond.

Goggles was not alone. A mallard family were sharing his pond with him on this occasion. I was alone, so did not stay out long - but took one more shot of Goggles on my way home.

HERE is the link to an article about coo-ing and cuckoos.

On my next short trip I spotted a kestrel - at least, I think it is a kestrel - it was not close enough to tell for sure. Goggles was hiding in the pondside woodland as I passed him on my way up the lane - and on my way back home again shortly after.

BIRD NEWS:581

A mystery bird landed on one peanut feeder, while a sparrow paused to observe me and my 'lil pink box' from another. Was it a jay? - no....so....

A woodpecker!! A juvenile greater spotted wodpecker to be precise. You can see its coloring better when it flew from pecking at peanut pieces to the fat balls.

It was still June and it was still warm and sunny - but still with Corona restrictions banning|Liz and I from joint hike-chats. I popped back up Swillage Lane and took another solo hike, though truth to tell I am getting fed up of my own company and will be glad when Liz and I can go hiking together again. Way up over the fields was a bird of prey....

After some observation, I determined it to be a red kite, based mostly on its tail shape and color. My final shot for today's post is of Goggles taken on my way home. This time, he was hiding...so you can only see the neck!

BIRD NEWS:580

Here are the dust-bathing sparrows again. Next up is Goggles - meaning another stroll into the local woodland at Angmering Park farms.

HERE is a link to a video I took to show the woodland between Swillage and Selden Lanes. It also demonstrates the sounds that accompany me on my hikes when I am solo, rather than trotting along with my best friend Liz. With Liz, I often chatter and miss the bird song - or have it as an undertone to our own conversation.

Here we see Goggles again, signifying the end of that little excursion. A change of scene now - this gull stands on the banks at Mewsbrooks Lake. It got to mid June and I was fed up of having no coffee-hikes with Liz. I needed both her company and exercise - the virus situation forbade the former, so I trotted off to Rustington, public toilets now open I was able to extend my trip beyond one shop and stroll the pond - a little - but not much as it was too busy.

This gull hangs with a pigeon on the banks, midst the buttercups and clover. On the island, we have some more waterfowl.

Also in the lake-park we can spot wood pigeon! I did try to take a shot of the swans with 6-7 cygnets - but I was too far away - too many kids crowding the area where they were. Back home, and the goldfinches were munching on the feeder pole still.