BIRD NEWS: 917

 

I will start today with the last two posts from WWT Arundel. The info board tells you what is in the second picture!!

That leaves me with a half dozen or so Naboo pictures - so I will share another one with you.

Next up, some pictures from our excursion to RSPB Pulborought Brooks taken in December 2024. We start with an info-board.

Then move on to the garden-pond area, which was full of birds. Alas, I did not seem to be able to get the zoom feature to work, so did not see them very clearly. Squirrels abounded, and other birds joined in to munch seeds.

This is either a blue tit or great tit...as there were plenty of both.

To our left was an area with multiple birdlife, also.

Here is the robin we spotted.

BIRD NEWS: 916

 

We are still at Arundel WWT - in the next hide, we saw cormorants on the island and over to the right.....snipe!

It is very difficult to spot the snipe if you don't see them move. I managed to count 9, but you might only see one or two - JUST!

I managed to catch the cormorant swimming.

There was a second cormorant flying...

Back to the island and snipe and....now some cormorants in the tree.

I tried so hard to catch the snipe...but even on zoom they didn't show very well.

I tried, but....

BIRD NEWS: 915

 

We will start today with yet another picture or Mrs Silvertag Bewick. Then jump into a mini video.

I was trying to capture the sound Mr Bewick was making - but didn't manage to catch it on video.

I tried again.

Once again, no sound.

Let us take a Naboo break!

Back to the Bewicks. Mr Bewick watches as Mrs Bewick hides behind the ID board.

Finally, Mr Bewick above and Mrs Bewick below.

BIRD NEWS: 914

 

We moved along to the Trumpeter swan enclosure. They have given them a nesting box.

We went to see if they had hung the feeders in the woodland hide again yet - but no, still down. We did spot a seasonal fellow though - this robin redbreast decided to watch us as we watched him.

Then we came to the Bewicks!!

These are my favorite swans, so naturally I took rather too many pictures of them.

Mrs Silvertag Bewick is on the right in this picture.

And Mr Silvertag Bewick on the left.

Finally....for today at least, Mrs SB.

BIRD NEWS: 913

 

We wandered through the aviary and watched the scoters and eiders and longtailed ducks for a while.

One decided to flap dry its wings after a swim.

We watched them for a while.

But eventually we moved on.

We encountered a few nenes. This one is a female nene.

Next I took a couple of shots of the swan geese.

They were busy grazing.

HERE is some info about birds of prey in winter.

BIRD NEWS: 912

 

Let us start with Naboo. Then we will go onto my next excursion with Liz.

Back to WWT Arundel. We had lunch at the cafe and watched a swan with teenage cygnet and lazy partner, some geese, and a kingfisher.

Above and below you can see the cygnets wing. it was seated below our window. You had to stand up and look over to see it and the other adult.

One adult was floating about preening, washing, splashing, and enjoying the cool waters.

Here are the pelicans.

The mandarins, spectacled eider, redshank and avocets were roaming their aviary.

Along with the merganzers.

BIRD NEWS: 911

 

After a while, Mr Silvertag Bewick decided to go into the water rather than approach us.

Eventually, we wandered onward. From our next hide we spotted two greater egrets, along with an island of cormorants.

Once again, I took several shots.

It is not often you see two of the great egrets in one shot. We are more likely to spot the normal egrets.

We then walked homeward, passing Goggles on his island in his pond.

But....where was his lovely painted picture sign? It had vanished! Goggles was there though.

My last shot today is of the pigeons on the roof over the road again.