BIRD NEWS:53

Continuing with my multiple-post photographs from the early June Arundel excursion of the wheelchair gang quartet, I share some more cygnet piccies. The first a good illustration of a cygnet foot if that is of appeal to anyone in particular. Now for a few more close ups of those cute fluffy furry-looking fellows.

By the abundance of photographs, I am sure you can tell that our wheelchair gang were in no hurry to dash onwards towards the coffee stop. We watched without the need to rush ahead, just enjoying the relaxing moment of watching these pretty birds.

Oh...did I manage to get another shot of a cygnet foot? That little fellow must be showing off its leg for some reason - perhaps it was a dancer in a former life! Surely I could not just have been lucky! If you know of anyone who wants to view a cygnet foot - please send my blog URL in their direction, lol.

BIRD NEWS:52

Just looking at these few photos that I took of this group of cygnets, you can see quite clearly the various personalities emerging, I feel. The curious one, the daydreaming one, the mother-clutcher, the pretty one...

Mother and young floated about while we looked down, observing for some minutes. The brown-headed black-headed gulls - which are rare but possible to sight in the US (see HERE ) and now apparently even possible to sight in Australia (see HERE) looked at us...

More facts about the black-headed gull can be found HERE.

and HERE TOO.

Whilst similar to the Mediterranean gull, the latter has a real black black head as opposed to the chocolate colored head of the black-headed gull.

BIRD NEWS:51

So, there we four were, wheelchairs parked behind us and all leaning over the stone wall peering down at these cuties swimming below us in the River Arun. Time for some close-ups of mom and the cygnets...

Back home, as the first week of June drew to its close, I took a familiar stance on the front door step armed with a cup of coffee. I often spend twenty minutes or so of my morning thus occupied, peering out over my front garden, noting the coming and going of the plants and birds. This particular time I spotted a wood pigeon pecking at something near the purple-seed tree.

A little later I spotted a goldfinch fly across the garden onto a tree, land briefly, then fly off again. Before my 15-20 minutes of sipping the hot black liquid was up, I had additionally observed a few starlings and jackdaws swoop down on something our neighbors across the road had just put out, a wood pigeon wandered along the path, peered in the gate at me and then walked by, and a sparrow landed on the hedge for a moment. Back to the swans and Arundel however...

BIRD NEWS:50

Continuing the saga of the wheelchair gang's Arundel excursion, here came mommy swan and 7 cygnets, swimming across the River Arun towards us. Yes, here they came, heading directly for our spot, while the gull looked on from above they swam up below.

By now, the two wheelchair riders had climbed from their chairs to get a better view of the approaching swans that we two wheelchair-pushers were halting the trip to admire. Luckily, all four of us like wildlife and birds, so it was not really too much of a problem for me to call for this camera-halt in the midst of our excursion. It seemed that the swans were going to come right up to us - or at least the river below the wall we four now stood at, looking down from.

Dropping my guilt for prolonging the wait for coffee due to the evident interest of all concerned, we watched with interest - as did a gull - as Mommy swan and all seven youngsters swum up to the wall. Someone not in our group was also watching and I think they had some food - though I was rather occupied with my little pink metal box and checking that we were still observing swans and not yet heading coffeewards.

BIRD NEWS:49

Here is a close up that I took to start my 'photographic shoot' pause to the wheelchair gang's Arundel excursion. You can find out some facts about these birds HERE.

While I was quickly grabbing the two shots so far shared, another of our quartet spotted some activity on the far bank of the River Arun. A parent and group of young swans were hanging out on the bank. At first count, I thought there might be 6, but it turned out that there were 7 cygnets accompanying parent swan.

Just as I took my first two clicks, not knowing how bright the sign of 'COFFEE' was flashing in my friends' eyes - aka how many shots I had time to take - the swan family took off from the bank and headed out across the river, more or less in our direction. I took another shot or two of the brown/black headed gull while taking a quick look at the other three members of our trip - none of whom seemed in a hurry, although at this stage 2 were still seated in wheelchairs.

Back home, Bubster-Pidge continued to view me and meditate when I read for an hour before work, young robin and multiple young starlings have been viewed, and a pair of young blackbirds are now also hanging out the yard - as well as a pair of young jackdaws.

BIRD NEWS:48

Back home, I managed to get 2 shots of the young robin despite the wind blurring one attempt. It seems to know that food appears on my sill, so may be a regular one day.

Of course, being back home, it was not long before another pigeon-photo opportunity arrived. Bubster-Pidge settled down on his favored branch to meditate whilst I read for a while before work in the first week of June.

It was still the first week of June when I took these next two shots as well. Bubster-Pidge had been meditating in the tree while I took a nap, it seems. I reached for my camera as a ''whoosh'' - a young jackdaw appeared nearby. Bubster-Pidge was a little unsure of this bird, about the same size as him but a very different color... The young Jackdaw ignored him altogether and preened then rested. They both sat there for a few minutes.

It was the middle of the first week of summer/June when I had a phone call - inviting me - and my wheelchair-pushing hands - to join in on an excursion with 'the wheelchair gang' to Arundel. Between viewing the carpet of flowers display at the cathedral and a coffee date we walked past the River Arun where I called a short halt to grab a picture or two of some black-headed gulls - with brown heads...

BIRD NEWS:47

Bluey then began to dash about a bit and made it difficult to take a picture in the way Naboo generally does. When he settled down, I got a much better shot of him however - prior to his blurred second photo opportunity.

Naboo peered out semi jealous of the attention Bluey was getting and semi 'camera-shy' acting, from between his grapes and cigarette-box chew-toy. This box got nibbled and chewed throughout my coffee visit and even came out of the cage wall at one point. I did not manage to get another decent shot at this point, as Naboo was soon up to his 'I do NOT want my picture taken with a shiny pink box' routine.

Before departure, I snuck my camera out again. This time Naboo was zzing in his blanket-bed. This is the ideal time to catch a good shot of him, as he is often too lazy to budge - even if there is a camera lurking around. He took a look then turned away to scratch his head.

Bluey as you can see was up to his dash-about the cage antics again, though.

BIRD NEWS:46

The 700-run began at Worthing Beach as it often does. This time, although the weather was not wet or exceedingly windy, only two of my pigeon pals were spotted. This was primarily due to the fact that the toilet block is still being refurbished, I think. However, I took a couple of shots of the pair I spotted hanging out with the gulls...

I wandered about a little, having a store I wanted to visit and some time before I was due to wander onwards on the next leg of my trip. I came across a pigeon pecking in the gutter of a building on the beachfront while awaiting my next bus trip.

I then arrived at the familiar-to-regular-readers habitat of a certain yellow bird that loudly greeted me within seconds of entering the door - Naboo. This trip, he allowed me a quick shot before playing his usual hide-away 'I am camera-shy' game. I also managed a shot of Bluey and Naboo both peeping out at me - the 'lady with the little pink box'...