BIRD NEWS:210

Some more photos taken on my third trip to Arundel Wetlands reserve in 2016. First up, I encountered a huge swan - standing shitting on the path as I walked past. This was preceded by another family of wandering geese.

As I walked past the swan on the path, it nibbled something on the ground and pooped again. I now know what swan shit looks like... 

Um, let us look at some more birds - ducks!

Back to swans again, but a trumpeter swan, not a mute swan this time. On the two former occasions that I have visited this year, these swans were on-nest. On this occasion the cygnets were now swimming around with the parents. The parents were shooing away a gull.

BIRD NEWS:209

At the end of my last post, I informed regular readers that I had gone back to the Wetlands reserve at Arundel. It was around two weeks since my last trip, a week after my first for the year - and expected multiple more due to now having an annual pass ticket.

Among the familiar faces, I was greeted by a few families of strolling geese with young - some species of which hang in adult-led gangs rather than hanging out with only their parents. Swans were also common on my former trips, and this trip also abounded in several species of swan.

As on my second trip, my actual plan was not to take very many pictures. Alas, again I failed. I kept seeing new species, interesting colorings, activity, or new stages of life to capture and share. Above a baby black-headed gull is reunited with its parent after a solo swim. Below, another youngster with parents over the far side of the lake.

Well look who I found strolling along the path - Mr Pheasant! Despite my first 3-4 years back in England annoying me by not being able to take photos of these birds, this past year has given me multiple opportunities. There is a tame one here at Arundel, a tamish one in the golf course walk thru and a tamish one in the PYO fields!

BIRD NEWS:208

These beautiful harlequin ducks posed for me as I wandered towards the exit. That was that - for this second trip of 2016 to the wetlands reserve. More coming up now I have an annual pass card, though!

Back home and all was normal with Pidge resting in the tree. I have not seen the juvenile yellowhammer lately, but I have begun to spot another new garden visitor - the jay. Formerly, the only time I have seen one in our yard was when one went for a smaller bird. This latest jay however, seems to be a better behaved bird - it eats the peanuts.

Here you can see a shot of it hanging on the peanut holder and beaking out a nut. It has discovered a way to successfully obtain peanuts, pull the brown skin off and munch the white nut. I therefore learned that jays eat peanuts, and also that they don't like the brown skin bit.

The next day I managed to take a few more shots of the jay and his antics on the peanut feeder. Before Pidge arrived on the scene and the jay flew away. The jay has visited 4-5 days in a row, although I did not see it yesterday or today - but then I was out quite a lot on both weekend days... Photos from my latest excursion - back to Arundel - will follow.

BIRD NEWS:207

One last shot of the coot family before I left the cafe break and went around a second time, this time inclusive of a boat trip. I stopped off at the herb house to check on the swallows, seeing as I had failed to spot any in the other two nesting spots this week. These were the ones I got the best shots of on my last trip. This time, I only saw one of the birds - standing on the roof corner of the herb hut.

Next, I trotted round to the woodland hide again to capture some more finch shots to share.

This fellow would not give me a decent picture, as it would not stay still long enough for the camera focus to take effect, but did make an interesting collection, before staring and leaving.

BIRD NEWS:206

I was still not quite at the cafe and took a couple of shots - one of another board as I passed, along with one of a duck 'in real life' as seen in the picture. I thought it would be a nice way of showing regular readers the real thing as well as giving a little information - but that it would also remind me when sorting my photos of what the various birds were if I did this.

That goose family had such sleepy youngsters as I passed, I had to take a shot. This is a lovely time of year to visit, as there are so many young to watch of many species. Next up, a family of coots swimming around together.

There were actually 5 of them all together, 2 parents and three young. The parents dived down and grabbed green weedy stuff and fed their youngsters with it on surfacing. This was happening while I sipped my coffee, so I was seated and managed to get some clear shots with my elbows secure to the table.

Another interesting duck floated along for a moment before passing...

BIRD NEWS:205

Below the peanut feeders attracting finches and tits, were a family of moorhen. The youngsters were so fluffy and cute, lazing about between a pair of discarded feathers on the ground with parent bird foraging about nearby. At this age, their wings are so tiny, they are just the size of their beaks! As with many young birds, wings are flapped, beaks opened and noises made at the sight of a parent with food. Their tiny little wings flapped - but were barely noticeable due to the minute size.

Above, a finch feeds... 

...while below the parent found food for the young and they reassembled around her. One youngster struck it lucky, while the others pecked about hoping to find something while waiting.

Although I did spend a while in this hide, I did progress coffeewards eventually. It was a warm summery summers day and I felt a juice and coffee requirement prior to wandering around some more afterwards. As I headed towards the cafe, I shot another board - and a duck of the mentioned family.

BIRD NEWS:204

Back to the Arundel photos again, and next up we have 2 semi-curious/semi-bored birds and one shy one... What are they you ask? Well this next photo board should explain -

Regular readers may recall that gang of hissers with multiple youths that wandered the paths and liked the look of my friends' leg on our former shared excursion. Well they were still out and about wandering the paths on this trip.

One of the identification problems I used to have - but solved each time I took photos of both and then forgot again was whether the white or red marked birds were coots and which were the moorhens. It is only this year that I have finally recalled enough not to confuse the two and need to look them up. For those still with ID problems, here is a board showing illustrations of both.

Next, I went into the woodland hide. This is where birds similar to those in our back yard or a woodland area hang out - as well as the odd duck or moorhen. On this trip, I saw blue-tit, great-tit, coal-tit, marsh-tit, chaffinch, bullfinch... Let us start with the great-tit.