BIRD NEWS:364 and information about migration

Back to the Bewick swan enclosure - and this shot shows both the cygnets along with parents - who have been given names by the staff it seems...

This last swan is not a Bewick swan but a Trumpeter swan. I stopped to take a few pictures before moving onward.

One last shot of the trumpeter swan for now....

...and then another quiz. What do you think is supposed to be in this shot?

Meanwhile, back home, and August has the bird feeder alive with baby sparrows batch 3 of the year.

HERE is a link to an article describing various types of migration.

BIRD NEWS:363

My next trip was to Arundel, early in August. The first shot shows a bunch of dozing ducks I walked past on my way to the first two hides, followed by a shot taken of a heron from one of these hides.

I then passed by the Bewick swan enclosure - and they were there still on this trip - along with a greatly enlarged cygnet or two! I then disappeared to the cafe for a coffee - and took a shot of the eider ducks, once more swimming about the cafe-side lake, despite being a little drab due to summer plumage I assume - or maybe they are juveniles?

I will have to read up on the species to find out... Whilst at the cafeside lake, I spotted some other birds familiar to regular readers - pigeons!

Talking of pigeons, I recently came across an article concerning wood pigeons - HERE is a link to it for interested readers.

Todays blog will end with some pretty ducks.

BIRD NEWS:362

From this picture regular readers might not guess where my next excursion was taken too, as I rarely take a shot so close to the entrance/exit as this double-feeder when visiting WWT Arundel. There were two tits feeding as I walked out into the reserve, and the weather being iffy, I figured it best to get a picture or two as soon as I could.

I was definitely limited by rainfall as to the number of photos I could take on this trip - but I still managed a few new and different as well as old familiar 'freinds'. This duck came right up to me, staring up at me as if my head might be a piece of food, so I just had to take a couple of photos before moving along, so as to identify it later on.

It decided that I was not food, or that I did not have any to give to it, and reluctantly it seemed allowed me to wander off, while still watching me as if in hope. I wandered into another hide and found a group of resting or nesting birds -

- yet again, I took a shot to bring home to identify the birds later on - as they were too far off to see if they were lapwings, blackheaded gulls, or geese... 2 greylag geese and a mallard star in my next picture - I took it a fraction too late, as I wanted to get the mallard with bum sticking out the water, but it resurfaced before I took the shot.

YES, I found the Bewick swans! Here they were, along with cygnets, in the area that they had formerly dwelt in before being moved to nest/hatch. There appear to be 2 young wandering about with the parents - which I hope to confirm on my next visit.

That was that - I did observe a few more birds that I would have liked to have taken a photo of on my trip - but alas, by the time I arrived it was on and off raining, and by the time I reached the Scrape hide, it did not stop til I left to go home.

I will just say that although on this occasion I found the Bewick swans that I lost on my last excursion, on this trip I lost the Trumpeters... They seemed to have vanished from their usual lake and island area. There was a sort of fencing netting erection, and I am hoping they have a new nest beyond that from which to emerge - we shall see.

Here is an article with some information about falconers at airports, for those unaware of the fact falcons are used at airports.

BIRD NEWS:361 including a dead bird

I was approaching the last lake and took a shot of this info board. I had not seen the species while living in Australia, that I am aware of though. Next, On my right as I took the last stretch towards the cafe and exit, I found a nesting magpie goose squashed between fence and growth.

While momma bird paid little attention other than to watch without fear, papa bird came up to the fence and glared at me. That was near the exit and I then went homewards.

This shot is of a pigeon flying into my garden and was taken through the kitchen window. My next shot is a sad one. I went out to hang up the laundry one Tuesday in the midst of July and spotted the sight of my friend lying dead on the path. Curio, the tame and friendly female blackbird had been murdered. She was being eaten by slugs...

No more dodging her as she runs about on the patio while I carry out wet clothes, so as not to trip over her - nor her ignoring me rather than flying away as I wander off to fill the bird bath or water the garden. There is no longer a blackbird in the dawn chorus either - as last week someone/thing killed Mr Black, her husband.

I do not know if a cat chose to kill then not eat the birds. Perhaps it was a fox, which is better known for discarding unneeded food if killing too much. It may have been a human that was better suited to city living than a countryside village and didn't appreciate the tuneful singing of blackbirds at 4-6am. Maybe a magpie or jay attacked them. I do not yet know...

Liz thinks the second death might have been old age, though - as Curio had no visible wound.

BIRD NEWS:360 and reed buntings

You may or may not be able to spot the great spotted woodpecker in these photos. I could not get a clear shot as it kept going behind leaves. Talking of hiding, this sunbaking blackbird cools off half hidden in a hedge.

Next up, a lake shot of the black-necked swans, female eiders, mallards, seagulls, and...other waterbirds. I was on my last leg of the site before leaving, when I passed this pair of Canada geese sunning themselves on the path.

Another info board for readers interest. A pair of mallards, black headed gull and 'other duck' share the next lake shot. A few twists and turns in the water later, and the gull departs, while another duck and a moorhen swim into view.

HERE is some info about the reed bunting.

BIRD NEWS:359

Another shot of the Trumpeter swans on their lake at Arundel WWT was next out the camera from my early July trip. Then I went into one of the hides and caught this picture of a group of geese all lined up, coming out of the growth and flowing into a group of ducks.

This shot was a flash of blue - a kingfisher - flying away - but the duck in the foreground came out visible, if the kingfisher was elusive. On this trip, I attended the diving bird feeding display, which I had not been around at the right time to do before. While waiting around 5 minutes for the talk/demo to start, I grabbed a couple of snaps of the birds we were to see dive.

They did indeed dive, and other occupants of the netted cage appeared also - a large pike sunbaking and snatching a snack, and an eel gliding past. Neither of these were supposed to be inside the diving ducks area, though! I passed a pair of pigeons on my way to the next area.

I went past the Trumpeter swans lake again. This time they swam over towards me. Maybe they have gotten to see me so many times, they think I am staff! On top of the next hide were some blackheaded gulls and a wood pigeon!

BIRD NEWS:358

Here we are back at home with Ditty on the feeder, wondering how to get the seed out, and thinking that if she caught my attention I might help out.

Here is Mr Bob in his summer color-loss. Mr Bob the robin is a bit smarter. My plan was to capture him 'doing the starling' - dangling from the suet ball feeder and tucking in. This is a rare thing as robins are generally table/ground feeders - but this smart chap has watched and learned! Alas, he also learned how to avoid getting his photo taken at the right time!

My next excursion was back to Arundel WWT, hence the local gull info board. Regular readers may expect my next shot to be either a Bewick swan or a goose with family hanging around the boat ramp area - but nope. It is of a goose and family, though!

They were hanging out with Mr and Mrs mallard under the goldfinch feeder in the wildlife garden! Next up is a swan, but a Trumpeter swan....

The Bewick swans I noted on nest with tiny cygnets on my last visit had vanished: nest, young, parents - everything. I did not go up to 2 of the hides, and maybe they were re-sited there. I will check on my next trip. Otherwise, I assume they have been removed to mingle elsewhere due to being in a breeding program.

The Trumpeter swan duo were still swimming around in their regular site, though. Next up, an info board concerning swallows.