BIRD NEWS:400

More rain and eider duck shots from my March trip to Arundel WWT start todays blog. It rained about 75% of my trip, but all was not lost - the WWT reserve has a cafe, several hides, and on this occasion special events. The first thing I did after coffee and viewing the eiders was attend a lecture on Peregrines.

It being wet weather and my day being free, I thought I would find out more about the bird - although I have only seen one 1-2 times when at this very center, from a distance flying overhead.

I then moved on to the lapwing hide to see....lapwings! I walked past the Bewick swan enclosure afterwards and took a couple of shots of the family - still a foursome at the current time.

From my photos today, it looks as if a wood pigeon has decided to join them! My last shots for now are of a blackheaded gull standing on a post I passed.

HERE is the link to an article I wrote about the robin and HERE to one I wrote on the firecrest.

BIRD NEWS:399

As we strolled along, we spotted a flock of ducks flying overhead and wondered at first what type they were...I took a photo for later identification, although it was decided they were shelducks when they flew a little nearer.

The above bird is most likely to be a redshank. It does appear to have the orange legs, unlike the former pictured bird from my last post. Liz has checked the photos out since and has confirmed it to be a redshank. In order to help me establish which birds we had seen on our excursion, I took a photo of one of the identification boards that we passed on our ramble.

We definitely saw the top three, along with a redshank or two, a group of mallard, and minimal starling activity - and we might have seen a wheatear as well.

My next excursion was back to WWT Arundel. On my way there, I took two shots of a mute swan from the footbridge. From my next shot, regular readers will know I am at the cafe looking out over the eider lake - and yes, I was sipping coffee before my trek around the reserve, although on this trip I had almost finished my drink before going outside due to it raining.

My first post at a new-to-me writing website concerns the starling - you can read it HERE.

BIRD NEWS:398

Here is Mr Bob enjoying a snack I deposited near the base of the former palm tree in the icy cold snowy topped start of March. March continued and on just the second day, I spotted a goldcrest in my back yard. At first I thought it was a wren - but then I noticed the stripe on the forehead... Alas, no camera at hand.

No, I am not at Arundel - but Lancing-Shoreham in the above and next few photos. I was just about to start a boring dull day of cleaning a dirty room ready to redecorate, when my best friend Liz phoned and invited me out to walk along the beach with her. I dumped my cloth and cleaning gloves and packed my camera ready!

As well as the mute swans there was a smaller bird - but neither of us had our binoculars with us, so I took a photo to enlarge on the computer afterwards to discover what we had seen. It appears to be a redshank, which is what Liz thought it might be - but I am not 100% positive as the legs do not appear orange...

Next up I spotted a hovering bird which Liz identified as a kestrel - and managed two shots - one with and one without a helicopter! We next came across a sandbank littered with shelducks hanging out with a few gulls.

It was definitely a pleasant place to stroll on a dry day in late winter/early spring, with so many different birds to observe. Among those not pictured, were a little egret, sparrows, the entire 6-swan family, and a small sparrow-sized bird that might have been a wheatear, as they are familiar to the territory.

BIRD NEWS:397

Continuing our end of February photos of the back yard, I managed to catch the wren's tail (below feeder pole) as well as the blackbird in this shot. The female blackbird was munching crumbs nearby...

One last shot of the male on the bird bath. Later in the day I saw robin, blackbird and pheasant when out wandering around Highdown Gardens with Liz - but as it was a surprise trip - our original intention being to grab supplies and have coffee at the garden center - I had no camera.

We wandered around after sighting the former two, and I spotted bird prints - a big bird - we actually saw the pheasant which made the tracks when rounding the corner, although we didn't spot the fox or rabbits whose prints we also saw.

HERE and HERE and HERE are links to two unusual birds that I have not as yet encountered and the rook, which I have.

March began, and we had another light load of snow - instead of the heavy fall promised. It was enough to bring out our song thrush though.

 

BIRD NEWS:396

Here we see our latest resident male blackbird successfully attempting to munch suet balls. Blackbirds usually are ground feeders or tablefeeders - but this fella has found a way around that!

As you can see, I have added a new feeder to the stand - a wire mesh peanut feeder. I did actually buy another tubular base-exit feeder, but the tits would not touch the nuts from that. I bought a mesh feeder for spring - so figured I would put out both the old one and the spring one now - so that when I swap them over later on, the birds will use both. The mesh is safer for young tits, as they may choke on whole nuts, which the jays and adult tits prefer...

I happened to glance out of the spare room window one morning late February and spot - a heron on a neighborhood roof. I only managed one shot before it flew away, though.

At home, little has changed - there are not many birds at the moment due to that pair of pigeon-murdering black furballs. However, on a hike taken during the final weekend of the month, I managed to spot a few oddities - alas, without noccies or camera. I saw geese on Swillage lane pond, peacocks and partridges in gardens, and a plover - see HERE.

The end of February brought a cold spell, including a fall of snow. I took a few photos of the garden and birds in it - and here we see the light covering that the back yard had at around 7-8am. I was soon out and pouring fresh water on top the bird bath - and our resident male blackbird was quick and eager to take advantage of it - as this time the pond was also frozen over.

BIRD NEWS:395

This is a cool shot that just happened. I was trying to take a picture of the eider ducks on their cafe-side lake as I neared the exit, when a pigeon swooshed in front of me....we therefore have a group of eiders and a flying pigeon!

The black necked swan was showing off its neck as I strolled briskly past its lake enclosure just before the eider area today. Back to pigeons - as I spent my last 10-15 minutes at the reserve, I spotted a pair of wood pigeons in a tree - the one to the right was munching something from the tree.

Finally for today, I was on my way back to the exit, too chilled to continue and deciding to grab lunch at a store on my way home, when this little fellow stood on the path pecking at grubs or crumbs to one side begging for its photo to be taken, which of course I did.

On arriving home, with the excitement of having photos of a firecrest to check out, I soon lost my slightly risen mood back to gloom. Filling the kettle to grab a hot chocolate to sit with while browsing my pictures, I spotted a back yard of white feathers - those pigeon-murdering black cats have been killing on my territory again.

To close for the day - HERE and HERE are articles on a pair of birds i have not yet seen.