BIRD NEWS:417

The wood pigeons had been replaced by a crow, though the heron was still at his patch, fishing for lunch.

I was able to get several decent shots of the heron on my first solo trip along the canal, though the following day when I went back accompanied by Liz, the heron was not in sight - instead, a cormorant posed, dived, and reared up again fishing in the same spot. I was not quick enough to catch a picture of this bird though I had taken many of the heron the previous day.

I ended up taking a lot of shots of the heron on this first trip, primarily as I was not often this close to one.

Finally, for today, a shot of the lampost at around stage 2 of the walk - this time with a dove on it.

BIRD NEWS:416

The swans were now in the water, so I was 'permitted' to walk along THEIR pathway without being swan-cursed. The swallows still eluded the camera...

This shot shows both the moorhen and the coot on the canal, and indeed there were plenty of both species. I came upon the coot chicks once more.

Here are those baby coots with parent coot again.

I was getting closer to the city of Chichester once more, having walked from point 1 to point 8 and back. There were 12 points in all, but no restrooms or refreshments further along the track. Were the wood pigeons and heron still where they had been as I returned I wondered... well, the heron was!

BIRD NEWS:415

Turning around the corner and progressing along the track leading away from Chichester towards Birdham and Chichester Harbour, I had to slowly pass Mr and Mrs Hiss - a pair of mute swans - who were none too happy to share their path with a human - even a swan-loving one.

This pair of chicks are coot chicks. There white patch is not yet there, but they were swimming not far from mommy Coot, so definitely coots and not moorhens despite the red. Regular readers may recall me posting pictures of baby moorhens - AKA black fluff balls - last year or the year before. A short way along was another coot collecting material for the nest.

I next arrived at a shaded tree-lined patch where swallows were swooping down to catch flying insects and flies above the canal. I took about a half dozen shots - but could not find a single swallow in any picture, alas. They were just too quick...

So it was back to the coots again - this one resting on its nest. Next, a coot family with 'teenage' juveniles- bigger than the red headed babes but not yet adult and obviously still young from this year.

This shot shows the difference between adult and juvenile clearly - well, it would if the photo itself were not blurred. I turned to go back towards the city....

BIRD NEWS:414

I went on a couple of bird watching hikes with Liz in the middle of May. The first was to Cissbury Ring, where we saw skylarks and 3 yellow birds - one was a yellow hammer, a smaller one that looked like a too-big goldcrest, and a larger one that might've been a green woodpecker if the yellow had not VERY yellow. The second trip was to Peppering Farm, where we saw and heard skylarks, lapwings, a great tit, blackcap, pied wagtail, buzzard, red kite...

Back home and young starlings are now frequenting the feeder pole along with parents. Sparrows have also become ravenous as they gulp down seed and suet to feed their own young ones. That brings us to June 2018. My next two excursions were to Chichester, where regular readers may now expect numerous budgy pictures - but prior to Priory park, I took a ramble along the canal, camera left out of bag after a short way along as the wildlife was numerous.

First up a coot crossed the canal towards the yellow flag lilies and I. I then spotted a heron just the other side of the canal, which was wider than a moat but slimmer than a river. I did not even need my noccies to see it clearly, so managed to take several shots.

It was just standing around searching for fish as people jogged, dogged or strolled past. I had not gone much further along before I spotted a pair of wood pigeons sitting up in the telephone wires.

I was wondering just how much wildlife there was along the trail, as I had not taken this trek before and had assumed it was mostly canal strip with concrete paved path alongside beside housing...til I explored and found a wooded natural corridor. Coots were everywhere!

BIRD NEWS:413

I will start today as I left off my last post - with a nesting swan. This is the female Bewick swan sitting on nest. Last year they had 2 young, which have since vanished, and this year - well, they have a nest!

The male was swimming about the pond nearby. I could not see the Trumpeter swans when I first arrived at their enclosure - but soon after spotted one swimming in the distance.

They were both in view when I came out of the nearby hide, gliding about nestlessly. They nested without young last year, had 5 young that vanished before the next mating season the year before - but it looks like they are not as yet bothered, unlike the mute and Bewick swans.

I enclose a shot of this info board depicting a reed warbler - as I saw one quite clearly thru the bins, but - alas - it was too obscured/distant to be able to photograph. I can guarantee I spotted at least 2 other warblers on the walkway along to the reedbed hide and in the corner turning onto the boardwalk - but I was not able to identify them. I also saw what looked like a green tinged chiffchaff...

Back to identifiable ducks - the eiders were hanging out on the cafe-side lake with a bunch of other birds again. My final shot from this excursion was of a wood pigeon in a tree.

Back home and the nesting blackbirds have made me unable to trim the hedge out front, 1-3 gold finches seem to devour as much seed as the local sparrows, and the jackdaw and blackbirds have all learned to stand on the iron ring to peck the suet balls on my feeder as one prepares to demonstrate below.

BIRD NEWS:412

On my way home from my walk, I spotted the mallard again - this time on the road - swimming in a puddle. It was with another mallard, near 2-3 more who were swimming in the pond on the other side of the road. They decided to head back to their pond as I approached.

My next excursion was with Liz early in May; we went to RSPB Pulborough Brooks. As we sat sipping our coffees, we spotted blue tits and a nuthatch, and on our wanderings we caught sight of a pair of Egyptian geese with 6-7 youngsters, a pair of tawny owl babes, a kestrel, common sandpiper, buzzard, woodpecker, egret scoffing a fast and ready meal, and 2 nightingales. We also heard a cuckoo - but did not see it.

Whilst standing outside with a giant sack of bird seed, waiting for Liz to drive the car closer, I took 3 photos - two of a pigeon at their entrance bird feeder area and one of a wooden carved bird!

It was only one day before my next excursion, to Arundel WWT. I did not take quite so many pictures on this trip, despite rambling about for 3 hours, due to the fact that I concentrated on catching smaller birds flitting about the trees and reeds - needing the noccies and being too obscured to photograph. I did however get a dozen or so shots - including this one of a Nene/Hawaiian goose family.

My last two photos for this post are of a mute swan sited on a nest - still building it be the 'beaking' of grass going on, I assume. It just sat, and picked up pieces and tucked them in....

BIRD NEWS:411 & raven cull link

Liz gave me a bag of nyjer seed, and I was wondering if I would get a chance to use it as our visiting goldfinch had not been spotted for some time. Just 1-2 days after I was given the seed however, I was in luck - three goldfinches came down and have been feasting daily since.

I was looking out of the spare room window, and spotted a female blackbird disappearing into the hedge with a beakful of nesting material. I got my camera ready to take a shot - thru net curtains so alas the photos are blurred - and spotted a sparrow with a beakful of nesting material. Sigh - I was planning on trimming the hedge this week, but...

Oh well, at least I will have baby birds to watch! It is a lot safer site than in the back yard too, as underneath the dense hedge is bramble and other prickly things - so no cats!

My next birdfull trip was a local hike. Normally, when I trot off to Angmering Park Estate, I do not bother with my camera or noccies, just door keys and a map. However, on this occasion in the midst of April, I had decided to take some pictures of the bluebells - which were almost out, although a few days to a week before their best. On my way, as I trotted along Swillage Lane and passed the first possible turn off which I chose not to take, I spotted a mallard strolling in the field. This is not a surprise, as there is a pond the other side of the road a little further down.

Can anybody spot the bird hidden here? I was walking along from Dover Cottage towards Angmering Park cottages and spotted a tree-climbing bird - so grabbed the camera - I thought it was a treecreeper, and hoped to get some decent shots, but...

I cannot see the little fellow on the first shot. It may be overly well camouflaged or it may have dived out of sight round the trunk too quickly. On my next attempt I managed to capture it though - but to illustrate its possible camouflage in the previous shot, I have had to show you where it is on this one - in case you cannot spot it!

HERE is a link to a recent article about a raven cull in Scotland - :(