BIRD NEWS:496

Orange-tag Bewick was preening when I first got to their enclosure, while Silver-tag was on the bank, munching.

Next stop was the trumpeter swan enclosure, where one was swimming around nearby, whilst the other was the other side on the lake.

Next, was the sandmartin hide - plenty of signs up, but no live specimens in situ.

My clockwise/drink/anti clockwise trip continued...

Finally for today, HERE is an article about the marsh tit - sometimes seen at Arundel WWT.

BIRD NEWS:495

Here is our jay extracting a peanut. We now have jackdaws nesting in the chimney, so jays, jackdaws and magpies are lurking lurking around. This magpie is tucking into the fat balls.

My next excursion was a solo trip to Arundel, taken on the final day in the month of May. My first shots shows an assortment of birds hanging out with me at Swanbourne lake - where I popped for 5-10 minutes, being earlier than opening time for WWT.

At the WWT, my first photograph was not of a robin, as often is the case, but a family of Canada geese. My first stop, where I hung out for a few minutes, was at the Bewick swan lake - having not been able to bring my noccies on this trip, due to my plans to shop afterwards. Here were my new friends - orange tag and silver tag as I have named them, til such time as I am aware which is Mrs and which Mr Bewick and what they have been called!

BIRD NEWS:494

Mommy sparrow is teaching baby sparrow that my bedroom windowsill is a great place to eat seed - and how to serve itself...

Sparrows were not the only youngsters around. Over the second half of May, a great tit family have been frequenting the feeder pole a few times a day. Here you can see them munching lunch. Also, a jay has been visiting recently - taking peanuts from the feeder and munching them in the branches above.

The jay also comes once or twice a day and has been sighted several times over the latter half of the month. So, although there are not as many starlings this year, we have activity at home.

& HERE is some news from Arundel.

BIRD NEWS:493

Mummy and baby moorhen decided to cross our path. One of the woodland tracks we followed around the exterior of the gardens had little insets - one of which was this picnic shed where I photographed one of the info-boards explaining the need for ash trees. This evidenced the importance of Wakehurst Place as a seed bank, as many ash are dying due to a bug - and should they all go, many other creatures would suffer.

We saw several other birds, although that was the extent of my photographs. The next day I went on another excursion with Liz as it was a bank holiday Monday. This trip was to RSPB Pulborough Brooks, where we have been on several occasions. Regular readers or visitors to the reserve will recognize my next photo's subjects!

As well as the reserve itself, we walked around the exterior, visiting some woodland habitat and a bluebell wood where we spotted a lone deer. We did spot some other birds - though with binoculars instead of camera - a blackcap, warbler, group of swans, and multiple robins.

Back home - and a pair of wood pigeons were snoozing on the backyard fence. Meanwhile, the starlings and sparrows are hyper-hungry due to babies!

BIRD NEWS:492

One more shot of the new Bewick swans situated at Arundel WWT. Just before I left, I passed another family of geese - in the picnic area. The younger were mostly munching - while the parent watched on suspiciously...

I just missed catching one gosling sticking its head thru the wooden bars and trying to escape towards me - it just obeyed parent goose and retreated before I went click!

The following day, Liz & I went to Wakehurst Place. We had planned to return to Leonardslee gardens - but Liz decided it might be more enjoyable to go somewhere we hadn't JUST visited a week or two before for our trip. Above you can see one of their lakes with a greylag goose on it.

A Greylag goose turns its back on the camera, while 2 species of duck stroll munchfully around our legs. As well as the Greylag and ducks, Wakehurst has other birdlife - plenty of pheasant were spotted on our excursion.

BIRD NEWS:491

In the center of this mass of nesting and lazing seagulls, you might spot the lapwing. No sign of the oyster catchers though!!

This info board shows many of the waterfowl Liz & I have spotted on our multiple ramblings. Along with a couple of Canada geese heads, you can spot a grey heron in this next picture.

Back to the Bewicks. According to the lady feeding them when I first arrived, the female doesn't know where or when it gets fed yet - so its not surprising this pair were munching lunch in their pond having missed their brekkie.

I really hope they remember me when I go back again - being one of their first few encounters and having spent a little time standing watching - and popping back again - fingers crossed!

BIRD NEWS:490

As I continued my circular stroll, I came upon a pair of mute swans relaxing/nesting in the grass. The other side of the pathway I spotted male and female American woodducks.

Up in the nearby tree a row of pigeons were lazing in the sunshine, ignoring the chilly wind. Being a pigeon lover, I had to take their photo.

The view was lovely, lolooking across the hangar as they call it - I had to circle the lone gull to show where it is though! I then passed a family of coots.

It is back to the Bewick swans for my last 2 photos for today. I wanted to keep passing them by so they got used to me!!