BIRD NEWS:511

From our next hide, we spotted a trip of cygnets - mute swans. The Trumpeter swans were lazing about in their lake as we passed shortly afterwards. We then arrived at the Bewick swan lake.

They were swimming about at ease also, and because I had company to chat to I did not stop to take that many photographs on this trip - well, not as many perhaps as if I were solo and hanging out with the swans rather than passing by while hanging with my best friend.

Oh look - the giant Lego creations are back!!!! There is a giant Bewick swan! I will end for today with sharing the other two pictures that I took of them - Liz and I agreed that the owl looked best, while the red breasted goose has real live samples beyond.

HERE is a link to an ID video explaining how to identify various grey geese.

BIRD NEWS:510

One more shot of the greenfinches at Warnham nature reserve before a photo of a grebe. Liz spotted this bird - and knew it - before I did. That was our last photo from that trip. Next day, we were off out together again - this time to WWT Arundel.

Our first photographed sighting was of the black necked swan - still swimming solo - and calling out, hopefully not in distress or loneliness. It has been too long for it to have a nesting partner, so we assume the friend has died or become sick - though their is no evidence in the sick-cages of a swan in residence. (* I have since learned the fate of the missing female)

Next, I took a shot of a Nene, aka Hawaiian goose. Then we moved on to the woodland hide - our first sighting being of a goose and gosling - also a mallard.

Then I spotted a greater spotted woodpecker on the feeders! There were a young moorhen and a mallard below. My last photo for today is of a goose and gosling - one resting a leg and the other snoozing.

HERE is some information about seagulls - and non seagulls.

BIRD NEWS:509

I tried to get a few pictures of the woodpecker, thankfully - and this one came out well - as it munched, posing with a couple of tits on the feeder pole. You can also see the woodpecker with a great tit, nuthatch, goldfinch and blue tit below!

With finches and tits on the feeders, a wood pigeon and female pheasant strolled into the site below to feed from dropped crumbs.

The birds, of multiple variety, were not alone in enjoying lunch at the feeder poles. There were 3-4 young rats and this squirrel - later joined by a second one - munching a meal in addition to the birds.

We then spotted a wren - although it wouldn't stay still long enough for its picture to be taken without blurriness.

Back on the feeders, and the cafe's lunch guests had changed to a pair of greenfinches. This hide certainly had a variety of wildlife - whichever end you sit at or look out from, the various areas are generally fairly active - both the hedge and log areas in addition to 2 feeder sections and a water pool.

BIRD NEWS:508

 

One last shot of the kingfisher! Next, Liz spotted a bird that she thought was a young water rail - and possibly it is. I am still uncertain, as I usually only see water rail in winter - not summer, yet it certainly walked like one - and did not have the white or red patches of coots and moorhens...It looked exactly like a young one would - except the beak was shorter than I would imagine. Maybe I am used to pigeons - who are born with feet and beaks at adult size and have to grow the rest of themselves to fit.

After I had spent a while taking photos of the perhaps-young water rail, I took a couple of shots of a tern. It was diving for food every so often, after flying low and looking for its lunch.

My last photos for today are a second shot of the tern, diving down....and a blurry capture of a woodpecker feeding at the large hide - which was our next stop on the day's wanderings.

BIRD NEWS:507

My next excursion was to Shoreham chili festival in early July. I began at Worthing and strolled along the coast towards Shoreham. My first sighting was of the crows on top the beach huts.

I arrived at Widewater Lagoon - but there were not that many birds in situ - a few hedge-hopping sparrows and a pair of mute swans with one cygnet...

I did not see the oystercatchers or turnstones at Shoreham beach when I arrived, so that was basically all the birds I spotted and my mind turned to chillies. My next trip was taken mid-July in the company of Liz. We went to Warnham nature reserve for the day. My first sighting here was of a mute swan.

Further along, from the hide, I spotted not only the swan but a kingfisher!

Finally, HERE is some info about young owls.