BIRD NEWS:560

Someone wanted to bid me farwell as I approached the exit! As I wandered across the bridge to the bus stop, I saw the River Arun swan family - this was my last snap of the day.

HERE is a video of the bluetits on my feeders - to demonstrate how rapidly they replace one another and why I am paying a fortune for bird-peanuts!!

The first picture from my next solo excursion is of a cormorant, sharing an island with a couple of gulls. I was back in Shoreham at Widewater Lagoon for non-regular readers information. I had taken an all day pass for the bus and gone direct to Shoreham for coffee & a wander round the markets - before walking back thru Lancing to Worthing along the coast - which passes by the lagoon.

It is also in my second shot of the trip, as I walked along a short distance. Next up a strange wader on the island near the gull island - I wandered back towards the info-board to identify it - assuming it was either a redshank or greenshank...

It was a redshank! I took a few more shots...

BIRD NEWS:559

I dont think Nenes or pigeons can read, hee hee!!!! Next up, an infoboard.

Who is foloowing who? Here are a pair of red-breasted geese and a pair of canada geese with a bewick swan preening on the grass clump - but around the corner near the other bewick, a duck leads the way....

My attention was redirected to a longtailed tit as I wandered along to give it one last chance to catch a shot of the elusive firecrest.

As you can see clearly in the above photograph, the skies were darkening during my last half hour at the reserve. I made my way towards the exit, ready to walk into town and catch the bus home via the shops in Rustington. Two last shost of the Bewick swans...

BIRD NEWS:558

This bright bird was next up for a 'lil pink box' appearance. I was unsure if it was an Egyptian goose or African shelduck though - and on trying to figure it out via ID guides discovered it was neither. This Nene wanted the meal so much, it stuck its neck through the fence to eat lunch.

Ahhhhh, how pleasant - a tree filled with pigeons!! More pigeons greeted me when I stuck my head - and camera - over the fence below.

Across the other side of the walkway - more pigeons, sunbathing with the Nenes. More pigeons adorned the tree....

This is why the cafe-side lake is no longer filled with eider, whistling duck, gulls, Philipine ducks, Aussie woodducks - and pigeons. I miss the eider and woodducks but am curious as to what the new exhibit will be like. Currently it is nowhere near finished - but resembles a swamp being drained or forrest being cut down.

BIRD NEWS:557

A really good shot of the Trumpeter duo at Arundel WWT starts today's post. As I mentioned in a previous post, the weather on February first 2020 was delightful for photograhy, allowing for some delicious lighting options. However, this mallard turned just at the wrong moment and I lost the brightness aspect of its head in myshot!

Another good photography moment in the above shot. A coot swam past...

Harlequin ducks and black-necked grebes followed - with an infoboard on the grebes. Here is the latest shot of the scaly-sided merganzers also located in the waterfall area.

My final shot for today's post is of the black necked swans - along with black backed radjah shelducks, canada geese, nenes, a seagull or two and a bunch of sunbathing pigeons...

BIRD NEWS:556

Mrs and Mr Trumpeter preening was my next photographs' subject. Meanwhile, at the approach to the sandmartin hide, a pair of mallards had decided to rest. It was shelducks on view from inside the hide. One flew at another, shooing him away - so possibly they are begining to think about mating and breeding - unless they are a formed pair just wintering it out.

The trumpeter duo were still busy preening as I passed by again, leaving the hide and about to walk along towards the wildflower hut towards the reed area.

I next attempted to catch a picture of an elusive firecrest that had been spotted dashing about the dense bushes on the edge of the wildflower garden - however, I dont think you want to see a brown splodge amongst brambles, so won't share my disaster shots. Instead, have an infoboard about the kingfisher!

I passed by the trumpeters yet again as I left the area - still preening!

BIRD NEWS:555

A group of redbreasted geese starts today's photographs from Arundel WWT. Here are a pair of Pochards enjoying the same pond.

Next, I aimed my camera thru the slats of the wire fence to take a shot of some scoters resting on their rocks in the diving duck exhibit - and I think there was a merganzer with them - but am not entirely sure which type.

I spotted a soggy bird sunning itself as best it could on the side of the path as I made my progression around the reserve, in clockwise manner on this occasion - a rather drenched and sorry for itself male pheasant.

Another shot of the Bewick duo as I left that area for the next stretch of path. From swan to swan - bewick to trumpeter - my final shot of this post is one of the trumpeter duo.

BIRD NEWS:554

This shot is not much clearer either - but from its shape and size, I would say it is a buzzard - although later on I learned that the peregrine falcon had been hanging out nearby...

Next, a pair of info-boards. Everytime I come there is something new to see - be it a new bird species, a bird behaving strangely, of an info board giving me info I have not previously known. Arundel WWT is not only a place to relax and enjoy a wander among multiple species of wildlife and birdlife, but a great place to go to learn - a few facts per visit.

There was actually a lapwing sighted from the lapwing hide on this trip -along with Canada and Greylag geese! The light was alternating between bursts of sunshine and dark crawling clouds - so perfect to get some interesting shots. The effect on the coot and stick was more dramatic IRL than camera-capture though.

I spotted a line of geese swimming past for the above shot.

HERE is a link to the WWT photography contest of last year.