BIRD NEWS:573

Due to Coronavirus crisis, the WWT at Arundel shut down - first to the public then to members too, so that now only the staff go on site. One week beforehand, I had gone along planning on skipping 1-2 months due to not wanting to use public transport. This does not mean the end of my bird blog - but that most photos will be from my back yard again, or from local walks allowed as 'daily exercise'.

My first photo today was a garden oddity - a chaffinch spotted finding a meal on the path in my back yard. I have seen many chaffinches at Arundel WWT woodland hide, but it has been at least 3-4 years since I have spotted one in my own garden.

HERE is another update from WWT Arundel...

The goldfinch that came to our yard last year is back with a mate this year. In fact, its buds all popped by this afternoon - 5 were sighted at once when I did the washing up after my latest excursion - a solo hike in the local woodland.

Due to the virus lockdown, one is allowed a daily exercise outdoors. 5 times a week this is my allotment plot, but on the other two I like to take a ramble. Today, I chose to walk up Swillage Lane and take the path across, before turning back through Patching - I did not actually end up taking that planned hike, but did get as far as turning right from Swillage Lane - before birdlife changed my mind. The above photo shows Swillage's Poachers Pond with a farm duck/goose preening nearby.

Not much further along, I spotted a couple of peacocks in a field - alas, they came out as one blue stripe in the photo - but I can assure you there are at least 2 peacocks in the field at the far end.

I heard a woodpecker - which changed my plans from birding and stroll to birding. I never did find the woodpecker, but I did hear something bustling about a tree...

My first shot shows a nuthatch, which is what I tried to take pictures of - but the second looks more like a blue-tit.

BIRD NEWS:572

The lesser white-fronted geese are now resident in the diving bird exhibit. They now hang out with the long tailed ducks and common scoters.

My last shot from Arundel is taken of Swanbourne Lake as I walked homeward - earlier than planned due to being denied sleep courtesy of noisy neighbros who thought it fine to party til 2am...then wake me again at 4.30am. I wasn't feeling well, so went straight home at lunch time instead of going in to Worthing to shop first. Due to the Coronavirus precaustions, this was to be the last bus trip I took during March, choosing to avoid public transport for a few weeks. I tried to capture the red-nosed goose breed....but it waddled away. Monday was the first day we had sunshine all day long this year - and Liz and I began the day with an excursion for a coffee/walk to Southwater Country Park. We spotted a mystery bird on the lake on arrival...merganzer? grebe?

Around a bit further, we discovered a pair of mute swans nesting near the bridge. Apparently they had four eggs, though I only spotted 3 - Liz and a notice said 4, though. Mommy swan was standing to one side preening, not sitting on her eggs at first, and maybe didn't realize that looking good was done with now she had eggs. Daddy swan was lifting branches and sticks then dropping them - as if not knowing what comes next after supplying his mate with nesting materials...

We ended up near the pond again and this time could spot that the mystery bird was a grebe. Not a blacknecked one like at WWT, but a normal one.

BIRD NEWS:571

First today, another abandoned egg - like on my visit not long before with Liz. I can now rule out swan eggs, leaving us to conclude it's a duck or goose that laid it. As ducks are more likely to be in a tree, I will vote for it being a duck egg that fell from the nest. Then I walked to the waterfall enclosure.

The real thing and the notice board depicting the black-necked grebe. There were several in the pond with the harlequin ducks still. Next, we see the black-necked swans and a couple of magpie geese in the background.

At the feeding station the usuall array of pigeons along with a jackdaw were on this occasion accompanied by the red breasted geese and what looks like an aussie woodduck...

I tried not to take too many pigeon pictures - but this fellow landed right in front of my face on an info board to the side and stared at me as if knowing my camera was magnetized to it....

I then wandered into the diving birds exhibit and took a shot of the common scoters basking in the first sunshine rays of spring.

Back home, and the blue and great tits have been gobbling through the peanuts like I gobble through strawberries. When the next door neighbors shut up, I can hear the birds and frogs in the evening - but as our neighbors are noisy people, I generally have to wait til dawn chorus time to really enjoy the birdlife in my yard.

HERE is a link to a WWT dawn chorus video.

BIRD NEWS:570

The Bewick duo were hanging around picking and pecking at the stalks as I got back from the side path. I then went along to visit the Trumpeter swans, who were both gliding about their lake today.

From the next hide that I entered, I took a few pictures of the blackheaded gulls. Later on, during the bird behaviour talk/walk event, we came back to this hide and the lapwing hide and at one I spotted a snipe - though I did not take a photo at that time.

I thought that they had rather funny faces so I took several shots today.

The Trumpeter swans were still gliding about on their lake.

HERE is a link to some recent sightings at Arundel WWT - currently closed to the public and mem bers - with on lt staff on site.

BIRD NEWS:569

I have located the birds - apart from the emporer geese. The Bewick's are back in their usual enclosure - with 2 new duck species added to their pond and the red breasted geese have been discovered near the feeding station - but as yet, I have not locted the emporer geese. The Bewicks were back in their own enclosure as I said - along with strangers to the pond from across the path where the Bewicks had been temporarily housed. Maybe this is why they had been popped over the path - to see who they got along with best.

This shows the newcomers to the Bewick enclosure. There were additionally a few mallards, a coot, a wood pigeon...

You can see some of the birds in the above picture. Whilst I hung out with the swans, 2 of the mallards started courting and mating...

I walked along the first pathway towards the lapwing hide and spotted a nesting Canada Goose and a farm duck in the reed beds where the boat trip ambles.

There were actually some lapwings in the lapwing hide on this occasion - usually I see one or none, but today there were 4-5.

There were a bunch of tufted ducks on the reed beds near the lapwig hide today.There was also a magpie on the hedge as I wandered back towards the start of the path. There were actually quite a lot spotted both here and on my next excursion.

BIRD NEWS:568

Back in the city, I strolled hastily (to reach the toilets) to Priory Park. This, regular readers will know, signifies budgy photos. Today however, I only took one photo - BUT HERE is a video I took.

There were oystercatchers when Liz and I strolled along the coast from Rustington to Littlehsmpton. At first we thought they might be turnstones - but their backs were too dark and further along, spotting another group, we saw their beaks which gave their identity away.

I took one last shot...

My next trip was back to Arundel WWT - where I had gone just the previous week with Liz - but this time solo. They had a behaviour of birds talk-walk event on that I wished to attend and I was feeling wary on continuing to use public transport de to the vuirus dangers. I planned it as my last long distance trip for the time being. As usual, I was greeted by the friendly robin.