BIRD NEWS:662

 

Our next trip for Liz & I was to Peppering Farm - alas, my photos did not come out well. I got couple of shots of a tree, rather than any sighting of the birds in the tree. We did see goldfinch, chaffinch, blue tit, great tit, wood pigeon, robin, crow, blackbird, and long tailed tit though - as well as the bird that eluded the camera. Possibly a linnet or redstart.

We moved on to WWT Arundel, where I managed to get a hoard of piccies, starting with the pelicans.

I also took a video HERE as one of the two females on the right kept picking up a small stone and tossing it up and down their inner beak...which we found fascinating. I assume it helps clean the inner beak, or dislodge caught food particles - but it may be just a game.

Passing the pelicans, entering the aviary, we found the avocet, redshank, harlequin ducks, scoter, merganzer, longtailed duck, and spectacled eider.

This redshank seemed to be shyly hoping it was not seen....

The camera caught it though!

This eider seemed to wonder if it was allowed to have its picture taken or not - it kept swimming by sideways, then turning to look....

BIRD NEWS:661

 

A mute swan came up to investigate us as I stood watching pigeon and Liz stood watching gull, coot, and tufteds.

On the big tree, there were pigeons on the right and gulls on the left.

My final picture from the Arundel trek is of the gulls and pigeons before we left the lake.

I spotted a red kite.

This was from my next trip - which was a 4 hour hike through Angmering Park Estate one Saturday in November 2021.

I took 4 pictures in all, hoping to get at least one good shot -

FINALLY!!!! Alas, too far away, so small, but definitely a good shot of the coloring on the bird.

NEWS HERE about birds now off the endangered species list.

BIRD NEWS:660

 

As Liz & I sat in the cafe sipping coffee, a roof-row of pigeons stared down at us! A mixture of show pigeon and city pigeon with interbred young stood in a row and observed us.

Our next trek was to Arundel, where we spotted a tree filled with seagulls on Swanbourne Lake.

In fact, there were numerous seagulls on tree branches as we progressed around the lake.

Nearer the entry/exit, we found multiple birds. Mallard, Coot, 2 types of seagull, pigeon, swan...

We stood at the edge observing for a short while - finding lots of pigeons to please me and tufted ducks to please Liz.

This one looked as if it were smiling for me - or for my camera.

Plenty of pigeons, gulls, and tufted here!

INFO HERE - about endangered species

BIRD NEWS:659

 

My next photograph from RSPB is of a nuthatch that we spotted munching seed on a fence.

not long after a coaltit appeared in much the same place.

On the nearby log, a blue tit shares the feast with a  squirrel!

There was a peregrine falcon sitting in a nearby tree - pointed out to us by a RSPB volunteer.

Yet another species was on display as we trekked onward. This time an island of lapwings...

We neared the close of our trip, only to spot a field of pigeons! The land was newly dug over, so the city pigeons and show pigeons were munching away....

In the background were some crows or jackdaws, also eating from the newly ploughed field. I - as always - enjoy seeing pigeons!! Liz was less impressed, however!

BIRD NEWS:658

 

There was more activity at the feeder station, but alas, not very easy to see from what without the zoom. Luckily the camera was allowing a partial zoom to remain clear today, so I was able to distinguish it as the return of the bullfinch,

Next, the return of the coal-willow-marsh tit!

A good close up - but not at the right angle to tell which tit it was!

This last shot from my trip to Warnham with Liz was supposed to be the tit again - another lost chance at identification - but at least a wood pigeon snuck into the otherwise useless shot!

Our next trip was to RSPB Pulborough Brooks after a walk about Sullington. We started the RSPB walk at the feeder station...

...where we saw a squirrel and a wooden woodpecker.

I then spotted a familiar face - a show pigeon!! A city pigeon joined in...

BIRD NEWS:657

 

This is one of two shots I took of the identification board. Here is the other.

This might be useful for identifying coal/marsh/willow tit....except the willowtit is very similar to one of the other 2. We did see a lot of birds on our early November trip though!

This was a coal-marsh-willow tit...which, I cannot say. At the indoor hide, we spotted tons of birds.

This was my first picture from there.

A male bullfinch.

Soon to be joined by a great tit. At this feeder station, they had 3 cannisters of sunflower hearts and one giant suet block. In the midst, they had a peanut feeder. At the other end, they had 3 of sunflower hearts and one suet balls.

Here was another of those marsh-willow-coal tits - too far away to see which. When I did zoom in for an attempt at a close up shot - I only got its bum!

BIRD NEWS:656

 

They munched grass - watching - until one of the youngsters ventured towards me, less patient than I.

All three youngsters came over to investigate me...

Followed by the parents. They trusted me....'but'....wasn't I standing where the food got thrown to them?

If so, they did not want to miss out!!

Oh well...it had been worth a try! I was at least harmless, if not a feeder-peep.

Here they all were - Mr Orangetag Bewick, Mrs Silvertag Bewick, 2 sons and one daughter.

The next swans I saw were on my attempted way home. I had planned to walk down to Littlehampton along the river Arun, then take the coast to Rustington, and then walk home. But...shortly after the above shot, I had to turn around and go back to Arundel then walk home the exact way I had arrived that morning, thru Angmering Park Estate woodland. The reason being the river was full - so full, that the pathway under Ford railway bridge was underwater. Had I known the trail ahead into Littlehampton was totally river-free on the path, I might have taken off my socks and hiking boots and waded thru, wetting my jeans but making it...But I had no idea what lay ahead, and not wanting to do that twice, turned round instead. On my way back to Arundel, I spotted a group of swans on the river - so assume this pair in the field had flown back to join them and were mute, not bewick winter arrivals.

That was that. My next trip was to Warnham nature reserve near Horsham with Liz.