BIRD NEWS:610

 

Liz and I walked along the River Arun and found a bunch of swans. We think they may be the hoard that used to live in the harbour area, near the RNLI station and along pier road...

There appeared to be a family - with last years' offspring in tow.

Many of them still had traces of grey cygnet plumage...

More swans lay ahead...

One swan swam between the two bunches of swans - all mute swan. For Covid reasons, I had been unable to get to Arundel WWT more than once in the past 12 months - so seeing so many swans was a delight.

Further along, yet another bunch greeted us!

Around the corner, even more swans greeted us - but these were in a field. Liz counted 26, but I counted 29.

Alas, they were too distant to tell if they were mute swans or Bewick....

BIRD NEWS:609

 

Liz heard a strange bird call and neither of us knew it. Soon after we spotted the culprit - a red kite!

We saw a lot of birds on our trip - and heard pheasant and skylark, robin and bluetit, as we wandered thru the woodlands of Angmering Park Estate on our trek to Arundel.

We spotted a reed warbler - or similar bird - and I tried to get a photo. It IS in there somewhere, but....

...other than a small straw-colored moving dot, we could barely see it without noccies, which we had not brung....

It then went down to the base of the stalks...

...and finally, there it was - my camera finally finding the bird.

We arrived in Arundel - partly the luck of Liz's memory of shorter walks and partly the fact I had printed out a walking track map. We stopped for coffee/toilet usage and for me to grab a vegan wrap at Co-op. Then we trekked onward, the plan being to follow the river down into Littlehampton - my computer having informed me it was possible to walk the route between the two towns. We passed an ornate door on a birdlovers' house en route.

That tiny dot was a buzzard.

BIRD NEWS:608

 

Here is a picture of the other pair of swans at Mewsbrook Lake. They are possibly a pair, or possibly the offspring of the nesting pair from last year.

HERE is some info about migration.

Liz and I trotted over Highdown - and spotted a  song thrush. I managed to take a couple of shots in hope.... but of course, until I replace my replacement camera, they will not be great shots.

HERE is a guide to birdsong in the UK.

On our next ramble we passed the dove cotes on the old Arundel Road property - filled with either doves or show pigeons - those mystery white magician's birds.

Back home, and I finally had some time free to observe the birds on my own garden - a 2 week vacation from work. At first, I noted the absence of many, but this may be due to the cats, hawks, and workmen...I did however spot that I have goldfinches visiting me again.

Long term readers may remember a few year ago I had a bird ID problem - well here is the answer: Identifying Chiffchaff and Willow Warbler

Our next excursion was a long one. Liz and I started out by walking thru the field and crossing the A27 to The Dover. We then proceeded to walk towards, and indeed to, Arundel. The first camera-stop was to take a picture of a blackbird resting upon a rubble wall. I took another shot further along - but cannot see the skylark in the field.

BIRD NEWS:607

 

Liz and I went for a walk and passed Rustington beach, where we spotted this group of birds. We were not close enough to see for sure - but thought them to be either turnstones or oyster catchers. My old camera would have got a decent enough pic to have told us, but...

After strolling along the coast and getting refreshments, we turned into the boating lake as I wanted to see if there were any swans....and we found some.

HERE is a link to a guide on swans in the UK

There were a pair on the island - where one sat on a nest while the other guarded it...and preened. Plenty of gulls and mallards and coots and moorhens - and the odd pigeon - were also in situ.

HERE is a link to gull identification.

I took a shot showing both - though the nesting swan is more or less hidden to the camera view - only visible to the naked eye - or a decent camera.

This one did not come out too well either - but you can just see the swan on the nest.

Over the other side of the lake are another pair - possibly last years young.

BIRD NEWS:606

 

It has been a while since I have shared pictures of my garden birds - so here is the latest shot of the current bearer of the title Pidge. Probably, Pidge is the great great great grandchild of the original Pidge...

My next trek took me past a field of crows. They did not come out well as I could not zoom and focus at the same time on THIS dud camera. I was on my usual Angmering Park Estate woodland wanderings.

HERE is a link to a guide on UK geese

I went on another excursion - solo - along Swillage Lane, but only went up to Goggles' pond before turning back due to it being wet and muddy and my not having that much time due to working PM shift later in the day. On this trip I found Goggles munching with his duck companions.

Once again, I need to apologize on behalf of my dud camera for providing a less than proper picture. My old 'lil pink box' Fujifilm would have made this far more clearer.

HERE is a link to a guide on UK ducks.

Another blurry shot of Goggles feasting with his mallard pals. Then Goggles spotted me...swam right up to me and started hissing. I think he was rudely saying 'if you don't bring food, i don't want to see you' but maybe he has just had enough of humans now that so many walk, jog, dog and cycle past his pond.