BIRD NEWS:641

 

I took the above picture and am not sure if it was from the Steyning trip last week or this week's Pulborough trip.

But this one was from Steyning!

This was also our Steyning excursion - where we found a resting racing pigeon on our rambles.

Our next excursion was to Chichester. We strolled along the canal after coffee and I spotted a swan family with 2 cygnets near a board of dozing ducks.

A wood pigeon and a cormorant rested on the telephone wires up above.

Another pair of swans and one of multiple coots were in my next shot, as we strode back towards the city from reaching point 9-10.

Lunch was eaten in Priory Park - where the budgy aviary is sited. Out popped my camera to grab a few piccies as we passed.

BIRD NEWS:640

 

We are still not entirely sure, but think it might have been another blackcap. This robin wanted its photo taken, and posed for us as we passed by.

My last shot from this excursion was of a pair of show pigeons, wandering about near the entrance to the toilets.

Our next excursion was to Sullington Warren and Sandgate Park, near Storrington.

We spent just over 90 minutes exploring before moving onto to RSPB Pulborough Brooks.

We cued for refreshments and I spotted a pigeon up on the cafe roof.

There was a piece of artwork depicting lapwings on the cafeside wall.

There was an infoboard need the feeder station where we stopped, although our destination was Pulborough, outside the reserve itself, which we were just walking thru, today.

Well, there was another pigeon - and a wooden woodpecker.

 

BIRD NEWS:639

 

We went on to RSPB Pulborough Brooks, where one of our discoveries was this giant nest. It was large enough to be an animal or large bird's craftwork, and we did not know for sure, but I would assume it might be a heron, egret, or stork, something of that size at least.

As we wandered around, we spotted some small birds sitting on the fence. On getting closer we saw them as swallows, assumedly youngsters, as they did not fly away when we approached.

In fact, we got very close and I got some great photos - as my camera only takes good shots up close.

We saw many birds on our trip, but not all were photographed. Among those we missed with the camera were a woodpecker, nuthatch, and a blackcap. But these swallows let us take their pictures.

The first two in line just sat and watched us as we watched them, creeping past them so as not to disturb them, just in case.

The next two along did not seem to like humans as much - so we think one might have been a parent bird.

We then spotted something high up in a tree...

Can anyone guess what it was?

BIRD NEWS:638

 

Here is another sample of the Surrey sculptures - Loveheart Swallows. The sculptures seem to range in price from around £300 through to two or three thousand. Above is priced at £445 and below, 'Hunting Owl' at £1095.

Some of the sculptures are unique, whilst others are in limited edition - such as 3, 10, 15 or 30.

This one, 'Company of Columbidae' depicts either doves or show pigeons, and is one of 30.

There seemed to be quite a few pigeony statues....so maybe I am not alone in being pigeon-admirer.

This one, 'Quizzical', is unique and priced at £950. (If you are interested in any of them, you can contact sssonlinesales@gmail.com)

Our next excursion was to Storrington/West Chiltington/Pulborough, and our first sighting of the day was a duck pond near the library.

We took a 5.7mile walk around about and returned to the pond for our picnic lunch.

BIRD NEWS:637

 

This was my last picture of the Bewick duo and their cygnets taken in August at Arundel. Back home, and we have had a lot of wet weather...

This poor Pidge was soaked when he landed in at my Windowsill Cafe!

Here is the first of a few statues depicting birds. 'Hope is a thing with feathers'. Liz and I took an excursion to Leonardslee Gardens and explored 2 sculpture displays. Some sculptures were better than others - but several depicted birds.

Some looked like birds and some....did not. It was likewise for all the statues - birds and non - some were metal lumps by artsy peeps and others were realistic.

There were two exhibitions at once - one, a short term display from Surrey sculpture society, and the other a long term display.

This is where we sat to munch our lunch...and where I spotted something - well 2 somethings - in the treetops.

Cormorants! I also spotted a silvery blue streak stream over the lake....a kingfisher - but I had a bag of corn chips instead of my camera in hand at the time...

Some more 'real' birds were sighted however, before a return to the statues.

BIRD NEWS:636

 

I tried the zoom on half setting - this sometimes works, although full zoom never does.

Next, we came up to the Bewick enclosure - and this time they were home!

On our last trip, the family had been moved to the sickie pens as they had cygnets. This time - parents Mrs and Mr Bewick had their three babes in tow.

It was great to see Silvertag and Orangetag again - and their 3 youngsters!

They may have recognized me - although over the past 18 months I have not spent much time with them, because prior to that, I would stand for 5-10 minutes observing them each visit, and I visited monthly!

I dont suppose we stayed longer than 2 minutes on this occasion, as my two companions are not interested as I in swans....

not even these swans....

BIRD NEWS:635

 

 

 

The female mandarin was quite pretty. There were of course further species to view, once we had waited a few minutes.

Greenfinch and goldfinch for examples. The latter is oftentimes spotted in my own back yard munching the sunflower hearts, or possibly nyger seed supplies.

We watched them....but they also watched us, or at least THIS goose did!

Mother and babies moorhen were strolling about the base of the feeders, searching for dropped-seed-lunch.

In the wildlife garden we spotted a dove-like bird depicted on a carved seat arm.

You may, or may not, spot the baby sand martin head poking out a hole in the wall.

I circled it so you can see where it is in the wall. There were actually 2 or 3 heads in the wall-hole. They kept sticking out waiting for parent birds to fly in with food!