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We got to see the heron for just a few moments before it strode into the reeds out of view.

In the next hide, the main one, we saw quite a lot of birds. We also saw a lot of squirrels. In this shot, one of the latter is enjoying the sunflower hearts while either a bullfinch or a nuthatch (I forget the order we saw the birds in we saw so many ad the photo is blurred) munched nearby.

In the next shot, a woodpecker joined a blue tit and the squirrel.

At one point, we counted 11 squirrels - at one time - sightable from this single hide. The squirrel and woodpecker munched on.

Next, a male pheasant strolled into the scene and pecked at fallen seed below the feeder station to the left of the hide.

I mentioned that there were almost a dozen squirrels at one point when we counted...there were also a lot of wood pigeons for around 20 minutes. This shot shows the main area where they all seemed to congregate - firstly squirrels, then both, then wood pigeons.

There were both species everywhere for a while - and a magpie joins in in this photo.

This is a left over photo I forgot to post from Shoreham Estuary.

BIRD NEWS:667

 

This is the blackbird in the tree outside my kitchen window again, taken mid december 2021. It is enjoying the yellow berries before anyone else can munch them!!

Also in my yard that morn, a young collared dove pecks ravenously at the dropped seed below the feeder station. It is not the ditzy dopey dove that meditates or snoozes but a youngster - learning whether or not I'm safe to be around.

Here you can see sparrows and blue tits enjoying the feeder pole above - also a couple of goldfinches, but they only flew down as I turned off the camera, so did not get in shot.

I then spotted a wood pigeon - well two actually - behind the pond. This one was dipping its beak and taking a sip - then staring about...whilst the other woodie was wandering between the front and back rows of plants.

Alas, he too disappeared shortly after, so no wonderful shots. The yard still has magpies, starlings, robin, great tits, etc...and sometimes my little grey wagtail pops to the pond to bounce about catching a few bugs. Despite there being plenty to see at home, I always enjoy an excursion - and the next trip Liz and I took was soon to follow.

On top of a neighbor's roof you can see a jackdaw, seagull, wood pigeon and 2 magpies...

Out next trip was to Warnham Reserve. Liz and I saw tufted ducks, mallards, 2 types of seagull...

In the hide, we spotted a heron fly in and start to stroll among the reeds just below the window.

BIRD NEWS:666

 

Liz and I could not decide if it were a heron, kingfisher, egret, duck....

My next shot was definitely an egret though!

Then we came upon a redshank...

We spotted a grebe like bird - and deduced it was a little grebe!

Though it was so far, it was hard to tell without bins!

A sparrow sized bird making a distinctively unsparrowlike sound - turned out to be a reed bunting and it stayed put long enough for me to get a few photos.

We also saw a meadow pipit, but I was not quick enough to capture it on camera. We saw a bankful of lapwing, a godwit, 3 different types of seagull, a golden plover...an enjoyable birdful day out!

My final photo for today is of a blackbird eating the berries on the prickly tree outside the kitchen window one morning Mid-December

HERE is the link to a meditative video of a starling murmuration.

BIRD NEWS:665

Still on the Littlehampton-Bognor hike - which took us 2.5-3 hours each way - we spotted a field of.... assumedly oyster catchers.

A city pigeon decided to try its luck at our picnic lunch spot in Bognor but alas, Liz had ryvita and cheese and I had seaweed crisps... so nothing we could feed the potential friend. Our next trip was to Shoreham.

There were 2-3 cormorants perched on the posts in the lagoon near the car park - one seemed to be a juvenile due to being extra white. We then took coffee at the French Cafe and strolled the Christmas market - before going up the Estuary birding. We spotted this...

an oyster catcher.

Next, we spotted an egret - and a man illegally grabbing bait, as there were signs up saying you couldn't do this!

I tried to get a picture of another one the other side of the estuary, but it didn't come out clear.

My next picture was unclear also - but is of a godwit. My final shot for today's post is of a wooden bird!

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As Liz and I walked along Widewater Lagoon, our next bird of interest was a redshank - I think. (Whilst we definitely saw redshank, I cant recall at which point I took a photo of one and at which point I took a photo of a plover and which point.....)

Here we see a redshank - and a blackbacked seagull and some mallards...and a crow or jackdaw.

This definitely was the ringed plover!

This was a brent goose - that we found when Liz and I wandered on our next leg - around the estuary.

We spotted a trio of city pigeons on the wooden bridge. Liz liked this one a bit...

This one was her fav...but she also liked

Our next trip was to Littlehampton, where we walked across the River Arun then along from West Beach to Bognor - had a picnic lunch - then returned. We spotted plenty of gulls enjoying the ocean...

HERE is a link to UK January birdlife...

BIRD NEWS:663

 

Next, we passed the Trumpeter swans. Once again, they were too busy preening to take notice of me - or Liz.

Their enclosure is so much smaller than their old one - and they looked a bit bored and fed up. I am wondering why they were moved, seeing as their old lake with the tree studded island is 'empty' of anything apart from mallard. In fact, there were 3-4 areas that seemed to be empty of any species apart from mallard or canada goose.

In the woodland hide, we spotted 2 female or juvenile pheasants and a water rail! Alas, only one of my 3 photos came out at all, if blurry.

We took the boardwalk through the reedbeds and Liz walked right past this moorhen that I spotted. It was lazily dozing....although it did condescend to nibble a few weeds shortly after we passed.

We then came upon Orangetag and Silvertag and their trio of cygnets. We did not stop long, as Liz likes to trot onwards, but we were there long enough for me to take a couple of shots,

Liz and I spent a chilly winter's day in Shoreham - so we trekked the Widewater lagoon to begin with and spotted a cormorant.

Then we came across a group of teal.