BIRD NEWS:758

 

I trekked along to the next ponds, after learning the fate of the two absent pelicans from a staff member I passed. Alas, 2 of the 4 remaining female pelicans had passed away - like the 2 original males. Nobody knows why... I soon arrived at the next lake and took a photo of some American woodducks.

HERE you can see and hear - a magpie goose.

I also caught a pair of Chiloe wigeon passing in the video. You can read more about them above. Below, are the Radjah Shelducks.

Next spotted were a pair of Nenes.

I then came to the Trumpeter swans...

I also shot the info board as a reminder. I seem to learn so many bird facts, that several escape if not reinforced.

Still with the T-swans...

BIRD NEWS:757

 

We finished inside the reserve and wandered the outer woodland area. We were notified of sea eagle sightings so made our way to the corner of the wooded area to see what we could see. We saw a kestrel in a tree to the left, a red kite and a marsh harrier. There is one above the shepherds hut in my first picture today. Below is the kestrel.

My next excursion was a solo hike to Arundel WWT and back. Passing Goggles on his pond en route, I took just over 2 hrs to reach Arundel, as per usual, slowed only by observations and camera.

Not more than a few hundred yards further, I stopped to take a picture of a peacock in the house to the left.

As I neared Arundel, I spotted a mallard enjoying a puddle in the fields near the river Arun.

On my way up the avenue towards the reserve, I spotted 2-3 mute swans enjoying more water logged fields - along with a bunch of gulls on this occasion.

This next picture was to be of a mute swan flying low over the local riverland hide, the lake filled with greylag geese. The swan made touchdown though!

This shot of 2 pelicans mystified me - 2? Where were the other 2 ladies hiding?

BIRD NEWS:756

 

Liz and I saw more show pigeons later on - but they saw us first! We were watching the nuthatches and tits feeding when we were spotted!

They came down to feed by the icy pond sometimes on the wooden edge and sometimes 'skating' across the ice.

Our watching continued - a female grreenfinch was sharing some seed with a nuthatch...

We wandered along a bit and spotted.....

...a perching kestrel!

It sat near the entry to one if the hides....so we watched it for a while before entering.

Then we learned something from an infoborad.

Information? well....I recently learned that the word Seatherny means the serenity one feels when listening to the chirping of birds.

BIRD NEWS:755

 

In the back yard in January 2023, I regularly sight 4 collared doves. Here are two of them munching fallen seed under the feeders. Whilst you an see the blackbrd and sparrow in the next picture, moments before I went click there were also a blue tit and robin in view - all at once.

After wet n windy weather for most of december and january, Liz and I finally got out for a decent hike. We went along to the river in Littlehampton crossed over and back to the coastline at west beach then walked most of the way to bognor and back. On our route, I spotted these oyster catchers.

There were sanderlings and turnstones further along.

My final shot from that trip in the second half of January is of an infoboard...

Liz and I took an excursion to RSPB Pulborough Brooks. The first birds I spotted were a pair of show pigeons having a bath!

I had, of course, to take their pictures!!

They were all cute and puffed up after their bath!

HERE is another ID guide.