BIRD NEWS:766

 

There was a bullfinch in a tree. Then, on a feeder, we saw a chaffinch.

Our next trip was to Nymans then Leonardslee. We spotted a peacock in the shrubbery behind the potted plants.

It was just sitting there, doing nothing....

A fortnight later, Liz and I returned to Nymans then Leonardslee. This time we spotted a robin on a high hedge on one side of the ruined house at Nymans...

On the next section of hedge round the corner, we found a jackdaw posing.

At Leonardslee, we spotted a jackdaw with the wallbies.

We stopped at the bird hide and spotted several birds - one of which was a kingfisher that swooped across the lake out of sight. I had hoped my camera would pick it up - but I can't see it in my photo.

HERE is a link to an article concerning the royal occasion and how the former Queen supported swans...

BIRD NEWS:765

 

I tried unsuccessfully to get a good shot of a treecreeper next. Then I took a photo of a stockdove. I have only seen them once before - in my own garden...they are quite rare.

Here you can see a pair of them. You can tell they are not wood pigeon - as they have green not purple necks, fatter necks, and no white stripe on wing or neck.

Nor are they city pigeon as they are larger and plumper. Here they are joined by a crow.

My next photograph depicts a male pheasant....and a robin. No, the pheasant isnt carrying or eating the robin - even if the picture looks like that. The robin is behind the pheasant...

Blue tit, goldfinch, and greater spotted woodpecker - all in a row!

They are soon joined by a second goldfinch.

From the heron hide we spotted one on land and one in a tree.

HERE are the birdwatch results from January.

BIRD NEWS:764

 

I tried and tried and tried to get a good shot of the redwing...without success. However, I did manage a shot or 2 of a chaffinch.

or 3....

Then we moved hides....and I caught a blue tit and a bullfinch

This unusual shot pictures a male and a female bullfinch on one feeder with 2 bluetits on the second food supply.

Once again, I tried to take more than 1 shot - just in case....

I think the next shot is my best at capturing the bullfinch duo.

Then I caught a longtailed tit on a feeder.

MORE info on waders here...

BIRD NEWS:763

 

On to the Bewicks...

Silvertag and Orangetag were busy and didnt come over to see me today.

We spotted a coot walking along the path towards us.

A wood pigeon joined Orangetag as we left...

Our next trip was to Warnham and what a lot we saw! First spot of the day, apart from robins and tits was a redwing. It was rustling about bug hunting in the undergrowth. Hard to see, you might make out the ruddy patch in my first shot...

...or the second...

I kept trying for a good shot...

...but failed. I didnt get a very good shot of the longtailed tit with 2 bluetits either.

HERE is the link to a short movie on waders.

BIRD NEWS:762

 

Still in Arundel WWT, here are the spectacled eiders. Then I found a cute city pigeon to take a picture of.

Next up were the Trumpeter swans.

I took a few pictures of them.

Just to make sure.

We spotted a waterrail - but it didnt stay still long enough for my photos to come out properly.

I caught a mandarin, jackdaw and mallard in one shot from the woodland hide - with a chaffinch in the background.

My final shot for today is of a couple of greenfinches.

HERE are some of the bird calls found in my back yard.

BIRD NEWS:761

 

Back to the last trip for 2 more pictures...

They still had a few wood sculptures in the external woodland - so I got a shot of the kingfishers, whose beak is broken on the their side...

...and a strangely shaped owl locked in a stable forecourt.

Back home again and I had a tree problem. The pittisporum was tilting towards the house. Cutting back branches of the yellow shrub to see whether the laurel was pushing it over or holding it up, Mr Bob declined to allow me to continue wthout voicing his opinion....

In Chichester with Liz, I spotted a couple of pigeons on the bell tower at the cathedral - one flew away before I got my camera out though.

We then took the city walls walk stopping off in the bishops gardens where we heard then saw this huge bird...we couldn't make out by eye alone if it was a cormorant or raven, so I took a photo.

Then we continued round the walls to Priory Park, where we stopped to check the budgies - only they were all indoors on this cold wintry day.

After Chichester, we stopped off at WWT Arundel for a quick half hour wander round. Two pelicans remain.

We then took the new walkway which is built outside the coastal aviary to allow visitors to observe the birds inside when not allowed inside due to bird flu being around. Here we see avocet, eider, tufted, redshank...

HEREis an article about eageles found in the UK