BIRD NEWS:398

Here is Mr Bob enjoying a snack I deposited near the base of the former palm tree in the icy cold snowy topped start of March. March continued and on just the second day, I spotted a goldcrest in my back yard. At first I thought it was a wren - but then I noticed the stripe on the forehead... Alas, no camera at hand.

No, I am not at Arundel - but Lancing-Shoreham in the above and next few photos. I was just about to start a boring dull day of cleaning a dirty room ready to redecorate, when my best friend Liz phoned and invited me out to walk along the beach with her. I dumped my cloth and cleaning gloves and packed my camera ready!

As well as the mute swans there was a smaller bird - but neither of us had our binoculars with us, so I took a photo to enlarge on the computer afterwards to discover what we had seen. It appears to be a redshank, which is what Liz thought it might be - but I am not 100% positive as the legs do not appear orange...

Next up I spotted a hovering bird which Liz identified as a kestrel - and managed two shots - one with and one without a helicopter! We next came across a sandbank littered with shelducks hanging out with a few gulls.

It was definitely a pleasant place to stroll on a dry day in late winter/early spring, with so many different birds to observe. Among those not pictured, were a little egret, sparrows, the entire 6-swan family, and a small sparrow-sized bird that might have been a wheatear, as they are familiar to the territory.

BIRD NEWS:397

Continuing our end of February photos of the back yard, I managed to catch the wren's tail (below feeder pole) as well as the blackbird in this shot. The female blackbird was munching crumbs nearby...

One last shot of the male on the bird bath. Later in the day I saw robin, blackbird and pheasant when out wandering around Highdown Gardens with Liz - but as it was a surprise trip - our original intention being to grab supplies and have coffee at the garden center - I had no camera.

We wandered around after sighting the former two, and I spotted bird prints - a big bird - we actually saw the pheasant which made the tracks when rounding the corner, although we didn't spot the fox or rabbits whose prints we also saw.

HERE and HERE and HERE are links to two unusual birds that I have not as yet encountered and the rook, which I have.

March began, and we had another light load of snow - instead of the heavy fall promised. It was enough to bring out our song thrush though.

 

BIRD NEWS:396

Here we see our latest resident male blackbird successfully attempting to munch suet balls. Blackbirds usually are ground feeders or tablefeeders - but this fella has found a way around that!

As you can see, I have added a new feeder to the stand - a wire mesh peanut feeder. I did actually buy another tubular base-exit feeder, but the tits would not touch the nuts from that. I bought a mesh feeder for spring - so figured I would put out both the old one and the spring one now - so that when I swap them over later on, the birds will use both. The mesh is safer for young tits, as they may choke on whole nuts, which the jays and adult tits prefer...

I happened to glance out of the spare room window one morning late February and spot - a heron on a neighborhood roof. I only managed one shot before it flew away, though.

At home, little has changed - there are not many birds at the moment due to that pair of pigeon-murdering black furballs. However, on a hike taken during the final weekend of the month, I managed to spot a few oddities - alas, without noccies or camera. I saw geese on Swillage lane pond, peacocks and partridges in gardens, and a plover - see HERE.

The end of February brought a cold spell, including a fall of snow. I took a few photos of the garden and birds in it - and here we see the light covering that the back yard had at around 7-8am. I was soon out and pouring fresh water on top the bird bath - and our resident male blackbird was quick and eager to take advantage of it - as this time the pond was also frozen over.

BIRD NEWS:395

This is a cool shot that just happened. I was trying to take a picture of the eider ducks on their cafe-side lake as I neared the exit, when a pigeon swooshed in front of me....we therefore have a group of eiders and a flying pigeon!

The black necked swan was showing off its neck as I strolled briskly past its lake enclosure just before the eider area today. Back to pigeons - as I spent my last 10-15 minutes at the reserve, I spotted a pair of wood pigeons in a tree - the one to the right was munching something from the tree.

Finally for today, I was on my way back to the exit, too chilled to continue and deciding to grab lunch at a store on my way home, when this little fellow stood on the path pecking at grubs or crumbs to one side begging for its photo to be taken, which of course I did.

On arriving home, with the excitement of having photos of a firecrest to check out, I soon lost my slightly risen mood back to gloom. Filling the kettle to grab a hot chocolate to sit with while browsing my pictures, I spotted a back yard of white feathers - those pigeon-murdering black cats have been killing on my territory again.

To close for the day - HERE and HERE are articles on a pair of birds i have not yet seen.

BIRD NEWS:394

Well, what have we here? This bird might mystify regular readers whose knowledge of English bird life is limited to my blog, as I have never seen, let alone photographed one of these before!

As you can see, it is a smallish bird, little larger than a wren in size - but with far more abundance of color. The answer lies in the info board pictured below. I was wandering past the wildlife garden between hides and saw a group of photographers centered on a bush on the outside of the area. I was curious and stood to the side/back watching the bush. I soon spotted this little fellow bouncing about and clicked away. 3 of my 6-7 shots came out fairly well.

Next up I wandered by the trumpeter swan area and spotted another bird of note to photograph. A yellow wagtail - once again, a bird I had not seen before but managed to get a couple of shots of.

I did not find a board with information about the yellow wagtail, but did find one about the pied wagtail.

I also found some information about a hawfinch - but alas, did not see one of these today. HERE is an article about the bird for those interested.

BIRD NEWS:393

I finally managed to get another Arundel WWT excursion in - although as it was so cold and with an icy wind, I only stayed about 2 hours. First up, an information board to supplement my own ramblings. This time, concerning the kingfisher - regular readers will have spotted a few photos of this bird in previous entries, although I did not see one today.

Next, a post sitting duck - one of those strange ones that when moulting turn blackish brown with a white patch, then gradually shade up back into mallard-like coloring, as you can see here.

It was very cold, as I have already mentioned - so a hot coffee at the cafe was taken not long after my arrival. I therefore took a shot of the eiders and other aqautica on the cafe-side lake, whilst indulging in my lonesome cuppa.

This is one of the 2017 Bewick swan babes eyeing me as I walked past its enclosure. I ex-zoomed to get a picture of the foursome family from which it was wandering, before moving on to the Trumpeter enclosure.

The Trumpeter swans were gliding about by the island today - not close enough for a decent picture. I did try again on my way back around for the second trot later on, but still they were too far away to get a proper picture this excursion

BIRD NEWS:392

That is the last photo I took of the jay. Recently, there have been a coal tit and great tit enjoying the peanuts along with the blue tits. Also recently, the blackbirds have been eating the berries - so it must be cold. Mr Black has stood on the ground under the berry tree, flown up, snatched a berry in his beak, and landed below to eat it several times in a row in order to get a winter meal.

Another of Mr Black's antics is captured above - being a ground feeder, unlike the starlings and sparrows who cling to the feeder itself with their toes while munching, blackbirds, robins, dunnocks, etc stand and peck - usually on the ground or a sill. One starling, Chackie, and Mr Black have learned to stand on the holder and beak at the suet balls, though.

Another poor shot here - of Plateface the elusive winter-only thrush taking a drink in the stone water bowl. The other 3 occasions on which I have noticed Plateface, I was too late to run to the spare room and grab my camera.

Does anyone notice anything strange about my bird feeder pole? Perhaps not...but there is a large lump that is not usually in sight that you may have noticed. It looks a bit like a hedgehog...

It is actually a sunflower head, complete with seeds, that our organic fruit n vegetable delivery company Riverford gave away for free in January. Recalling how a flock of cockatoos flew into my back yard from their usual haunt in the park across the street when I lived in Wollongong, I grabbed the chance of reconstructing the venture locally. Alas, 3 days later and not a single seed appear to have been munched...

Of course we do not get cockatoos in England, but goldfinches and sparrows and pigeons all favor sunflower seeds...