BIRD NEWS:405

Did readers of the previous post guess correctly? Those big white blobs in the above photo are the birds I spotted...yes, SWANS! I have not seen any flying around our locality before. I wonder if they are last years Bewick swan babies or the year before Trumpeter swans from the WWT at Arundel? Or maybe they are just mute swans from Littlehampton, Shoreham, or...

This cute close up snap of a tiny blackbird shows that yet again, a bird fell out the nest in our garden. This little fellow was far too small to fly, but might have scrambled or flapped - then fallen. I was in and out of the poly tunnel today and heard a commotion from the blackbirds - thinking there might be magpies about I investigated and saw nothing. The third time I looked I saw this chap on the ground, staring up at me...

I knew the parents knew me well enough to know I wouldn't harm their kid - so scooped it up into a large flower pot and placed the flower pot into the tree, under the nest...

My next excursion was to Arundel WWT, taken the first weekend in April. As I left the bus stop, to ramble along the avenue beside the moat to the reserve, I spotted a couple of pigeons on a roof top. A short way along the tree-lined avenue I caught sight of what I assumed were long tailed tits - I took a couple of shots to blow up on the computer at home to make sure, not having time to unpack my noccies - yes, longtailed tits

On this trip, as usual, Arundel had various information boards dotted about the pathways for adults to learn from - as well as a duck spotting game spread across the site for kids. The current boards mostly refer to the differing nests birds make. I took photos of 4-5 of the boards - here is the first.

BIRD NEWS:404

Alas, my skylark photos were failures compared to those I managed 3-4 years ago. It was pleasant to hear them accompany me throughout most of my excursion though. They sung to me from much the start of my trek, just past the robin from my last post, until I descended and reached the same spot again.

This shot was taken in the gardens themselves - of a blackbird enjoying the spring flowers. My final shot from that visit was supposed to be of a pair of pigeons rambling through a farm field - but the focus went onto the hedgerow and the wood pigeons became a blurr amidst the green crop. You may just see one dead center and the other a little to the right and higher than the first - as gray blobs. Luckily, regular readers will know what wood pigeons look like by now anyway!

This small brownish bird almost lost amongst the spring green field is a skylark. I was on my way across the PYO fields to catch a bus to Brighton on the final Saturday in March when I caught sight of a couple of skylarks hovering around and saw one land nearby.... It might not be a great shot - but it is better than the ones I took last week!

Above are two more shots - showing the bird for those unable to see, and as best a shot as I got on this excursion. It was a lucky shot altogether, because I was not expecting to take any photos, just go shopping for new shoes and Indo-Asian groceries.

In my next post is a totally unexpected pair of photos. I was still crossing the PYO fields to the bus stop, when I saw two birds flying across the field. I have never seen this particular bird in this location before, and usually I see them swim or waddle - not fly. Can anyone guess what I saw before my next post is posted?

BIRD NEWS:403

The answer to the question in my former post is the Nene - AKA Hawaiian goose. Onto a favored subject of mine and a favored spot for them to perch as this is the third time I have photographed pigeons in this tree top.

Back to the eiders again! The above is the female eider duck and below the male. I was just wandering around for 10-20 minutes prior to strolling slowly down the tree lined avenue towards my bus stop...

Back home and despite the colder weather, not much activity seems to be going on in the back yard. This starling was pecking up a few pieces, but otherwise, a pair of blue tits are nesting in the nesting box, the occasional blackbird or robin sighting and not much else is happening.

I decided to go for a walk on the penultimate week in March and chose to hop up Highdown Hill - to stroll the spring garden flowers and hopefully catch some skylark photos. before doing either, as I began to trail the track towards the base of the hill, this robin sung so loudly - I took its picture. I then tried to take a photo of the skylark...

BIRD NEWS:402

A couple more shots of the eiders on the cafeside lake begin today's writings - followed by a comical shot of a black-headed gull munching something on the path.

The above shot is also unusual - in the fact that the smaller bird is not the young of the black necked swan pictured with it, but a different duck on the same lake. A clearer shot of the swan follows.

This baby duck does belong to the parents pictured with it. Continuing, another shot of the swan...

Can anyone guess what picture will start my next blog post? I will give you a clue - it is a goose from an endangered species that makes a loud noise and chases people if they come too close during mating season/young rearing.

BIRD NEWS:401

Above are the trumpeter duo. There was a piece about them on the info board at the entry/exit stating that the male swan is called Arthur. The female is called Storm.

Here is another of those cute photos of non-ducks taking over a ducks only territory - this time, pigeons and a seagull are rambling freely under the excuse that they cannot read! The pigeons were strolling along the path, also.

Back to the eider ducks/cafe lake - but that does not mean the end of my pigeon shots! Next to the eider lake is a feeding area frequented by many birds - including pigeons!

I took a lot of shots of the eiders on this trip. Back home, not very much has been going on - other than myself shooting outdoors to chase away THREE black cats who annoy my wildlife and murder pigeons. Between cats, the robin, blackbirds, sparrows, starlings and a blue tit come down - but there are few other sightings lately. I did spot a pair of long tailed tits last week though - briefly.

BIRD NEWS:400

More rain and eider duck shots from my March trip to Arundel WWT start todays blog. It rained about 75% of my trip, but all was not lost - the WWT reserve has a cafe, several hides, and on this occasion special events. The first thing I did after coffee and viewing the eiders was attend a lecture on Peregrines.

It being wet weather and my day being free, I thought I would find out more about the bird - although I have only seen one 1-2 times when at this very center, from a distance flying overhead.

I then moved on to the lapwing hide to see....lapwings! I walked past the Bewick swan enclosure afterwards and took a couple of shots of the family - still a foursome at the current time.

From my photos today, it looks as if a wood pigeon has decided to join them! My last shots for now are of a blackheaded gull standing on a post I passed.

HERE is the link to an article I wrote about the robin and HERE to one I wrote on the firecrest.

BIRD NEWS:399

As we strolled along, we spotted a flock of ducks flying overhead and wondered at first what type they were...I took a photo for later identification, although it was decided they were shelducks when they flew a little nearer.

The above bird is most likely to be a redshank. It does appear to have the orange legs, unlike the former pictured bird from my last post. Liz has checked the photos out since and has confirmed it to be a redshank. In order to help me establish which birds we had seen on our excursion, I took a photo of one of the identification boards that we passed on our ramble.

We definitely saw the top three, along with a redshank or two, a group of mallard, and minimal starling activity - and we might have seen a wheatear as well.

My next excursion was back to WWT Arundel. On my way there, I took two shots of a mute swan from the footbridge. From my next shot, regular readers will know I am at the cafe looking out over the eider lake - and yes, I was sipping coffee before my trek around the reserve, although on this trip I had almost finished my drink before going outside due to it raining.

My first post at a new-to-me writing website concerns the starling - you can read it HERE.