BIRD NEWS:695

 

In this shot you can see it is a bird, at least. I can say quite certainly it was a marsh harrier - as we stopped and chattered to 2 separate people who had been watching it also.

Finally, you can see it clearer.

Once again, I tried to get a good shot of the marsh harrier....

I kept on trying, as it was such a rare chance to see one close enough for even this dumb camera to snap - I hoped.

I tried and tried....but each attempt the birds either dived out of sight or turned in the wrong direction.

I persevered....

In the end I gave up. Our trip was expected to begin at Church Norton, where we planned to park then walk along the marshy coastline to Pagham RSPB visitor center then explore. Our trip however went in reverse, with us starting at the old salt house harbour entrance and walking the coastline towards the visitor center, but skipping Church Norton - all because Liz took a premature turn and we started near Pagham church rather than Church Norton. We both agreed it to be a lucky error though, because not only did we see marsh harriers that otherwise we would have missed out on, but plenty more!

I have included a couple of post boards for info....that I snapped as we trotted along, so I could catch up on the info after returning from the trip.

BIRD NEWS:694

Here again is the baby robin that appeared in the garden early April.

As you can se the zoom feature on my current camera sucks. If you go close up....it distorts.

Here it is encountering a sparrow.

Without a zoom, it comes out much clearer, but too small. I used to have a better camera, but they don't make Fujifilm compact digitals any more. Other brands don't have the same features or quality, though.

That was the last baby robin piccie for that session - but just to bore you with baby robin pics, I took this shot on my work phone. Well actually...two shots.

This shot is the first from a recent trip to Pagham Harbor that Liz and I made in April. You cannot see much other than a field and trees perhaps? But somewhere there was a marsh harrier - that elusively avoided the camera.

I took a whole bunch of shots though, as I had never seen one so close before. In fact there were more than one - 3, possibly 4, in total. In today's final snap you can just see a brown blob near the middle tree perhaps?

BIRD NEWS:693

 

The Trumpeter swans were too busy to take notice of us on this trip.

Mrs Silvertag noticed me, but the Bewick's were already fairly occupied.

They were all nibbling or napping....it seemed.

We then came across some preening ducks, and a swimming duck. The greylag geese had young!!

They were polite but wary.....and accompanied by several cuties.

Even at that age, the little ones had personalities.

Alas, much of WWT Arundel was still shut - one aviary due to bird flu precautions, 2-3 due to rebuilding the area. Back home and the excitement comes from a baby robin who was initially seen sitting on the tree outside my bedroom window - where parent robin brought its meals...

 

 

BIRD NEWS:692

 

Once again, the skylark is the object of the photograph.

I was happy to observe one so close - close enough to ensure it came out without blurring.

I was quite happy with my pictures from our Monday wandering. Back home, and a mother blackbird was taking a bath in one of our tubs.

Splash!!

I have cleared the patch behind the pond and planted some bits and pieces there. After a bit of a plant and weed session, Pidge decided to explore....

Next, Liz and I spent some time in Arundel. Here you can see a pair of city pigeons we found - well, I found - over a platform above the river...

Being Arundel, we took a trip round the WWT Reserve. We found some ducks....to begin with.

BIRD NEWS:692

 

On our return along the canal into Chichester, I took more pictures - including of a pair of swans building their 2022 nest.

...and a diving grebe.

It surfaced as it swum across the canal, for a better shot or two.

On our next outing, Liz and I trekked over Highdown Hill. A couple of people were staring at some pale greyish birds and on noting this we saw a pair of skylarks standing on the grassland!

The people did not seem to know if they were or were not skylarks - but Liz and I knew.

I took several shots so as to be sure to get at least one good one - I hoped.

However, one of my better shots was on our post coffee/gardens descent of the hill, when we spotted another skylark.

The skylark is an increasingly rare birds in the UK, and it is only karma/luck that has me living in such close proximity to a multitude of them.

BIRD NEWS:691

 

The grebe is far clearer in this shot. We did not actually see a blackcap, but they are apparently somewhere about.

We saw the brent geese, but not the yellowhammer.

We heard the skylarks

In fact, there were quite a few different birds to see on this excursion, although it had mainly been chosen for the exercise and relaxation points.

We stopped for a picnic lunch and spotted a grey heron roaming the sands.

On our return we discovered a reedbed hide. If we had known there were public toilets and a bird hide, we might have come to the marina/Birdham area before.

we didnt see the tufted ducks!!

BIRD NEWS:690

 

Regular readers will know only too well that I really love both pigeons and swans - especially Bewick swans and show pigeons. The Bewick duo and their three youngsters are knowing me quite well as I generally stand around for 5-15 minutes watcing them - unless I come with Liz who isnt especially keen on swans and tends to wander on past with a brief glance.

On this occasion, I was on my own, so stood around for a while enjoying them and took 2 videos.

HERE you can see the first, and HERE a second - illustrating Mrs Silvertag munching something in the mud on the bank - worms? ants?...

That alas was my trip....

My next excursion was with Liz to Chichester, whee we walked the entire length of the canal, round Birdham marina and up to Dell Quay and back. Plenty of birdlife en route, including swans.

We passed around a dozen coot nests.

Some coots already had babes...

Coots and swans here....

& a grebe!