Our next trip was a quickie to Arundel WWT. Here we see the pelicans.
There is a mute swan in with the dalmation pelicans.
In the aviary we came upon the avocet...with a redshank...
...and spectacled eider.
We wandered onwards...following a greylag who strolled along the path in the Nene area.
We didn't want to rush it.
We wandered on through the woodland area and spotted a moorhen on its nest.
Liz and I went to the beach at West Beach Littlehampton and walked towards Bognor and back.
On our multi-houred coastal hike I spotted a group of city pigeons hanging out –
- so I took a bunch of shots.
Back to the beach again – but this time at Brighton and Hove – the next weekend – and Liz and I found another bunch of pigeons hanging out on the prom.
Once again, I took a bunch of pictures.
Despite using the same setting on the same camera, this group came out much closer and clearer.
That brings us to the end of the second pigeon-only excursion week photos.
There dives a sand marten - into its nesting hole.
Then we arrived at the Bewick lake – thankfully both Mr Silvertag Bewick and Mrs Silvertag Bewick were still in residence.
No nest again this year though.
It looked like the one standing nearest to us had a tag on both legs, though.
Assumedly Mrs Silvertag Bewick as there was a tag on it's right leg....
...but it had another band on it as well.....so just assumedly. Further along, we encountered a bunch of dozing mallards. Alas, the trumpeter swan was nowhere to be seen – so in all likelihood the single remaining swan was shipped out to another reserve for its mate introduction and WWT Arundel no longer have any trumpeters.... sad.
That leaves just one more bird related photograph taken at WWT Arundel, before moving on to the next excursion.
It was good to see the Emporer geese again. Also the Swangeese.
The incubator rearing rooms were occupied this trip.
Personally, I would prefer the mum ducks to raise their own brood, but at least these babes looked healthy, if not natural.
Mummy moorhen had her own babes with her.
We watched them stroll and peck around the wildflower meadow.
The trumpeters were not back on their lake, and I wondered if the sole survivor had been given a new home and new mate or was still in the former diving birds cage.
The sand martens were busy flying and diving into their nesting holes though.
Alongside the avocet sextet, were spectacled eider, scoter, and mandarin ducks.
The spectacled eiders were a spectacle indeed....
It may not be evident in the still shots. But in the video below it should show them clearly swimming up and down along one edge in a trio.
Next up, a swan goose.
The black backed radjah shelducks and goldeneyes were lazing on the shingle bank while the mute swan preened.
They seemed happy there. The shingle beach hadn't been there before.
The emporer geese are back!
I took a few pictures of the pelicans at WWT Arundel – all four are still alive.
Also in the pelican pond were a coot and her youngster.....and a ripple....
…..that turned out to be another youngster diving.
As we passed by the pelican pond towards the aviary, we spotted a Greylag family.
They eventually came up to us, came on land and walked across into the marshy bog land the other side of the path one by one....parents keeping a watchful eye on us as we watched them.
inside the aviary were 6 avocet and a red shank.
There were plenty more birds, but these were the first to catch our eye.
Answer - the inside of the budgy aviary at Chjichester's Priory Park! For some reason, instead of a dozen plus budgies of all colors flying about in the aviary, they appear to only have 4-5 chattering away from inside the shut off bit at the rear. We are not sure if they are removing the aviary or if its for bird flu protection.
Nearby, was an ornately designed bench.
Amongst the variety of birdlife seen, we found a blackcap, reed bunting, 4 types of warbler, and this little fellow.
We also saw the inevitable lapwings, seagulls, heron, mallards, robins, blackbirds, crows and more.
Although not birds, we spotted a mother and two young deer and a water vole amongst our many sightings on this trip.
One monday after we had had coffee at hers, Liz suggested we take a brief trip to WWT Arundel. Our first stop was the pelicans.
One was swimming about, the other three hanging about – with a seagull joining them.
