Blackcaps

The garden bird population has changed considerably over the last few days, the slowly rising temperatures have stimulated pairing and nest building activity. The Coal Tits have disappeared and the Blue Tit and Goldfinch counts decreased considerably. Both Starlings and Blackbirds are collecting nest material. However the most noticeable change is that our Blackcaps have increased to four, possibly five. Three fairly aggressive males and a single female in sight at one time confirm my count but there is, I am sure, a much more secretive female. The males are calling and chasing each other and strive for domination of the suet feeders, no singing or pairing activities, just the drive to get as fat as possible before migration.

 

 

The Starlings are happy to use weeds that I removed from the borders and left on the lawn to dry out, the Blackbirds prefer the drier material.

Getting close is not a problem when they have other things on their mind.

 

 

 

Singing his head off

Rye and Pett

An early morning start, a man on a mission to find the Kentish Plover at Rye Harbour. Martin is getting dangerously close in the year tick tally and I felt obliged to do a "mini twitch". Leaving home the skies were cloudless and augured a good day, unfortunately, as I passed by Polegate, the heavens became the usual solid leaden grey of the past few months.

Never mind, I thought to myself as I set up shop outside Lime Kiln Cottage, hoping to have the bird in the bag and to be able to move on to Dungeness fairly quickly.  Well the bird had disappeared, despite being seen by the warden early in the day. Several hours passed with no result so I took a walk round to the Parkes hide, just the usual suspects about, plenty of Avocets, Dunlin, Ringed Plover and a solitary Bar-tailed Godwit.

As I reached the footpath I decided to give it one last shot  and thanks to Neil, a birder from London who convinced me to move to where the bird had reportedly been sighted, the bird was found. Well, it is an understatement to say the camera was redundant, it was a long way off, a mere speck and difficult to identify even with the scope. I also found myself guilty of ignoring other birds, concentrating only on the plover, as Neil pointed out a group of Ruff just in front of us.

On the way home I called in at Pett Level and scanned the Colonel Body Memorial Lakes, which were almost devoid of birds. By chance I wandered over the shingle and discovered a mini west to east migration. Mainly Brent Geese, Red-throated Divers, Black-throated Divers, Common Scoter and sundry Sandwich Terns.

 

There seemed to be a definite movement of Black-headed Gulls  flying low and purposefully against the easterly breeze.

Finally, a flyby of a different sort of bird - Spitfire KJ-I

 

To cap it all, as I reached home in glorious sunshine I went out into the back garden just as a flock of 20+ Med Gulls wheeled high above me, their calls being the absolute clincher on the ID - another garden tick!

Black Day at Pagham

Well not really, two of the birds were black by name, but the day was bright and it was great to get out in some sunshine. Having been grounded for a fortnight and still not really up to a  full day's birding I didn't want to blow it. So, although  I would have enjoyed a day at Rye, I decided to see if I could manage a few hours at Pagham.  With the sun in an almost clear blue sky and a chilly north east wind, I found myself by the stables at the entrance to the North Wall. The Black Redstart that has been about for almost a week was most obliging, if not totally predictable.

Having expended considerable memory on a gorgeous bird I took a walk along the wall to survey the Breech Pool. Most of the usual suspects were present, the Wigeon are still looking good. So too are the Black-tailed Godwits that are shifting into summer garb.

Then a double take, a large dark coloured bird emerged from the reeds, a Black Swan, happy to be in the company of five Mute Swans. If they cross what on earth do the offspring look like. Don't panic Martin, it isn't on the British List!

 

 

 

 

By lunch time the flesh was weakening, although the spirit was willing, I thought it time for home and a warm cuppa.

Just a few more worth keeping:

 

Chiffchaff happiness is a great pile of horse poo

Long-tailed Tits

I remain firmly garden bound at the moment. However, topping up the feeders this morning gave me the opportunity to record the remarkable agility of a pair of Long-tailed Tits. I regard these birds as the highest evolution of cotton wool balls on a stick and extremely entertaining. We have a fairly tame Robin who will sit in one of the shrubs, staring through the patio doors and demanding to be fed individually. I usually comply and after showing him a small handful of suet nibbles throw them on the ground. The Long-tailed Tits have obviously learned from this and as soon as the Robin departs, come down to pick up the remaining treats. I have noticed that they grab a nibble, fly to the nearest bush and transfer the tasty morsel to a claw and then hang one-legged by the other, to consume the delicacy.

 

Firecrest

When I am working in the garden I invariably keep a camera close to hand. Today was no exception, mainly because the Jays, which have been with us all winter, were about. Since last October I have been feeding a handful of peanuts on the lawn each day, slowly the Jays have become accustomed to being fed. They now tolerate my presence on the patio as they drop in to grab some nuts and fly off, so, today was the day to get some clear photographs. Also, the garden residents have been subject to some predation lately as several circles of feathers have indicated a Sparrowhawk at work, at least two Blackbirds and our lone Song Thrush have provided his meal. If he visited today then I hoped to get some shots.

Having captured the Jay and realised that these birds are extremely wary, just the noise of the camera shutter was sufficient to spook them, I noticed some movement in our dilapidated Christmas tree, home to a pair of Goldcrests. I was about to ignore them when I realised that this bird was much greener and brighter. Suddenly it dawned on me that we had our first ever Firecrest, into headless chicken mode as I chased the highly mobile bird around the garden, at least she gave me several decent glimpses to record.

 

 

 The usual resident of the Christmas tree

 The Jay, obligingly at about a distance of 15 ft

Danger, with a distinctive damaged tail feather, circles the neighbourhood

The male Blackcap looking rather 'worn'

At least one pair of Blackbirds are collecting nest material

Black Redstart

A Black Redstart, as Dick - one of my readers will tell you, has been my bogey bird for some time, always seen at a distance and no decent photographs obtained. Today I was determined to resolve that.  As Martin and I had decided that it was time to do some local birding, we visited Telscombe Cliffs, where a handsome bird had been reported on SOS. We scoured the area around the water works without success, there were several nice Rock Pipits present and a good looking male Wheatear, obviously fresh in, posed on top of the cliff. The two Peregrines gave us flybys but try as we might - no Black Redstart.

As a fallback we made our way to Seaford  Church where a BR has resided for several weeks but again nothing to be seen, no consolation that passers-by informed us that the bird was about last week. Excitement as we spotted a fresh in Chiffchaff foraging in the bushes next to the pub, at one stage finding the most enormous green caterpillar, but no Redstart. Abandoning the search we made our way to Newhaven West Beach in the hope of finding something exotic, fresh in from a channel crossing - all was very quiet.

Fortuitously we met Paul a local birder who had just been to Telscombe and photographed the Redstart. With precise details and locations we revisited the cliffs on our way home. Thanks to Paul for the spot on information and to another local birder who demonstrated how to get a clear shot - the bricks were ideal.

 

On home via the Ferring Gull roost, which was sparsely occupied and the Durrington Lloyds Registry building where, one day, Martin will see a local Peregrine - guaranteed