Birding again

At long last an opportunity to get out birding, a definite choice between the Roseate Terns at Rye or the Turtle Doves at Honer Farm. In the end we decided to go for the TD as it is No.1 on the list of most wanted. The walk along the North Wall was eerily quiet with few birds out in the harbour or on Breech Pool. Following the footpath north to Honer we were distracted by Meadow Browns, feeding frantically on the bramble flowers, until we heard that distinctive purring, consequently the butterflies were soon abandoned for later.

Hearing the bird was no problem, locating one was fairly difficult but success with a sighting of a bird - at least two hundred yards away. After about an hour and a half we were no further on, the bird being very mobile but at least vociferous, was never going to be close enough for a shot. So accepting what we had we went back to the Meadow Browns and to plan for another day.

As good as I could get with 400mm.

Back at Breech Pool a few more birds had turned up, several juvenile Redshanks, one of which was stated by other birders as a putative Spotshank. From the photographs I managed to capture I remain unconvinced and reckon it was a Common Redshank. Judge for yourself.
  

 

A roosting Green Sandpiper was an added bonus but the dog days of summer prevail and there are few birds to be seen.

However, proceedings were livened up with a long display by the Red Arrows over Goodwood for the Festival.

Come on Eight - catch up - anyone seen Nine??

That's better!

The Black Arrows - not the same class

Before we left in the morning I checked the moth trap and found this nice example of an Elephant Hawk Moth,

 Yesterday I noticed that space for mating damselflies was at a premium in the garden pond.

North Wall

A mid-morning start at the North Wall today, where I found "Ratty" to be still resident in the sluice. The very low water levels mean that it is difficult for him to jump out of the water next to the metal pilings, it took at least three attempts before he finally made the safety of the bank. I also flushed a Kingfisher from the sluice gate but despite a long wait he never returned. On the pool there were few birds, Redshank, Common Sandpiper, Green Sandpiper, Snipe, Spotted Redshank and several Lapwings.  

 Today was an attempt to obtain better shots of the Green Sandpipers - not entirely successful as the bird was somewhat sensitive to our loud chatter.

Two unusual birds flew in, I had no idea what they were, dark with white wing patches, further investigation revealed they are the itinerant Cape Shelducks that Trevor reported on his blog yesterday 



For comparison  - a pair in WWT Arundel



Two fine drakes

Really nice to catch up with Trevor and Ian, I suspect we did more gassing than birding but a least we put the world to rights.  


A quick visit to the flooded field gave Green Sandpiper and a lone Greenshank amongst other, more usual, suspects


All in all a slow but still enjoyable day

Mud, mud, glorious mud!

Falling water levels have left the mud in Breech Pool exposed at last and of course the waders are taking advantage of it. This morning when I arrived on the North Wall  I could see Lapwings, Black-tailed Godwits, Redshanks, a single Greenshank, two Common Sandpipers, a Green Sandpiper, a Spotted Redshank and a full supporting cast of ducks.

Green Sandpiper

Green Sandpiper

Redshanks

Redshanks

 Out in the harbour two Yellow Legged Gulls stood out for all to see. Later, as the tide came in a Whimbrel came close enough for some photography. Then as forecast, some rain - how unusual.

Whimbrel

Whimbrel

Whimbrel