Kingfisher

It has been a steady start to the new birding year, plenty of birds to be seen, most at a good distance so the opportunities for a photograph have been slim - until yesterday. We started at Pagham North Wall where all the usual suspects were present, just in lower numbers than last week. We added Golden Plover to our slowly growing tick list. A trip to the other side proved almost as fruitless with just two Stock Doves being the outstanding species. Next up was Swanbourne Lake at Arundel in search of a couple of Mandarins - alas lower water levels meant that tree cover was well above the shoreline and we failed to locate the birds.  On up the hill above Offham Farm where we found the five Bewick's Swans out in the field. No sign of the Great White Egret on the river so we paid a visit to the WWT Wetland Centre. Most of the lakes had a thin covering of ice - just enough to prevent ducks falling through and of course putting Kingfisher feeding on hold. However, there were several small patches of open water and the Kingfishers were trying their best to find prey. One bird, adjacent to the path, had decided that human onlookers were less of a threat than starvation and gave stunning views to a host of onlookers.

 

 

Another bird at the "normal" distance.

The other inhabitants of the reserve were also feeling the effects of the freeze, particularly the Teal. Great to watch the surprise of one bird landing as it skidded across the ice.

Some record shots from our first trips out this year.

The 1st winter Scaup on Ivy Lake....

......a Curlew with a crab at Church Norton.....

 

 

....two of the eight  Cattle Egrets at Warblington, unfortunately a fair distance away....

 

 

and finally the Ring-necked Duck at Dungeness.

Don't mention the Stejneger's Stonechat

 

Round Up

A  bit of a round up of the last few days. On Friday I had to be in Horsham, so no better excuse required to spend a couple of hours at Warnham LNR. For the last few years  this has been the banker for getting close to Siskin, Lesser Redpoll and the occasional Brambling. Sadly they have not turned up this year, perhaps there is time yet. Amongst a myriad of Goldfinches, Greenfinches and all the tits on the feeders I chose to try and photograph a Bank Vole that has set up home under one of the feeder supports. It must seem like heaven for this little chap, all day he gets showered with sunflower hearts. Whilst I ignored  most of the birds a rather good looking Song Thrush got the better of me. On the way out I recorded one of the grass cutters, as I have said before, the hardest working staff on the reserve.

Monday found us out on a pretty dull day, this time in search of a few ticks. We started at Steyning sewage farm, not the most salubrious of venues but large numbers of Chiffchaffs kept us entertained as we searched for one of the Siberian variety. A pretty convincing specimen was captured, alas from underneath, but with a belly as pale as that it looks a good candidate.

 

 Next venue was another SF, this looks like a trend developing. The Coldwaltham works were not as productive in birding terms, but we managed contact with a couple of Goldcrests, a probable Firecrest that never really came into the open and of course Chiffchaffs. One on the fence caught my eye and I reckon that was the second Siberian of the day.

We dropped into Waterwoods at Arundel, continuing the search for a confirmed Firecrest, sad to say that is was all very quiet.. Final venue of the day was a quick check on the mouth of the River Arun at Littlehampton. The Kumlien's is still in attendance, we found it on its favoured perch, one of the piles opposite the slipway.

A loaf of bread helps

Today it remained dull and overcast so I just had a recce of venues on the Selsey peninsular. The Bean Goose was with Canadas and Greylags out on the field behind East Lake at Chichester GP. I was hoping to photograph it out on the water so in the end I gave it a miss. Down to Church Norton where it was also very quiet, though I did manage to see the leucistic Curlew way out on the mud. The churchyard yielded a pair of Goldcrests but no accompanying Firecrest. Finally I washed up at the North Wall, almost deserted save for a sprinkling of Wigeon and Teal on the Breech Pool.

I just missed an opportunity for some decent shots, a Grey Heron had caught an enormous eel and was having difficulty dispatching it. Unfortunately as I got adjacent to the action the bird slid the protesting eel down its throat in one smooth movement. However, it was apparent from the shape of the bird's throat that the eel was still very much alive and kicking.  The resident Kingfisher in the sluice kept me entertained as it flitted between the salt and fresh sides of both sluice gates. I finally got a reasonable shot of it on the usual posts. An obliging Spotted Redshank came within range until a belligerent "ordinary" Redshank sent it packing.

On the way out I met Dave Shepherd, I think we chewed the fat for so long that he gave up and went home, not even getting as far as the sluice. It reminded me that I had a couple of shots reserved for Dave. The first is of a Typhoon completing an attacking run on a "target of opportunity", in this case the Caledonian MacBrayne ferry to Stornoway. Second is a Van's RV-4 (G-CEVC), just a bit more pedestrian than the Typhoon!

Lesser Yellowlegs

Another cracking day out, 2015 really has started with a bang. Today it was the Pett Level Lesser Yellowlegs, an obliging bird that has favoured one of the pools close to the road. So, in cool and windy conditions, with just a hint of sunshine, we parked on the road in what we thought would be the best spot. Like minded birders had done just the same, ahead of us was David Gardiner scanning the venue. We didn't have to wait long before the bird arrived and then it was a scramble to get the cameras sorted out. Just a short opportunity to capture some reasonable shots as a passing Turnstone spooked the bird and it retired to the back of the pool, taking refuge in some reeds. However, it wasn't long before it reappeared and it gradually worked its way to a position close to the road.

 

Having captured some really good shots of what can be a difficult subject we bade farewell to David and made our way to Scotney Pit.  The drake Scaup was found remarkably easily and not only that, it was swimming strongly towards the west, well into Sussex!! I dutifully scanned the mass of Greylags but could not turn up anything unusual. Amongst the host of Tufted Ducks and hordes of Wigeon there were some splendid looking Pochards, alas a bit far away for a photograph.

Next we visited Denge Marsh for the long staying Cattle Egrets. I had been fortunate to have them close last Friday and was confident that Martin would have the same opportunity. Sod's Law prevailed, when we arrived there was only one bird present and at quite a distance. Martin took a few record shots and as we started to return to the car, sure enough two Cattle Egrets took to the air and landed within 10 yards of the roadside fence - right in front of where we had parked - so close that I couldn't resist a few more records. The  afternoon light enhancing the orange tinge that both birds were displaying on their heads.

I guess the "softness" comes from shooting through a chain link fence!

Next up had to be Boulderwall Farm at RSPB Dungeness, well how could you venture into Kent without paying the Tree Sparrows a visit. Oddly there were quite a few Reed Buntings about in the cottage garden and they were quite distracting. I spotted and counted six Tree Sparrows but by the time other birders were scanning the brambles the birds had melted away into the scrub. I could tell by their looks that they thought I was mistaken and that I had been conned by the Reedies.

Then it was over the road to ARC and the Hanson Hide. As we entered the hide we were directed to an obliging and successful Kingfisher that was perched to the right of the hide.
Really nice to finally catch up with Mike Hook again - some four years after our first meeting in one of the hides at Rye. Somehow over the intervening years we have managed to miss each other by just minutes at several venues in deepest Kent.

Whilst in the hide we were treated to a distant views of Marsh Harrier and Bittern. Closer to the hide we managed to capture several active Chiffchaffs and an industrious Great Tit, pulling the reedmace heads to pieces.

A quick call to the visitor centre and the two closest hides in search of a Smew but by now the wind was whistling through and most birds had gone for cover. On the way out we stopped again at Boulderwall and we finally caught up with the Tree Sparrows, probably well into double figures present but again mixed in with the Reed Buntings. I knew I wasn't mistaken!

Tundra Bean Goose

Following a posting on SOS by Paul James, I found myself out birding on a Saturday - truly a rare event. Even rarer, up in a clear blue sky the sun was trying its best to warm up a frozen Adur landscape. I parked the car at Cuckoo Corner and walked the short distance to the river, I didn't really expect the bird to be about still. Total amazement, as I looked up river the Tundra Bean Goose was paddling upstream on the incoming tide. Panic set in as I mounted the camera on the tripod, I had  put the rig in the car in the same condition as I used to photograph the moon the previous night. Well, manual mode, ISO 100, F16, manual focus and mirror lock up in operation were not ideal for getting a record shot of a year tick. By the time I had sorted myself out the bird had swum some distance and clambered up on to the bank. Within a minute it had been flushed by a dog walker and had relocated some way down river, adjacent to the A27 flyover.  Why on earth this bird has remained here on its own is a bit of a mystery, constantly harassed by dog walkers, canoeists and even the target of two hungry foxes. It would be much better off in a flock of Canadas or Greylags.

Anyway, it finally settled on the far bank opposite the sailing club, where it posed for me, albeit up sun and at a distance.

 

 

Buoyed up by early success I decided to spend the rest of the day at the North Wall. I was surprised how few birders were about, only three cars parked in the lane and a solitary birder in the form of Ian, actually on the wall. It never got busy throughout the day and most of the time I had the place to myself. Nice to meet Adrian and later in the afternoon, Trevor, the eternal optimist, searching for another perfect Kingfisher shot in the fading afternoon light. 

On Breech Pool all the usual suspects were present,  Ian had counted 21 Common Snipe - they seemed to be everywhere. Water Rails were happy to show themselves, at least four coming out of the reeds and I reckon a count of 8 wouldn't be far off the mark. A Water Vole  showed in the sluice, albeit briefly ,as it crossed the stream twice.  A second sighting proved, on subsequent analysis of the hurriedly taken photographs, to be a Brown Rat. Oddly swimming from the sea side of the wall and taking refuge in the rocks.

Why do they always choose an "industrial" setting?

The upturned tail is indicative of future action.....

...."Projectile Pooing"

A Minnow's last view of the world

Last shot of  the day

Oh, this is the result of my efforts on photographing the moon, it might not be perfect but I quite like it.