Water Rail

Photographs have been hard to come by of late, lots of trips out for no reward. It isn't that we haven't seen good birds, Black Redstart, Short-eared Owl, Hume's Warbler and a Ringtail Hen Harrier have been the highlights, but unfortunately no success in the photographic department. We set out today to do the rounds of our usual haunts, plenty of birds on the North Wall at Pagham but nothing new or exciting. Similarly Church Norton was populated with all the regulars but we didn't find the ever present Whimbrel.

Finally I suggested that we should get out of the biting cold northerly wind and  have a cup of tea at the the Wildfowl and Wetland Centre at Arundel. It's always good for a photograph or two and I jokingly predicted Water Rail, Bullfinch, Snipe and Kingfisher - blow me down we got all four. However, we never got round to having a pot of tea.

When we arrived we took a leisurely stroll round the reedbed boardwalk hoping for a skulking Water Rail, not a bird to be seen, we didn't disturb even a Mallard.  It wasn't looking too good. However when we approached one of the hides there was a small congregation of photographers with lenses pointing at a small brown object just over the fence.  We joined them and filled our boots as they say. In fact most of those who were there went off to photograph a Chiffchaff and we had the bird to ourselves. A Chiffchaff!! that's a garden tick - no contest against a very obliging Water Rail.

The bird alternated between the deep shade and bright sunlight and compensating for that was hard work but I also learned the obvious, that during feeding its head and bill were in constant motion and that shutter speed was critical.

Having expended gigapixels on such a fine subject we continued our meandering, a Kingfisher perched but was obscured by willow branches and was a tad too distant for a decent shot. Plenty of Snipe were about and one posed well for us.

Plenty of Snipe on the reserve.

Finally on the way back to the VC we spotted a female Bullfinch, just a bit too far away for a good shot, we waited patiently, in the hope that she might relocate or be joined by a bright red male - no such luck. Just good to be out with some birds and sunshine which afforded me sufficient material for my first blog of 2019, long may it continue.

Marbled White

It was nice to go out in what felt like summer weather, though it doesn't take much of a rise in temperature before we are complaining "It's too hot". Martin had come up with a plan that took in birds, butterflies and dragonflies and we more or less stuck to it. First up was Church Norton, though we did have a peek at Ferry Pool where a splendid summer plumage Spotshank was in residence, just too far away for a decent shot. On the spit at Church Norton the harbour looked a bit devoid of birds and I suspect that the Hudbrel was some way up the creek.

Our next venue was the meadow adjacent to Whiteways café on the road out of Arundel. Lots of Marbled Whites on the wing and one or two just emerging, providing some superb opportunities for photography. I did my annual check of the roundabout, risking life and limb in the traffic, to count the Bee Orchids, just 7 this year and going over already. The Pyramidal Orchids go from strength to strength and it was nice to find a good stand in the field itself.

The female has a distinct yellow/brown rear underwing....

....and a similar colour on the leading edge of the forewing

Next venue was Lords Piece, plenty of hyperactive dragonflies, we found Emperor, Broad Bodied Chasers, Four Spot Chasers and a Common Darter. A full supporting cast of Damsel Flies and the odd Meadow Brown, Small Skipper and the ubiquitous Marbled White.




If an interloper comes near the wings go vertical

 



Very showy caterpillar of the Vapourer - should have recognised this one straight away - the four "shaving brushes" are very characteristic.



Noon Fly, Mesembrina meridian - thanks to Jim Langiewicz for the ID

 

Having visited RSPB Pulborough Brooks for Martin to resupply with bird feed we eschewed the long walk to Black Pool for more dragons and left for Woods Mill. At the entrance to the Mill, just beneath the bridge we found a juvenile Water Rail, apparently photographed by everybody and his dog - I guess we happened to be the last. A Turtle Dove was purring away merrily, deep within the leaf cover of one of the taller trees, shame that it didn't venture up on to its usual perch on the dead tree overlooking the lake.

A great day out, lots of varied material in the viewfinder and plenty of pictures for the blog - what more can you want?

Bullfinches

Today I visited a venue where normally Martin has to drag me, WWT at Arundel. Two reasons for staying local, a rather dodgy weather forecast and a chance of a Firecrest photograph. I started at Swanbourne Lake, very little to report here, just the obliging Tufties. I checked out the Yew trees on the other side of the lake as we have found Firecrests here before - nothing. Nor could I find a Grey Wagtail in the run off for the old mill. By now a chilly north west breeze was coming down the lake and I thought that a hide might be a better place to be.

Just before I reached the Sand Martin hide I flushed two Bullfinches from the nearby buddleia bushes, I made a mental note to return later. From the hide I had some great views of the Shelducks that had been in to roost overnight. The morning sun was not optimal but at least some of the birds were where I could get some decently lit photographs. Not only do the Shelducks take advantage of the shelter of the reserve, several wild Pochards have decided to integrate with the inmates and are virtually tame.

 

On leaving the hide I remembered the Bullfinches and sure enough two obliging females had returned to their seed cracking activities. The morning light was just right and the birds really didn't care how close I approached. I guess if they are in this environment then they must get used to people passing by.

 

Finally I left the reserve via the reedbed boardwalk, still searching for a possible Firecrest. In the car park I had lunch and was scanning the area for a male Bullfinch when two small white "flags" caught my eye. The bird was in the churned up mud at the far end of the car park, where much scrub has been removed and obviously plenty of disturbed food has become available. In addition to the Water Rail there were several Robins, Song Thrushes and Blackbirds foraging in the mud.

A circular trip around Burpham and the Burgh was pretty fruitless, as was the search for the recently reported Little Owl opposite Arundel railway station. By now dark grey clouds were gathering on the northern horizon so I headed for home.