Red-backed Shrike

As we drove to Rottingdean this morning I was sure that we were too late for the Red-backed Shrike. After all it had been around for four days, surely it must have gone. On the roadside only one vehicle was parked, not many birders about then. However, as we approached the location there was a single birder peering intently into the field, it was still here!! Then what followed was the most pleasant twitch that I have ever experienced, an obliging bird, perfect conditions and getting close to the subject. I hasten to add, for those birders that believe birders with cameras are demons, that in this case it was the bird that chose to come close to the photographer.

 

The bird fed happily all the time we were present, finding a plentiful supply of grasshoppers, bumble bees and sundry other unidentified insects. Even when several more birders turned up the bird remained content to feed from the wire fence some twenty yards distant.

On the wires were the usual suspects, Wheatears and Whinchats. One Whitethroat took exception to the close proximity of the RBS and made a comical half-hearted protest.

 

 

Nice to meet Paul and Bill on their local patch and thanks for the info on another possible bird close by.

Pulborough Brooks

On what felt like a true spring day I completed a leisurely circuit of Pulborough Brooks. The Nightingales I reported previously, here are the best of the rest. Lots of spring migrants to be found in the hedgerows, Chiffchaffs, Whitethroats in evidence, and several Lesser Whitethroats, two of whom I watched scrapping in a tree, occasionally falling to the ground but with no let up in the ferocity of the battle. A Cuckoo called regularly from somewhere out in the brooks but did not give a flyby. Out from West Mead hide a lone Greenshank and a single, hard to spot ,Little Ringed Plover; some debate as to its identity but photographic evidence confirmed the initial call - even at a long distance. Winpenny provided stunning close views of a Common Whitethroat engaged in nest building activity some six feet from the hide window. On the way back to the Visitor Centre I came across a nice Fallow Deer antler - obviously recently shed - a great trophy.

Great to see more Swallows, Sand Martins and also two Swifts - my first for the year.

Love or War?

 

 

 

 

and finally a  Comma, not a full stop

 

Nightjar time

I had decided that the first sunny day would be a trip to Rye Harbour, following the post on SOS by Bernie, Dave and Dorian about Church Norton - Spotted Flycatchers and Marlpit Lane - Turtle Doves it was a hasty change of mind and an early start at Church Norton. There were several "spotties" present when I arrived  so I tried to get the early morning sun right and blow me by the time I got behind the hide they had disappeared. Anyway, there were some obliging Whitethroats posing well on the bushes facing the harbour. One male in particular was doing all the antics and singing his head off, meanwhile his mate was doing all the hard work in sorting out the nest site.



Whitethroat



Madame Whitethroat



Whitethroat

I met Terry, another birder whose surname I don't know, who gave me excellent directions for Marlpit Lane so it was off to find some Turtle Doves. As soon as I parked the car in one of the laybys and opened the door I was blasted by a wall of sound from a Nightingale - I guess about six feet away but totally invisible to me. Throughout my stay there were at least five Nightingales singing on and off and were just getting going strongly when I left at 1300. There were also the reported Turtle Doves purring away  and occasionally they would do crossing flights of the ride and one eventually landed in the grass and fed - just too far away for a shot. In my attempts to get better views I flushed a bird from beneath the hedge which flew about ten yards and perched in a tree by the roadside.  Extrication from the hedge took some time but I eventually got a bead on him and was astounded to see it was a Nightjar. Conditions were fairly dark so up to 1000 ISO and hope for the best. Unfortunately I was using the 400mm f5.6 handheld, so I ran back to the car, grabbed tripod and big lens and returned to find the bird had vacated the premises.





Nightjar



Nightjar - 'old whiskers'

Onward to Lavington Plantation, which was somewhat lacking in birds, but at least I found a pair of Treecreepers feeding merrily on the Grafham side.

Treecreeper

Treecreeper