More Hoopoe shots

 I couldn't resist putting these photos of the two Hoopoes showing well yesterday on the Selsey peninsula.

A Hoopoe at Pagham!!

 It is common knowledge by now that there has been an influx of Hoopoes to the UK this Spring but a sighting on my local patch was a tremendous surprise.  A Whatsapp shout of a sighting was received when food shopping in Bognor so......this was a 'must' see!!

Initially showing at a distance in a field behind the North Wall stables but not easy to see in the long grass.

Not one but two birds but both difficult to see!

One of them took flight and flew west behind a line of trees out of sight. A few minutes later and the other took off and flew east behind the path behind the now gathering admirers. As we approached its approximate whereabouts it started calling and we could have been in Mallorca or  the south of Spain...a wonderful Mediterranean  'hoop,hoop' sound!  It was well hidden amongst the higher branches when it was spotted at the far side of a tree.  Not only was it was partially hidden by the branches it was back lit so photographing it was tricky.

Then this bird took flight and headed for the big tree in Little Welbourne

A great bird to see and hear!!!!

Least Sandpiper success

 A diminutive wader, a Least Sandpiper, was reported at the end of last week at RSPB Medmerry but due to numerous commitments I was unable to get there. On Tuesday this week I was at last able to find time to track it down. As I approached the Stilt Pool where it had been seen the previous day I met two visiting birders  who pointed out four birders who I could see very distantly crouched down by the breech a long way off along the beach. I set off clambering over the huge protective rock groyne and made haste but as I approached, the four birders got up and disappeared from sight.  Another birder made his way towards me only to say that the bird had flown and in his view had probably returned to the Stilt Pool, one of its favoured spot. About turn therefore and a long trudge back. A total blank. I'd dipped, as they say!!!

However there was a report of a Hoopoe on the reserve somewhere but it was proving elusive. Suddenly a shout went up on Whats app...found it! To my delight I was heading in the right direction and located the bird in tall grass and vegetation but regrettably photography was difficult and I failed to get a shot. A great bird to see!

However the Yellowhammers were a joy to see and a non birder came and watched for a while and remarked he'd never seen one before and could hardly believe it was a British breeding bird...it was looking brilliant in the sunshine!

...and a female Black Redstart appeared just before I returned to the car park. So all was not lost!!

So today I decided to have another go for the Sandpiper and hey presto I located it in splendid isolation on the main pool. I had the bird all to myself until I was joined by several other birders during the nest hour or so.

Initially, quite distant.

....but it did come a little closer and the sun lit it up rather well...I was pleased!

A splendid lifer!

March, and it feels that Spring is now on the way.

 The Brents are getting restless in the harbour. 

It was reported that 200 birds an hour were flying East past Selsey Bill by 10.00a.m. this morning, so these too will be on the move soon.

A lone Grey Plover was feeding along the tide but few other waders were noted except a Curlew, Dunlin and a Ringed Plover. 

I just love watching Grey Plovers!

Just for interest this was my first shot of a Grey Plover taken on August 2 2003 using the well respected Nikon E4500 via my Kowa TSN4 Telescope and I was well pleased with it!

The regular Kingfisher at Pagham Spit.

 I have recently  been attempting to capture photographs of the Kingfisher which has taken up winter residency on the spit and has  been seen by many admiring Pagham locals. However, although seen quite regularly, it is a wary bird and not usually easy to approach before it darts away like an emerald jewel. Today was no exception but the light was good and I watched it firstly on one of his favourite perches on the rusty metalwork.

As I watched it suddenly flew off and hovered momentarily before plunging into the water immediately returning to its perch. It did this a couple of times but it happened so quickly that I missed it both times! It was a fair way away and I didn't have the 800mm lens with me so the following photos are very heavily cropped and lacking in detail but it did give me the satisfaction of capturing these flight pictures.

It then returned to another of its favourite perches on the sea wall but photographing it in this position as I hung precipitously over the wall was tricky!

Hopefully on another day I will be more successful and obtain some better quality photos rather than just 'record' shots!

The Selsey Peninsula Long Eared Owl.

January 2025

A couple of weeks in Norfolk and Suffolk

 Having recently returned from a holiday in East Anglia I thought it appropriate to show a few photographs of the birdlife we met in our travels. The weather wasn't particularly kind and we had more wet days than dry and sunny as we had hoped. Nevertheless it was good to be away and enjoy the change of scenery. The first week was spent at Holme Next-the -Sea where we had stayed previously on 3 or 4 occasions, right next to the NOA bird observatory and not far from the Titchwell RSPB reserve.

There were a few Spotted Flycatchers but although we were told there was a Pied we failed to locate it.

It was good to note a good number of Ruff at Titchwell

Several were right in front of the hides!

Although Great White Egrets are no longer the rarities they used to be, they are always a striking bird to see.

Stock Dove

Grey Heron

Female Shoveler

Drake Shoveler...in partial eclipse plumage.

A fleeting glimpse of a Water Rail.

On Titchwell beach....a small flock of very busy Sanderlings. I just can't help photographing these 'clockwork' waders. .They rarely stop still!

Avocet

Black Winged Stilt .... ringed and reported as an escape from Pensthorpe.

 Yellow Browed Warbler   Although a far from perfect photo it was the only shot I was able to get of this very fast moving and elusive warbler at NOA Holme

The second week of our holiday was based in Thorpeness on the Suffolk coast and just a few miles south of Minsmere RSPB Reserve.

Again the weather was disappointing but we made the most of the limited opportunities we had.

Waders were in short supply and usually very distant but Dunlin, Black Tailed Godwit, Avocet were well represented and it was good to see distant a Temmincks and Little Stint. 

Hobby

Possible Caspian Gull I'm never good at identifying this gull but was told by an an 'expert' that the apex of the head is behind the eye on this species.( Any comments gratefully received)

Cormorant 

 

Beardies!!!

I got carried away by a flock of Bearded Tits behind the Island Mere Hide....

                                            Such superb birds!!!!

Whilst walking along the foreshore between Thorpeness and Aldeburgh I almost trod on this snow Bunting!  A very early date I was told (even for Suffolk)  on October 3. 

Another excellent surprise was a distant view of an Osprey one morning but by careful stalking later in the day I was able to approach closer but the light was not good....

...but I was pleased to get this, just before sunset!

We love Suffolk and have already booked for May 2025