What a Bird!!

 Early start this morning to track down the Squacco Heron near Halsey farm.

Having only just got my new Canon R7 mirrorless camera  this was the first opportunity to try it out together with a Canon 800mm F8 lens. My reservations for a fixed aperture lens were quickly dispelled and together with an the amazing eye focus facility and incredible stabilisation enabling it to be hand held has already made it the ideal bird photography combination for me, where the weight of a 500mm f4 lens has become increasing problem with age!

Here are a sample selection from this morning....

That'll do nicely for a first outing!!

North Wall...again but there's always something interesting!

 As I approached the North Wall this morning I was greeted by this little chap watching me from the Salthouse area.

The Weasle quickly scampered off towards the wall but stopped short when a couple of passers by paused  by the gate to watch it.


It continued through the grasses and then appeared, its head  covered in spiders webs looking rather like a veil.

Looking up the channel from the sluice  our old friend 'Stumpy', the short billed Greenshank, 

had returned for the third or fourth  season.....

 I met up with Les and Graham and noted that the Breech pool had less water in it than ever but there were seven Little Ringed Plover scattered  about the dried up mud, plus the usual Lapwings and Black Tailed Godwits and of course, the Shelduck youngsters.

Two Roe Deer were wandering in the field beyond and one of them eventually came to have a drink.

Highlight of the morning were two Kingfishers resting adjacent to Owl Copse. They were at a fair distance for photography but I did manage to obtain some record shots. They appeared to be juvenile birds (pink feet rather than the bright red of adults).It looked as if they were waiting to be fed as they made no attempt to fish for themselves but no parent showed up in the considerable time under observation

 

A Peregrine flew over the harbour putting up this flock of egrets. (top left of photo)

Adult Cattle Egret on top of hawthorn where several pairs have been nesting.

The pair of Kingfishers were eventually disturbed by passers by but by the time we returned from our walk they had returned to the same spot where first seen.

An interesting morning.

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The Dunlins noted yesterday had disappeared...

....but I did note a family of Whitethroats near the gate nearest Church farm. 

Adult Whitethroat above and juveniles below.

July....early waders passage

 A walk in the late afternoon to the North Wall proved rewarding as at last there were a few waders present.

A couple of Black Tailed Godwits were having quite a ding dong with one bird seemingly trying to drown the other. Why such aggression is shown away from their breeding grounds is a bit of an unknown to me.

Here are a few shots ...

This  shows a colour ringed bird on the attack....I await its history.

A fine summer plumaged spotted Redshank accompanied them .

It is unusual to see a Whimbrel actually in the Breech Pool but here is a lone individual

...and even more so, a Knot!

A couple of Little Ringed Plovers were also present despite the almost dried up conditions.

.... and finally one of a pair of  sleepy Green Sandpipers

As I wandered slowly back the dog walk alongside Whites creek there were plenty of butterflies but very few birds except this Chiffchaff that suddenly popped up just in front of me.

Gatekeeper

...and finally two Commas

...and finally a peaceful scene at the western end of Pagham Lagoon.

Very pleasant but with the threat of  excessive heat in the next few days I think birding will be a a bit thin!