My blog is mostly about wildlife, particularly birds, walking, days out, all growing things and anything else that comes to mind.
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Sunday 4 May 2008

Unexpected visitors

I've been down in Sussex for the last three days. This started with a visit to a very very good friend in East Sussex on Friday. We decided to visit Arlington Reservoir to discover what it had to offer.

In terms of current birding, not that much. A few Great-Crested Grebes and one or two coots and mallards. Over on the far side in front of the one hide, were 5 cormorants enjoying the sun. We didn't have time regrettably to walk around to the hide, but we intend to go back before too long. According to the information boards, Arlington plays house to 10,000 migratory birds in the Autumn. A date for my diary later in the year perhaps.

On Saturday and Sunday I went to visit my mother, so from East to West Sussex.

Had a trip with my camera around the village and we also visited Amberley village and Parham Gardens. However, pictures and a longer account of these activities tomorrow.

The hugh excitement was to be found very locally; in fact in my mother's back garden. Firstly there were two young and shy Collared Doves hiding in one of the garden trees with Mum and Dad keeping a watchful eye on them from the nearby fence.

But .... A couple of weeks ago we had spotted a single Goldcrest and reports from Mum during this week, were of two being seen regularly on and off during the day. They were still there yesterday and today. There were some grey feathers around in the garden (regretabbly as a result of a Sparrowhawk attack) but one of the Goldcrests was flying off with several feathers in it's tiny beak - I'd love to think they were nesting close by.

They were looking for and finding food in the Jasmine and Hebe; both shrubs being immediately outside the lounge window.

My 100-400mm lens is currently being repaired and I can't collect it until Tuesday. Consequently the following pictures were taken through a double-glazed window with my wide-angle lens and then heavily cropped. But hey - at least I managed a few pics of these tiny birds that will never stay still. So I'm quietly pleased about that.








2 comments:

The Quacks of Life said...

you got 'em both well done

Tricia Ryder said...

Thanks Pete - It feels as though I have been glued to the window most of the day :)

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