Bittern in Flight.

 In mid February David and I went over to Dungeness. On the way we stopped off to see a smart, but distant Black-necked Grebe near Winchelsea. As David drove down a very narrow country road I spotted a Sparrowhawk flying towards us. As it settled in the bush to the left of the road David slowed down, and as we got to where the bird was, he stopped so we could enjoy it at extremely close quarters. I could almost have opened my window and reach out to touch it!!

A little further down the road the grebe showed after a short wait, but it was impossible to get close to, and the light was also not particularly good.

At Dungeness, we searched for a Jack Snipe that had been seen occasionally from the hide. However, unsurprisingly we had no luck there.

In fact, we were beginning to think that it had been a total waste of a trip when suddenly I spotted a Bittern flying past us. It then turned and flew into the reedbed in front of us. At last something decent for us to photograph. About 15 minutes later another Bittern also flew into the reedbed.

Bittern coming into land in the reedbed.

The second Bittern.

The Purple Pier.

 Every winter we have a small colony of Purple Sandpipers that spend the season on the pier at Newhaven. Numbers fluctuate each year, but after 2 very poor years in 2023 and 2024, numbers have increased to just about double figures again.

After many wet and windy days, a small break in the weather came so David, Paul and I decided to head over to the pier to see if we could get our annual Purple Sandpiper fix.

On arrival I could only see a single RuddyTurnstone on the pier, but as we walked along the pier we heard the chattering of the sandpipers on the lower rafters. It wasn't long before the first bird popped up onto the top of the pier, shortly followed by several more. This presented our opportunity to photograph them. The birds occasionally interacted, but mostly they rested with one beady eye checking the surroundings.

The First Purple Sandpiper 'up top'.

Purple Sandpiper with an itch.

Purple Sandpiper puffed up to keep warm.

The 'beady eye'.

One of the Ruddy Turnstones.

Eventually ten Purple Sandpipers were in view along with four Ruddy Turnstones.

Dartford Warbler Weekend.

 One of the species that I have always struggled with is the Dartford Warbler. The only half decent images I had before were from a session I did with Paul, at Gill's Lap back in 2017. However, although they posed quite well then on the Gorse, they were still a little too distant.

A shot from Spring 2017.

As Lisa's Mum was away skiing at the very end of January, into February, we decided to house sit for her, which would base us in West Sussex for the weekend. Giving us the chance to explore some of the West Sussex heathlands. It was certainly a case of very little in the way of sunshine, but the birds did their best to lift the spirits!!

We were not sure what we would find during the few days we had over there, but were pleasantly surprised to see a distant Goshawk, followed by some Crossbills and good numbers of Dartford Warblers.

Even better, the Warblers were quite confiding for once. At the first heathland Lisa had an excellent close encounter with one of these delightful birds. I had let her try to get a bit nearer, and ended up regretting not trying to creep nearer myself, although that would quite possibly have ruined it with 2 of us approaching.

There were also good numbers of Woodlark in the area, and we constantly heard them singing as they displayed over the heath.

The first day of our West Sussex heath weekend finished with me not having any photos to show for it, but it was still a very enjoyable day watching birds that I rarely see.

The following day, at a different heathland we started well with a Roe Deer complete with a youngster. This was followed by more Dartford Warblers, Crossbills and Woodlark. At last I too managed to get some quite nice photos of the warblers, as they moved around the Heather.

Dartford Warbler doing the splits.

We also saw some Crossbills feeding high in the trees, as well as a group of Goldcrest and Coal Tit feeding on the saplings. We also had a lovely Woodlark sitting at the top of one of the shorter trees that we could photograph.

Male Crossbill.

Goldcrest feeding.

Woodlark.

After spending several hours at the site, we were just heading back to the car when we saw a pair of Stonechats. It is well known that the Dartford Warblers can often be found in the vicinity of Stonechats, so it was not a surprise to see one following them as they searched for food in the Heather. This warbler was actually very confiding and allowed quite a close approach from us both, giving us some excellent opportunities to photograph him. He even did some singing for us, so we could photograph him with his bill open.

Dartford Warbler.

On the Sunday, the weather was pretty awful, so we went for a walk with just our binoculars at Pulborough Brooks RSPB reserve. Due to the weather we didn't see much at all, but it was amazing seeing the extensive flooding of the brooks.

The following day, Monday, Lisa was back at work. However, I decided to stay over for one more day, so I could return to the heathland and have one more try for the Dartford Warblers. Although the weather was once again a little wet, there were at least a few dryer parts of the day, and with me being on my own, I felt I had a better chance of hiding in the heather to get some closer sightings. Perhaps due to the weather it was very quiet, with only a single Woodlark heard early on. A few Dartford Warblers were seen, but nothing close to start with. However, eventually I found a bird working through the heather, so I approached the area before croaching down very low. As I was waiting for the bird to pop up I saw a Goshawk fly low over the heather. However, despite it being quite close, I only managed a nice view through the binoculars. Not long after this, my patience was rewarded with some lovely views of the Dartford Warbler. At one point I could see the heather moving only about 8 feet away as it moved through the heather, Fortunately, it didn't pop up at that moment as that may have startled him a bit too much. However, he did pop up several times at a more realistic distance allowing me to get my best Dartford Warbler photos by a very long way!! As always, I also enjoyed just watching this wonderful bird as he searched for food near me. An absolutely wonderful experience, and also it was during one of the drier parts of the day. 

The very smart male Dartford Warbler.

Following this amazing sighting I walked a little further around the site, only seeing a very smart male Stonechat. Shortly after this the weather deteriated again and the camera went away for the day. I did see a few Common Snipe as I explored further, but otherwise it went very quiet.

Male Stonechat.

It was soon time to head back to Shoreham, before heading back home the following day. A stunning weekend exploring areas I rarely get to.

Buzzard.

Last weekend Lisa and I did a large circular walk from home. We decided to only take the one camera and share it if we saw anything worth photographing. At this time of year we often return home without photographing anything, so by sharing the camera we can also take turns in carrying the camera, which, with a 600mm lens, can get a bit heavy after a while.

Just after halfway through the walk we were just heading towards Alfriston, when I spotted a Buzzard heading straight for us. As I was carrying the camera I lifted it in case the Buzzard kept flying towards us. Normally at this point, the bird would alter course, but unusually this one kept on coming and gave me some very nice flight shots, especially when it decided to turn right above us.

 

A Soaring Buzzard.

Of course, before I could give the camera to Lisa, the bird had changed direction and was flying away!!

On Sunday we did our RSPB garden bird count. It was not particularly exciting until a Green Woodpecker appeared briefly, and following this we had a young male Sparrowhawk catch what appeared to be a Dunnock. The hawk landed on the fence behind the Buddleia bush to pluck the bird. We ran upstairs and could just about get some shots from the upstairs window.

Sparrowhawk with Dunnock.

We should probably have taken a Dunnock off our count I guess!!

Weekend At Elmley.

 In early January Lisa and I had a weekend away at Elmley Nature Reserve in north Kent. Last year, we actually stayed on the reserve in one of their shepherd huts, but this year we stayed in the nearby Premier Inn.

On the drive up the entrance track it was clear that there were less birds around than usual, with no birds of note seen on the drive. However, once at the carpark, we immediately saw some Redwing flying across to get to the berries on the edge of the carpark. Unfortunately, but not surprisingly, the birds went deeper into the bushes to stay hidden. Only once or twice did they venture out in a better photographic position.

Redwing.

After spending a while with the birds we ventured down to where we often see the bearded Reedling. With the breeze being quite strong we were not really expecting to see any, and that was how it was. 

Even the Brown Hares were not really cooperating, with just a few distant views. However, the Little Owls were showing well in their normal spot on the old school building, as they enjoyed sitting out in the sunshine.

The Little Owl Pair.

We then had a Goldcrest that performed well along the bush-line. These very tiny birds are always a challenge as they flit around at speed as they hunt food.

Goldcrest.

It was then the long walk down to the hides. The temperature was all the time around freezing and most of the ditches had ice on them. Not long after we arrived in the hide Lisa spotted a Brown Hare trying to run across the ditch on the ice, however, it was slip sliding all over the place. I was too slow to get a photo, but Lisa did get a few shots before it made it across. We did get a fly-by from a smart Marsh Harrier and also by a flock of Brent Geese.

Marsh Harrier.

Brent Geese.

On the walk back to the carpark we had a nice encounter with a female Kestrel and an opportunity with a Lapwing, a species that for the first time ever wasn't seen on the drive along the entrance track. It had been so dry that the ditches near the track were much drier than usual. Possibly the freezing conditions hadn't helped either.

Female Kestrel.

Lapwing.

Despite seeing little of interest, we still really enjoyed the weekend, and plan to visit again in the near future. Hopefully next time some Owls will appear for us, and if the wind is calmer, the Bearded Reedling.

The Water Pipit Challenge.

 Following my successful walk in December to photograph the Scandinavian Rock Pipits and not so successfully Water Pipit, I really wanted to try much harder to get a much improved Water Pipit photo. I must confess, I also really enjoyed the challenge of watching this scarce winter visiting bird and seeing its habits.

I saw it so often that I almost feel I'm on first name terms with the bird, however, it was a really frustrating and difficult bird to get close to. Water Pipits are totally different to the more common Rock and Meadow Pipits that can be a lot more approachable. The Water Pipit, when it sees you either flies to the other side of the river, or more often takes off and flies very high and far away, before returning to its favourite area, but by then it has been lost from view through the binoculars.

My photos of the bird had varied from between poor to absolute rubbish!! Even after 8 visits over the latter part of December to early January. However, eventually there was a slight improvement on the 5th January when Lisa walked on the other side of the river to me. The bird flew from my side of the river to her side briefly before heading back to my side where it sat at the top of a Hawthorn bush. Unfortunately though I hadn't put on my strongest lens, so it was still too distant, but at least it was reasonably sharp.

Water Pipit in Hawthorn Bush.

The following day we tried again, and of course this time I did have the stronger lens attached. However, the bird didn't perform for us, staying well hidden and distant as it foraged along the river bank.

Two days later I tried again, this time on my own as Lisa was busy with work. When I arrived at the riverbank it was clear that the heavy frost had frozen the ditches. At this point I was about a mile south of the Water Pipit site, but I spotted a Water Pipit on the opposite bank of the river. Fortunately, it flew over to my side and started walking on the ice on the ditch, clearly finding stranded insects on the ice. After getting a couple of photos, as usual quite distant, the bird flew off high and far, so I headed to see if I could find the bird at the original site. Here there was no sign at all, so after a lengthy search I headed back to the frozen ditch, where I was surprised to find the bird back on the ice. I then enjoyed an hour or more of trying to creep up to it to get clearer photos. Eventually I managed to get a few better shots than my previous efforts.

Water Pipit on ice.

During the session, the bird flew off high and far again, and sometimes it had another bird with it, which makes me think there were at least two Water Pipits there, only for it to reappear far quicker than I would expect, which made me think that there could have been three birds. However, I only ever saw one at a time settled on the ice, so I can't say for certain that it wasn't just one bird.

One of the few times it wasn't on the ice.

After another three days I then tried again. By now the fields had become a little flooded, and all the ice had gone. but I was still confident of finding the Water Pipit by the ditch. However, there was no signs of the Water Pipit here. With all the flooding there was a very good chance that the bird, or birds were simply further out in the fields. I wandered to the original site and after walking a short distance a Pipit flew past me and settled along the part of the bank where I had already walked. I got the binoculars on it expecting it to be a Rock Pipit, but was pleased when it turned out to be the Water Pipit. It then went down the levee on the river side to forage there. I quickly changed position so the sun was behind me and very carefully crept towards the bird that was now hidden. Eventually it walked back to the top of the levee and sat on top of a mound. Here, at last I managed to get some photos that were very pleasing. I would still have liked to have been a little closer, but the definition is not bad considering.

It took many attempts, but I feel I have now got some good photos of a bird that is extremely hard to photograph, unless you are lucky enough to get one coming in close at a bird hide.

I can't remember spending as much time on one bird before, especially a 'Little Brown Job', but I did enjoy the challenge, particularly as it was walking distance from home.

Water Pipit.

The markings on this bird were also more distinct than the bird on the ice, so I could at least say now that there were at least two Water Pipits in the area.

Of course, during my attempts I did see other birds to photograph. A lovely Grey Wagtail showed well for me on both the final two visits and a Common Sandpiper was also nice on the final day. I also saw a Peregrine flying over with some prey, a Kingfisher and a Green Sandpiper was seen several times.

Grey Wagtail. Note the leg ring.

A sudden breeze from behind!!

Grey Wagtail foraging.

Common Sandpiper.