Monday 29 October 2018

Great Grey Shrike





In the last blog I complained about the shortage of good birding days during October but we then manage to squeeze in one good day just before the end of the month.

Dave and I went back to Wrens Warren, in the Ashdown Forest, to have another look for the Great Grey Shrike. We had tried it last Friday but had seen very little in the way of bird movement. It really had lived up to it's other name of "Eeyores sad and gloomy place", with the lighting down in the valley so dull compared to the surrounding hills.

Today was completely different, a bit slow to start but cold, crisp and clear. A couple of wet feet early on whilst traversing the valley reminded me that my favourite boots, splits and all, must be replaced for the coming winter and distant Fieldfares held promise of things to come.

A couple of passing birders tipped us off to the location of the Shrike but just at that moment Dave had picked up a Dartford Warbler in the gorse nearby. A good picture of a Dartford takes priority over a Shrike so we focused on that target first.

It did pop out on top of the gorse once, a bit further away than I would have like and not for as long as I would have liked and I did get a picture, but it's not the one I wanted. Just didn't manage to pull focus quick enough and it was gone. Or perhaps I should say they were gone as there was a second bird there, so probably a pair. Hopefully we will get a second chance later in the year.



Dartford Warbler


A quick lunch, a chance to dry the feet out a bit and then we trekked up the hill in search of the Shrike. They are not a bird that hides away so once in the right area it was easy enough to find.






Camera settings were interesting. With a white bird in bright sunlight I had to underexpose by a full two stops to prevent the picture from being burnt out. This then underexposes the background trees giving a black background and a slightly false looking studio type shot.















Coughing up a pellet



Unlike the Dartfords the Shrike seemed quite relaxed about our presence, flying off a couple of times but then returning to the same perches.

We eventually lost track of it when it was pursued by a Kestrel. The Shrike took refuge in a densely branched tree whilst the Kestrel sat and then hovered over the top but was unable to get past the branches. It was a half hearted pursuit and I don't think the Kestrel was intent on killing the Shrike but it may have been seeking to pinch food from it or to chase it out of its hunting territory.

Whatever the intent, it was enough to ensure that the shrike did not return during the next half hour or so that we waited there.






Well pleased with the time spent observing the Shrike we were about to leave when a dozen or more Crossbills flew into an adjacent tree on their way into a drinking pool. I missed the first few shots as I had forgotten to take the couple of stops underexposure out of the camera but I still managed a reasonable record shot.



Some of the Crossbills


The drinking pool was nearby and although we could not get close without risking disturbing them, you do sometimes get the benefit of lugging a big lens combination all the way up the hill.










A flock of fourteen fieldfares flying down the valley as we were on the way out finished what was one of the best birding days in a long time.





Sunday 28 October 2018

Grey Phalarope





Only my second blog of the month. It's been a tough Autumn with very few interesting birds about and even less in the way of photo opportunities. The Grey Phalarope dates all the way back to the first day of the month at Bough Beech Reservoir. 














Always a great bird to see but there was nothing much else about so I thought I would hold it back until I had some other pictures to add to it. Here I am at the end of the month and I am still struggling to come up with anything else.

So here are the best of the rest.



Jay on Holm Oak at Church Norton



Kestrel at Kithurst Hill



Blackcap - Kithurst Hill



Reed Bunting Pagham North Wall



My first Fieldfares of the year - Pagham North Wall



Whimbrel - Church Norton



Common Darter



Not much to show for a months birding although I did get to see the Rustic Bunting at Wanstead Flats. Just too much good weather, the birds seem to have gone straight through Sussex without stopping. Lets hope the current cold snap brings a few Winter goodies.






Tuesday 23 October 2018

Rustic Bunting





I am not into twitching, I find it all very depressing, the complete opposite of why I like to be out in the countryside birdwatching. Then again, as my header says, if the bird is still around once the crowds have gone away, I might go and have a look. Last weekend gave me one of those opportunities.

Sue and I where staying up in London for a couple of days, just a few miles from the Rustic Bunting twitch on Wanstead Flats. I vetoed the suggestion of a shopping stop at Lakeside and managed to get across to Wanstead just before 4pm. There was enough light still available to get a decent picture but I needed to get onto the bird quickly.

Much to my surprise  there were only four people looking for the bird when we arrived. It had appeared briefly about fifteen minutes earlier and I suspect that most people had gone home then, thinking that the show was over for the day. We had a nervous wait but it did finally put in an appearance of sorts, although mostly concealed by the long grass.

I had real difficulty getting onto the bird but fortunately my non-birding wife was able to follow it and provided an ongoing commentary until I finally got a decent view. I think it must have been the fear of her seeing it and me dipping that had caused me to panic.



Rustic Bunting -  showing some of the diagnostic features for an Autumn bird


The bird was feeding on the ground amongst tufts of grass and in a fire damaged area. It only made brief appearances in the open and often these were in heavily shaded areas. With the light gradually going it proved difficult to get decent pictures.



Rustic Bunting  -  looking a bit more like a Reed Bunting


It is interesting to speculate, as to whether I would have realised it was a Rustic rather than a Reed Bunting, if I had not known that it was there. Certainly at times and when in the shadow it looked very similar to a Reed Bunting.

At other times the red/brown markings showed well and the white wing bars, white cheek patch, pink tint to the under bill and pinkish legs showed a lot more clearly.



Rustic Bunting  -  feather detail



Rustic Bunting  -  feather detail



Not too bad as twitches go and a life tick for me. I may not be competitive on twitching and listing but I do still keep count.

Now I just need a reason to be down at Lands End and just a couple of miles from the Catbird so I've got a good excuse to tick that one as well.