Red-throated Diver

I had great views of the Red-throated Diver at Arlington today. Winter plumage of course, so no red throat at the moment but still a great bird to photograph. I had about fifteen minutes with the bird all to myself, until a dog walker turned up and walked too close, resulting in the diver heading out towards the centre of the reservoir, out of range of the camera (and the dog).

heading off out of range

A great set of pictures but what to do next. There was a big flock of Redwing in the fields south of the Reservoir but they were all a bit distant.

Redwing

So I decided to try the Black Redstart at Tidemills again. It was there but if anything it was even more distant than last time I tried. There is a lot of building work going on in the fenced off compund so the Black Redstart was out in the reptile translocation area most of the time. You can get good telescope views but it is really out of range of the camera and to get a shot you are photographing into the sun. 

I would not normally have bothered with these pictures but there is one new development, it looks as though there is now a female in the area. She seemed interested but I think he needs a bit more encouragement.

Male - keeping his distance

Female - with the male out of focus in the background

I would really like to get a picture of this male but he is proving to be hard work.

Out of interest is anyone aware of what is happening with the reptile translocation area? Have any reptiles been translocated or is this just a cover to support the expansion of the east docks. I would have thought that the two areas were quite different environments?

I finished off the day at Newhaven west. I could not find the Iceland Gull that had been reported there but that may just be a reflection of my gull identification skills. It was worth the visit though just to see the Fulmars setting up their nests on the cliffs.

Fulmars always look like devoted couples.

but aggressive in defending their nest sites

A friendly Turnstone on East Pier - probably use to being fed by the fishermen

A good days birding with some decent photographs to show for it but I have dipped on getting a decent photograph of the Black Redstart yet again.

Slavonian Grebe

I seem to have spent most of the past week at Old Lodge trying to get a picture of the Little Bunting. I think I have seen it, both perched and doing a flyby, but I haven't got a picture and I haven't been able to confirm the sighting. Dave, standing next to me got the picture. Click here to have a look. This is getting to be a bit of a habit on his part. He calls it luck but it's starting to happen too often for that. Even my wife is suggesting that he may just be a better bird photographer than I am!

All I managed to get at Old Lodge were a few shots of the Woodlarks that were busy displaying over the reserve.

Woodlark

For a time it looked as though there would be no pictures for the blog but fortunately the Slavonian Grebe at Arlington Reservoir took pity on me and stayed around long enough to give me a few good pictures.

Slavonian Grebe

The grebe was busy feeding and did not seem to be at all bothered by my presence. In the time I watched, it caught three fish and was still actively feeding when I left. It makes you wonder how many it can swallow at one sitting.

The only problem that I had was its annoying habit of turning its back to the sun when it surfaced with a fish. Trying to get the exposure right on the face, then gives you problems with the neck and tail burning out. I am not sure if this was just bad luck or if the grebe does this deliberately to give it better visibility of its prey.

Other pictures taken over the past week include the Kumlien's Gull at Littlehampton. I am just hoping that it returns next year as a third winter.

Kumlien's Gull

and a selection of Chiffchaffs from Steyning and Coldwaltham Sewerage Farms. There must be a Siberian in here somewhere.

Is that a splash of yellow on its side? - not Siberian if it is

Definitely buff coloured but what about its back and wings?

Looks like the best prospect.

Some good pictures but I didn't get the Little Bunting. Having missed the Lesser Spotted Woodpecker the week before, I am starting to build up a list of places and birds that I need to return to. Lets hope we get some decent weather.

Common Sandpiper

The autumn migration is underway and I have been trying to plug a few of the gaps in my year list caused by missing the birds during the spring. Wednesday saw a reasonably successful trip over to Pagham Harbour. I managed to pick up Little Ringed Plover and Green Sandpiper on the Ferry Pool and a Reed Warbler on the North Wall but they were all too far away for a picture. That left me with with just a butterfly and a dragonfly to show for the day out. So much for my first day back on serious birding.

Holly Blue

Migrant Hawker

I had not managed to find a Common Sandpiper on the trip to Pagham so Friday I took a couple of hours out and went to Arlington Reservoir. With the water in the reservoir low there were a surprising number of birds there, loafing on the exposed mud. The Canada and Greylag geese along with various gulls were the most numerous but there were other interesting birds as well.

Juvenile Egyptian Goose

This juvenile Egyptian Goose had me wondering for a few seconds until the adult, displaying the more familiar dark eye patches and white wing bars, came into view.

There were at least three Common Sandpipers on the dam wall. The first was very flighty but the other two gave good views. The pale edging to the wing feathers and barring on the back suggests the second bird is a juvenile.

Common Sandpiper

Juvenile Common Sandpiper

Other birds on the wall were a Ringed Plover, a Juvenile Dunlin, and the usual juvenile Pied Wagtails.

Ringed Plover

Ringed  Plover (the other side)

Juvenile Dunlin

Pale or warm brown fringing on feathers and silvery V on scapulars
 show this as a juvenile bird

There were lots of "little brown" birds in the hedgerows but I did not have time to stop and look for anything unusual. A pity really as I still need a Lesser Whitethroat for this years list.

Finally, ever wondered what goes into your drinking water. This pipe has been exposed by the low water levels. I am sure the water must be OK by the time it gets to you but it doesn't look very healthy.

Emptying into Arlington Reservoir