Dipper and Black Tern

A few days away hill walking will always make a welcome break but if you choose the right location, you could have the added benefit of being in Dipper country. West Sussex has a lot going for it but sadly that doesn't include Dippers and with Covid restrictions in place it had been over two years since I had seen one.

People that see them regularly probably just take them for granted but for me they are a fascinating bird and I could sit and watch them for hours. The locations, the nests, the feeding techniques and most of all the walking under water, there is nothing quite like it.

This years destination was the Brecon Beacons. You have to do a quick trip up Pen-y-Fan, preferably in the morning, before the crowds start to build up. However, once you get that out of your system there are lots of quiet and remote spots where you will probably not see anyone else all day.

This bird was on one of the fast flowing streams in the waterfall country around Ystradfellte. There are probably dozens of birds holding territory around there but this was the most obliging. 

We watched it feeding for about half an hour before it moved off down river and out of sight.

When I got home I felt there was something missing from the pictures. Then I realised that this is probably the first time I have photographed them outside of the breeding season. There was no beak full of goodies to take back to the nest. It makes a difference so here is one I took a couple of years ago.

Great to see Dippers again and I think this was probably one of my most enjoyable bird watching sessions of the year.

To make up the numbers, a few shots taken a week or so ago down at Medmerry. A juvenile Black Tern, a bit distant but still worth recording.

Juvenile Black Tern

Juvenile Black Tern

also a Ruff

Ruff

and strange as it may seem my first Wheatear of the year.

 

Wheatear.

Red-necked Phalarope

Monday, we spent nearly five hours sitting in a hide at Titchfield Haven, waiting for a Semipalmated Sandpiper to turn up - it didn't. Which is probably just as well, as I am not sure that I would be able to tell it from Little Stint even at close range.

The drive home after missing a bird is always a bit depressing but we didn't let it get us down. This morning we were up early and over to Pagham North Wall hoping to find something unusual - we didn't and to make matters worse there were no reports of any good birds in the area. Running out of ideas we decided to go over to Thorney Island to have a look for the Red-necked Phalarope and I am pleased to say this time we were in luck.

The Phalarope has been there for  a few days now but has been distant for a lot of that time. Today it was just out of photographic range for most of the time but did make a couple of short forays into closer waters. It was then a case of trying to get a clear shot through or over the reeds and hoping that the light was reasonable.

We got a few record shots but it could have been better. If you are going to have a look at it, the late afternoon sun will give you the best lighting. For us, today, it was just too hot to stand around for a few hours waiting for things to improve.

To find the bird, park up at the triangle at (SU757049), cross the road and follow the footpath west to the beach. Turn left (south) and follow the seawall footpath for about 200 metres to the Little Deep (SU752048)

On Sunday we walked from Reculver out past Cold Harbour Lagoon. A short stop for pictures gave me the birds below.

Greenshank

Knot

Bar-tailed Godwit

Spotted Redshank

Wheatear

and this looks like another Little Stint - white braces on its back clearer in other shots

A couple of shots from Titchfield, taken whilst we were waiting for the Semipalmated Sandpiper that didn't show.

Ruff

Common Snipe

And two from last week at Pagham North Wall

Curlew Sandpiper and six Dunlin

Low flying Buzzard

The hot weather seems to have caused the autumn migration to stall. Am I alone in looking forward to the cooler and more productive days to come.

Ruff

I sat at home Sunday and Monday watching the reports of the American Wigeon at Pulborough. We had the family round and I couldn't get away. It is one of a very few birds that I have seen but then have been unable to get a decent picture of. My best effort to date is shown below

American Wigeon in the centre - taken at Old Moor RSPB July 2015

However, if it was on the back of the scrape at West Mead hide it was probably within range. I rushed up to Pulborough Brooks on Tuesday morning and round to the hide only to find that it had moved. It was now over on the North Brooks and could be seen from the hanger. Seen that is, at a distance of about half a mile and when it decided to come out from hiding behind a grass bank. No picture.

Fortunately I had seen three Ruff from the West Mead hide so I abandoned the American Wigeon and went back to photograph those.

There was also the peregrine in its usual tree close to the hanger. If its looking for dinner what's the betting that it has spotted the American Wigeon?

I wonder if it would let me do a bit of pruning?

and my first Adder of the year. This was a big female, probably over two feet long. It moved slowly out into the sun stayed there for a few minutes and then returned to cover as the clouds moved in.

I then went down to Arundel. I had read at the weekend that ducks like kale and pea shoots more than bread, after all it is more like there natural food, so I took them the trimmings from the weekends brussels. The Swanbourne ducks were having none of it. They didn't even investigate, they just paddled off to see a couple of young children throwing in half a loaf of supermarket white bread - proper duck food.

However, I did manage to pick up a Treecreeper before I left.

No picture of the American Wigeon but perhaps it will stay a bit longer and move back to the West Mead scrape.

Wryneck

I finally managed to catch up with the Church Norton Wryneck, although it was not very obliging and stayed deep in cover for most of the time that I watched it. I had missed them on the spring migration so this was a welcome year tick for me.

I had hoped for a better picture but after about five minutes the bird dropped into the long grass to feed and had not reappeared when I left an hour later

Wryneck

There seems to have been a shortage of small birds around the hide and cemetery areas at Church Norton of late but today restored my faith in the area with multiple sightings of Redstarts and Spotted Flycatchers and also this Green Woodpecker feeding in the field behind the hide.

Green Woodpecker

Green Woodpecker

The Spotted Flycatchers and Redstarts all seemed to favour the barbed wire and fencing for perching up. It's probably convenient for them but it tends to spoil the pictures.

Spotted Flycatcher

Spotted Flycatcher

Redstart

I had a look at the North Wall but with the recent heavy rain the Breech Pool was again overfull and there were no waders there. I caught glimpses of a single Spotted Flycatcher and a Wheatear but could not get pictures of either. Fortunately the Swallows were obliging even if they were favouring the barbed wire again.

Swallow

The following pictures were taken in a brief very wet stopover in Norfolk earlier in the week. The trip was more memorable for the birds I missed than for those I saw. In particular I had Booted Warbler, Icterine Warbler and Wryneck reported on Gramborough Hill just one mile from where I was staying.

Gramborough Hill - Not a big area to search for three rarities

It was getting dark and raining heavily when we arrived but I was up early and on site before 0600 the next morning. Unfortunately the rain had cleared in the night and the birds had flown. The best I managed was this distant Garden Warbler.

Garden Warbler

Other pictures taken included this Little Stint enjoying the rain, a couple of Pied Flycatchers and a few of the regulars.

Little Stint

Meadow Pipit

Pied Flycatcher

Ruff

It had been a disappointing week but one good bird like the Wryneck makes all the difference. Bring on the rest of the migration

Pectoral Sandpiper

The weather was best in the west today so we headed for Pagham Harbour with the first stop being the North Wall. It was great to see the Breech Pool back to normal with a good mix of water and mud and with plenty of birds in evidence. I am surprised that it has recovered so quickly given the repeated drying out and flooding it received during the early part of the year.

With shallows and mud available many of the waders have returned along with the wildfowl, a few geese and various warblers in the reed beds. The insects are also thriving and there was a mixed flock of Hirundines hawking over the pools.

The birds were there but the weather did not deliver. It was overcast all morning. There were some great birds on show but the resulting photographs are poor.

Godwits, Redshanks and Greenshanks in White's Creek

We were told to look out for a Little Stint and when a suitable small bird turned up we were happily clicking away. It was only later that we realised that it was a Pectoral Sandpiper, but that is the beauty of getting a photograph, you can always check it out when you get home.

Pectoral Sandpiper

The Sandpiper was joined by a juvenile Ruff and we would have had some excellent pictures but without the light you cannot get the colours and detail into the pictures and they end up looking flat.

Pectoral Sandpiper(front) and Ruff (rear)

Ruff

We did check out other areas around the harbour but it all seemed very quiet. The following are all pictures taken in the North Wall area

Black-tailed Godwit

Reed Warbler

Whitethroat - taken during a brief improvement in the light conditions

The Pectoral Sandpiper was a great bird to see, even if we had difficulty identifying it, but overall the day was a bit disappointing. I like to spend the evening sorting out my shots and producing the blog. Tonight I spent my time trying to rescue a few record shots from amongst all the pictures taken today.