Lesser Redpoll

I always look forward to birding during January and February. Cold, crisp clear days with beautiful soft lighting and always the prospect of some good photographs. It just didn't happen this year.  Wind, rain and dull weather and a seeming lack of interesting birds. This part driven by a lack of a real cold spell to drive the birds south but also a function of my reluctance to venture out into the storms looking for them.

I did go out on Wednesday, not with any great hope but I had given a commitment to a friend, Jim, and I needed to make the effort and get out birding again. The problem was where to go that wasn't a foot deep in mud. We ended up at Warnham LNR up near Horsham and I will be forever grateful to Jim, for levering me out from sitting in front of the computer. I just needed a good bird and a picture opportunity to get me fired up again......... and it turned up

Lesser Redpoll

There is nothing like a bit of colour to brighten up both the day and the spirits. Lesser Redpolls are not that common on the south coast and when you do find them they usually stay in the tops of the trees.

Lesser Redpoll

It showed well and although there were the usual problems with branches in the way, I did get a couple of decent shots.

Lesser Redpoll

Even the Blue Tits and Robins suddenly seemed worth photographing.

Blue Tit

Robin  - just in case you didn't recognise it!

A scruffy looking Coal Tit stopped long enough for a photograph but I couldn't get clear shots of the Marsh Tit and Nuthatch that were also around the feeders. Nor could I piece together the full details on the Coal Tits leg ring.

Coal Tit

Walking round the plantation later we also had an obliging Treecreeper.

Treecreeper

Reed Bunting

Warnham is well worth a visit. It has always been good for photography, a place where you can get close to the birds without disturbing them but with recent additions, it now has a mix of seven screens and hides so gives even more opportunities. It costs £2 to get in but it's well worth the money. Whilst you are there have a look for some of the other wildlife. Bank Voles are guaranteed under the feeders and later in the year it's worth looking for the Willow Emerald Damselfly.

Siskin

This post could have been called Redpoll but by the time they showed up the light had gone and it was threatening rain. I only managed one picture of the Redpoll and that was on a feeder so not very satisfactory.

We were at Warnham LNR which provides one of the best locations in Sussex for photographing small birds. The feeders at the Kingfisher hide attract the birds in and if you are lucky you can get natural looking shots as they perch up before landing on the feeders. This time of year they usually get Siskins and Lesser Redpolls and if you are really lucky the occasional Mealy Redpoll.

Redpoll

Siskin

Female Siskin

Siskin

The bonus is an occasional Jay. You often see them flying in the distance but you rarely get close enough for a picture.

Jay

Mealy Redpoll

Today's destination was Warnham Nature Reserve and in particular the Woodpecker hide. In the winter it is one of the best locations in the county for being able to get close to the birds and for getting good pictures opportunities. You need a bright day for the best results but it's always worth a visit.

The Mealy Redpoll was our main target. Redpolls show a lot of variation in appearance and it can be difficult to identify the Mealy unless it is sitting alongside the more common Lesser Redpoll for comparison. Fortunately a number of experienced birders had also turned up so we would be able to confirm any identifications we made.

There were also a number of Lesser Redpolls flying into the feeders and perching in the surrounding trees.

Lesser Redpoll

The Mealy was putting in an appearance about every twenty minutes. Unfortunately he was flying direct onto the feeders rather than using one of the many available perches. I am never sure if it is better to have the bird sitting on  a grubby looking feeder or looking unnatural floating around in mid air. Judge for yourself in the following pictures. Replacing the metal perch with a branch is possible but it takes a lot of work.

Mealy Redpoll

On the feeder

 

And, on the feeder showing a comparison with the Lesser Redpoll.

Lesser on the left and Mealy on the right

 There seems to have been a shortage of the smaller birds around of late so it was nice to see so many at Warnham.

Long-tailed Tit

Siskin

Greenfinch

Chaffinch

I just wish I could get this selection of birds visiting the feeders in my Garden.

Glaucous Gull

Wednesday and Thursday were disappointing birding days. Plenty of sunshine had been forecast but both days were overcast. Worse than that, I could not find any birds. Not entirely true, Tide Mills had Redshank, Cuckmere Haven had hundreds of  Canada Geese but there was no sign of the Spoonbill or Kingfishers I was looking for. Old Lodge had a few Chaffinch but again no sign of the Crossbills, Parrot Crossbills, Siskin, or Bramblings that had been reported there. Two days birding and I had just one poor shot of a Kestrel to show for it and no year ticks.

Probably the biggest disappointment was twice missing the Glaucous Gull at Shoreham Harbour by just a few minutes.

Friday was to be a day indoors catching up on a few jobs but by 10.30 when an alert came through for the Glaucous back at Shoreham Harbour I was ready to go. A quick trip along the coast and I had missed it again. I was told that it had flown out to sea, it could be hours before it came back. I would have gone home to get on with the jobs before I was missed but fortunately I stayed to talk to a couple of other birders and was still there when it flew back in a few minutes later.

Flying in

Clearly different to anything else on the beach

Playing with its food

Probably a Second Winter bird

For comparison below is a shot of a third winter bird taken at Dungeness last year. Bill turning yellow, more colour in the wings and a more brutish look about it.

Third Winter Glaucous at Dungeness last year

Home for lunch and then flushed with my success I headed up to Warnham NR to see if the Mealy Redpoll would put in an appearance. No luck with that although there were a number of other small birds about including this colourful Lesser Redpoll on the seed feeders.

Lesser Redpoll

The rain was starting up again and the light was fading rapidly. I strayed for a while practising hand holding the camera at half a second exposure just in case the Mealy turned up, before eventually heading home in the growing gloom. A poor week but at least I had the Glaucous.