Black Redstart

Just a few pictures from earlier in the week. Best picture opportunity was the Black Redstart at Shoreham Fort. It has been around for a few weeks now but it's such a good looking bird that we always drop in for another look when passing. 

Black Redstart

It is not easy to get a good picture but the results are well worth the effort. I am sure that I will be going back for another go.


A walk out on Chantry Hill gave us Ravens, Buzzards, Grey and Red-legged Partridges, Fieldfares, lots of small birds including Mipits, Skylarks and 30 to 40 Yellowhammers but no sign of the usual Corn Buntings. I am keeping my fingers crossed for the Partridges with just one week to go before the close of the shooting season.

Yellowhammer

At Waltham Sewage Works a Grey Wagtail, probably a dozen or more Chiffchaffs, and a Goldcrest on the access road.

Chiffchaff

Goldcrest

A Rock Pipit at Seaford Head but no Kittiwakes and another visit to the Newhaven Hume's Warbler but still no picture.

Rock Pipit

Perhaps best of all my garden birding has picked up. I don't get a lot of variety but this morning I had a Blackcap on the feeders and later I was able to photograph it, tucking into a pear that I had put out. Whilst I was trying to photograph that a Redwing dropped in and finished off the last of the holly berries.

Blackcap

Redwing

It was very misty in the garden this morning but there was just enough light to be able to get the pictures.

Lesser Yellowlegs

I have a few record shots of the Lesser Yellowlegs from the one that visited Lepe Country Park last January. That bird was very flighty and kept its distance. I was happy with the shots I had but when I heard that there was another bird down at Pett Levels that was much more confiding it seemed like an opportunity not to be missed. I picked Dave up and we headed down to darkest East Sussex.

On arrival we quickly located the appropriate spot on the edge of the eastern most pool. It was bitterly cold so we sat in the car surveying the birds, but we only had about a five minute wait before the Lesser Yellowlegs put in an appearance. It was very close and we were concerned that we might flush it getting out of the car and getting the cameras from the boot. To our surprise it then flew even closer ending up probably no more than twenty feet from the watching birders.

Lesser Yellowlegs

These are a big improvement on my existing record shots but I didn't get that real showstopper shot that I was looking for. It's a delicate looking little bird and it was being buffeted by a strong wind. I was also having difficulty holding the camera steady in that wind. There is a better shot here somewhere and if it hangs around I will have to go back for another go at it.

We moved on to Scotny Pits where Dave soon picked up the male Scaup and we had the usual problem of trying to find something that looked like a true Barnacle Goose from the assortment of hybrids in the flock.

Barnacle Goose

Next stop was Dengemarsh road where Dave had photographed a pair of Cattle Egrets a few days ago. He had promised me close views of these as well but when we arrived they were some distance away. I thought I would have to make do with distant record shots but as we headed back towards the car they both flew up and landed within a few feet of the fence. It is rare that I complain about birds being too close but I was having real problems this time. I had too much lens on and I could not get the birds in the frame.

A damaged bill on this individual

Next stop was the ARC Pit at Dungeness where we picked up year ticks on Great White Egret, Goldeneye and Bittern. They were too distant for record shots but we did have good views of one of the local Kingfishers, a couple of Chiffchaffs and a rather fine looking Great Tit.

Kingfisher

Chiffchaff

Great Tit

After a bit of searching we also found a few Tree Sparrows but we could not find any sign of the female Smew.

A great days birding and some good picture opportunities. The new year has got off to a flying start.

Avocets

Beautiful spring weather this morning, sunshine, clear air, and all the right conditions for photography. Just a pity then that the best bird of the day, the Avocet, is the one bird you really need overcast conditions for. Its a really elegant bird and great to watch but the camera just cannot cope with the huge contrast between the black and white in bright sunlight.

Avocet - Ferry Pool Pagham Harbour

Still with the birds going through their mating ritual and with the possibility of successful breeding pairs on the Ferry Pool it was worth getting a record.

Seeing off the other contenders

Female bending forward and lowering her head into the water in submission (or as an invitation?)

Mating

Followed by the kiss - touching bills

There were no real signs of the migration getting into full swing. The week has proved to be a bit slow and today was no different.We did see a few Wheatears but there were no picture opportunities. Chiffchaffs could be heard all around, and the usual suspects were much in evidence.

Chiffchaff

Linnet

Treecreeper 

Song Thrush

The warm weather today did see more butterflies on the wing so there should be some good picture opportunities soon and Dragonflies are not far away.

Comma

First Signs of Spring

A day exploring the cliffs between Brighton and Seaford Head with our chief target a Black Redstart reported at Telscombe Water Works.

We had a bit of a slow start when the Black Redstart was a no show. However, we did see a pair of Peregrines flying and also a male Wheatear, my first of the year, as he made his way off the beach and up the cliffs. Pity he didn't hang around a little longer.

Wheatear

There were also a number of Rock Pipits around. I had only ever seen them as single birds before but there must have been between six and ten moving around on the beach and at the bottom of the cliffs.

Rock Pipit

Very active feeding

and not camera shy

 As usual the Rock Pipits were easy to photograph. They seemed indifferent to my presence and as long as I made no fast movements they would come quite close.

We then moved on to Seaford and searched the churchyard. Again no Black Redstart but there was a Chiffchaff, probably newly arrived judging from its rate of feeding.

Chiffchaff

There were Kittiwakes at Seaford Head but picture opportunities were limited and Newhaven harbour was also very quiet with only one Fulmar on the cliffs. However, we did meet another birder who gave us better directions for finding the Black Redstart back at Telscombe.

A second visit proved successful although my pictures were a bit of a disaster with the black bird in shadow and silhouetted against sunlit chalk cliffs. I couldn't even use them as record shots.

Oystercatchers

 

A quick shot of an Oystercatcher roost and we headed off home after a successful day and with the warm sun and the sightings of Wheatear and Chiffchaff suggesting that spring could be on the way.

More Barn Owls

Being disappointed with Monday's Barn Owl pictures and with the weather looking reasonable I decided to go back to Waltham Brooks on Tuesday evening and have another go. On the way I called in at Swanbourne lake in the hope of seeing the Firecrests. None about but I did see an unusual leucistic Jackdaw.

Leucistic Jackdaw

Leucism is a condition which causes pigment defects, making some of the feathers white or very pale. Unlike albinism the eye colour is normal. I have seen this a number of times in Blackbirds but this is the first time in a Jackdaw. There are suggestions on the web that this is becoming more common in many breeds of bird.


Recent trips out have resulted in a shortage of the "small brown birds" but arriving at Waltham Brooks I was pleased to see a lot of movement in the scrub and headgerows.
This Chiffchaff posed nicely to have its picture taken. My first sighting for the year.

Chiffchaff

I also had a Goldcrest sitting on the fence in the open within six feet of me. It must have known that I am desperate to get a good picture of a Goldcrest. My Camera was out of reach and even if I could have got to it the bird would have been too close to focus on. We watched each other for about 20 seconds and then it disappeared into the gathering gloom. I don't think I have ever seen a Goldcrest stay still for that length of time.

 
The first Barn Owl appeared about 3.45 with two more following quickly behind. I had picked a good spot and had a couple of flybys within about 15 feet but unfortunately I only had the sun for about a quarter of an hour. After that I was back to the previous days problems of high ISO and slow shutter speeds.

I had not realised how difficult it would be to keep the Owl in focus, particularly when it was heading straight for me, and I had a lot of wasted shots. It is difficult to know when to try to take a picture and when it is best just to stand and watch the bird. You can miss a lot hiding behind the camera.

I also found that I needed the sun to get a reasonable shutter speed but with the sun out the face and leading edge of the wing were over exposed. These pictures have all required work in photoshop to reduce the contrast.

One good picture and standing in the cold for a couple of hours is all forgotten

There have been reports on the Sussex Ornithological Society of one of the Waltham Brooks Barn Owls having something sticking to or sticking out of its chest. This is visible on the picture below. I have no idea what it is but it has been there for at least a few days and does not seem to be restricting the birds movement. Lets hope it is not doing any long term damage.

My initial disappointment at the quality of this second round of pictures has dissipated slightly as I realised that I could recover a few of the pictures. There is no sun tonight but I think I will soon be going back for another go. The good thing about photographing birds is that you always know there is a better picture out there waiting to be taken.