Saturday 23rd july - Normality

I managed to do what seems like a rare event at the moment and spent the morning birding. Just getting out for a few hours was the aim rather than anything specific as numbers or unusual birds at the moment are few and far between as its a couple of weeks away from the 'autumn' migration starting.

The weather predicted a dry day with plenty of sunshine. I headed down to the coast and started at Selsey around 8am, and within 30 minutes was cowering under my scope as the heavens opened. I'd only managed to see a handful of Sandwich and Common Terns, a couple of distant Gannets a few Sand Martins and Swifts and a Grey Wagtail when I swore again at the weathermen and headed back to the car not knowing how long the rain would last for. I drove to Pagham and 15 minutes later the rain abated and the predicted sun and blue skies then remained for the rest of the morning.

The bushes and ditches around the information centre held lots of  Whitethroat, Blackcap, Sedge and Reed Warblers and the Ferry pool had c50 Black-tailed Godwits, with a number still sporting their colourful Summer plumage, Redshank and a single Common Sandpiper. I walked from here to Church Norton although the tide was low in the harbour but the warming sun was seeming like a new experience.

The harbour held lots of Little Egrets and Curlew (including a Leucistic Curlew) a couple of Whimbrel, a single Grey Plover and single Yellow-legged gull and a juvenile Peregrine was practising hunting. I surprised a Cuckoo in the churchyard at Church Norton which was sitting on the grass as I entered and 6 distant Dunlin were the only waders seen at the Church Norton end of the harbour.

Walking back to the car I added a Greenshank and Green Sandpiper which were spending time amongst a large number of Redshank. Having sampled the local Ice Cream from the information centre (made at Calder Farm on the reserve) I diverted to Fishbourne Creek, again with a low tide but perhaps a better bet for some more waders 6 Greenshank, 4 Whimbrel, Curlew, Black-tailed Godwit and again a single Grey plover. The highlight here was a group of 38 Med Gulls roosting on the exposed mud. So a pleasant few hours even though birds were a bit thin on the ground.

Another couple of birds for the home list over the weekend being Bullfinch and Coal Tit, with at least 2 young Bullfinches present with the parents. The Tawny Owl has been glimpsed a couple more times with it calling on Saturday night having me leap out of bed and stick my head out of the window.

Black-tailed Godwits - Ferry pool Pagham

 



Little Egret - Pagham

Green Sandpiper - Pagham



Stock Dove in Garden

Sunday 13th July - Deluge

Nothing much to report amidst the heavy rain, we've had enough rain now thank you.

A few birds added to the new garden list over the last week have been Buzzard, Kestrel, Stock Dove, Treecreeper, Long-tailed Tit, Goldcrest and House Sparrow - so now up to 35. I flushed the Tawny Owl during the day from a low perch just on the edge of the 'Woodland Trail'. Also I went for a short wander in the morning over the hedge to the North and across a field to a Lane which has a footpath down and beyond a Farm, I went as far as a small stream in a wood and then back. The fields of the lane do look like horse paddocks and then into general woodland, and although I didn't actually see much in the way of birds maybe more interesting as a wider area and I will need to do a few visits to get a feel of what birds might be around so will report back.

Friday 15th July - Genesis

.. and on the sixth day God made man and said be fruitful and mow ... and then mow some more.

I may have visually underestimated ! - At Greyhound a good two hours would see me finish mowing the garden and a couple of paths in the field . Well, at the weekend more than double the time saw me only finish around a quarter of what needs doing here. So I have ordered reinforcements in the form of a new ride-on. Should arrive in a couple of weeks !. Otherwise I seemed consigned to spending all weekend daylight hours behind my trusty little Masport.

A few photos of the place now broadband is up and running !

Looking back towards house from Southern boundary.

Looking South from Garden over 1st paddock.

Barn that has planning to convert to a single bedroom space.

I have placed bird feeders between the house and the hedge to the north.

Tawny Owl in big Oak near house.

One of a family party of Chiffchaffs living in the hedge.

Call Ducks - Kiwi, Papaya and Coconut. Runners - Pingu, Ibis ..... and Mike ! (The hens have returned to their owner we were looking after them for a week).

Monday 11th July - We're In !!!

We were actually in last Monday as planned, but the week vanished amidst a pile of boxes and as BT forgot to connect us all comms have been down - and will be until tomorrow.

Given this blog is primarily a bird and wildlife blog it's therefore important that I give an early view as what the new home might provide, given I'd previously finished life at Greyhound with a summary of total species seen. Despite being on a larger plot, instinctively I would have thought that over a period of time I would not manage the number of birds I recorded at Greyhound not least as the site is slightly less rural being in a village and there are no bits of water like the trout farm lakes or Petworth Park which may provide for the odd flyover duck.

It would be easier to describe with the aid of photos but until we get broadband back that's not possible so I will have to describe what the place is like.

The house and a couple of old barns sit just inside a boundary hedge which lie to the North and East (the hedge is  20ft high, 500ft long Lleylandii monstrosity - What were we thinking !!!!). The back gardens of local houses sit just behind the hedge. The house is surrounded by mainly lawn with the odd ornamental tree (and some are very odd) and the drive/parking goes right up to the house and is a large expanse of tarmac..

To the south there are 3 grass fields (about 1 acre each) and to the north is a narrow strip of Woodland with several big Oaks and Beech trees, some of which are within the boundary, which fall away into a steep wooded gully, which is beyond the boundary, that has a stream/trickle. Beyond these trees are more fields which are not really visible from the property and look mainly like horse paddocks but we haven't done any exploring yet so don't know exactly what's in this direction.

I did put up some bird feeders on Friday and the birds were a bit slow in turning up but familiar species eventually arrived with Blue Tit and Great Tit first on the scene, a Great Spotted Woodpecker and finally a Greenfinch, Chaffinch, Marsh Tit,  Nuthatch and a couple of Pheasants. On Thursday evening a commotion by at least 5 Blackbirds at dusk had me staring into the largest Oak near the house to find a Tawny Owl perched fairly high - photo to follow.

Other birds noted have included Sparrowhawk, Swift, Swallow, House Martin, Goldfinch, Siskin, Green Woodpecker, Chiffchaff, Blackcap, Starling, Magpie, Carrion Crow, Rook, Jackdaw, Wren, Dunnock, Robin, Woodpigeon and Collared Dove. So 29 species so far. The boundary is not Deer or Rabbit proofed and a Roe Deer has been seen munching on flowers in the garden.

Sunday 3rd July - Moving tomorrow !!!!!

5 mins in between packing to write this. End of an Era !!!! - Loved the house for the last 13 years -  time to move on.

I  haven't mentioned we acquired 6 ducks a couple of weeks ago, they were from a friend who had incubated eggs and we got them as ducklings at around 4 weeks. In theory it was 3 Runner Ducks and 3 Call Ducks. The Call Ducks have been named Coconut, Kiwi and Papaya (by Hannah) and the Runner Ducks were called Pingu and Ibis by me, and lastly Mike was incarnated by Adie !  - photos will follow once my Camera is unpacked.

It turns out that one of the Call Ducks (Kiwi) looks like a proper Call Duck. Papaya is a little on the large size , and Coconut has more than a touch of Mallard. Ironically Mike is the closest to a Runner, whereas Pingu looks somewhere in-between Muscovy and Goose, and Ibis is an in-between Runner and something else (but still Duck).

A Lesser Spotted Woodpecker has been heard calling twice in the last 3 days very close to the garden although remaining invisible. Another Red Kite sailed over the garden yesterday and a Lesser Whitethroat has been heard around the garden the last few mornings and a visiting Green Woodpecker hs been busily extracting ants. More unusual, a singing Skylark over the field and a Yellowhammer singing from the trees next to the house has given a very rural feel to this ending of an era.