Tuesday 30th December - December catch up

The month has gone so quickly . As I sit here laid low with the annual festive cold which I've had since Boxing Day I thought I should update the blog for what's been happening. The answer is not very much.

I had a trip to Amberely and Pulborough 26th November, Blackdown on 29th November and West Dean on 5th December, with not a huge amount to report from any trip and the camera has either stayed in the bag due to poor light or the birds have failed to co-operate for the lens.

The Arun valley on the 29th was full of wildfowl with huge numbers of Lapwing, Wigeon, Teal and Pintail plus a Marsh Harrier, Stonechat and at Pulborough a roost of over 300 Black-tailed Godwits.

Blackdown was failry quiet as can be the case when it gets cold although I did see a Dartford Warbler, 2 Stonechat and a  Brambling.

The brief visit to West Dean remained elusive as far as Hawfinches were concerned. The Little Owl was in it's favoured tree, a couple of Red Kites were over the farmland and Marsh Tit and Firecrest were numerous.

At home, in late November, there was a few days when large numbers of Redwing and Fieldfare were moving, with the  Fieldfare in several groups of up to 50 birds. These soon dispersed, although there are still a small handful of Redwing in the trees feeding on the Ivy berries. The most unusual sighting was a Mute Swan flying south - not too exciting but a garden tick no less. A Firecrest had been seen regularly up to the end of November and I saw it again briefly on Chrtistmas Eve, although it still remains too slippery for a decent shot with the camera.

A pair of Ravens are regularly seen flying over and a Peregrine shot through on Christmas Eve, I saw the same bird on Boxing Day a bit further along the road as we went for our walk on Woolbeding Common (which was absent of any birds). Marsh Tits are still regular visitors, a Grey Wagtail on occasion and there are still around 20 Goldfinches still finding Alder mast in the tree, although the Siskins seem to have vanished.

A rather dreary Amberley Wildbrooks - although full of birds

In the woods at West Dean

Firecrests continue to elude me for a decent picture

garden Blue Tit

Greenfinch are a bit of a garden rarity these days

The 'I'm coming to get you' pose of the Nutchatch.