Sunday 28 February 2010

garden birds

28/02/10
Despite all the rain a good number of birds in the garden this morning.
6 reed buntings, 8 greenfinches, 4 chaffinches, 2 great tits, 2 blue tits, a song thrush, and a male and female blackcap that do not tolerate one another,or the resident robin.

West dean

27/02/10
Saturday afternoon I took a trip up to West dean woods in the hope of seeing some hawfinches,but they weren't being very cooperative,however I did get some great views of a male hen harrier hunting the fields opposite Stapleash farm.also around the area were two red kites over a dozen buzzards,and four marsh tits near the small orchard.

Pagham spit / Pagham lagoon

27/02/10
At 9am saturday morning while the car was in for it's MOT I walked down to the spit for an hour's birding. A few large flocks of knot were moving out onto the shingle bank,having been forced out by the very high tide.About 200 grey plover (half way into summer plumage) were also finally pushed out of the harbour by the rising tide.
On the lagoon were 4 goldneye,(3 females and a stunning male),also 3 red breasted mergansers and a few med gulls back in summer plumage.