Nipping to Knepp !!

 Margie and I decided to go to Knepp today,just 20 minutes from home,should go more often to be honest, we arrived just before 8 o'clock and parked in the Walker's Car Park, we usually park on Countryman Lane and walk in from there but decided on a change today, from the Car Park we followed the Yellow/White path to start with, lots of small birds zipping about the bushes, a Yellowhammer was having a sing from the top of a bush,Linnets, Goldfinch, Blackbirds in abundance, several Whitethroat families, a group of Yellowhammers,a flyover Bullfinch, we also got our first view of some White Storks distantly in a dead tree!!

Distant White Storks

Blackbird

Yellowhammer

Linnet

Getting closer to the Storks

Goldfinch

Yellowhammer

At this point we came the closest we had to the Storks with two birds in a nest and another on it's own which posed well.

With all the attention on the Storks I hadn't spotted the large herd of Ponies under a nearby tree, now I have largely conquered my entirely rational fear of large animals, but Knepp is always a challenge in this respect! Margie was calm enough to take some pics!

Ponies by Margie

Pretty fearsome right but worse was to come!!

We continued on, a Green Woodpecker wound me up big time!! Literally keeping one step ahead of me around a large bramble patch, grrrr!! Saw a Great Spotted Woodpecker, a large flock of Tits, more Whitethroats, Wrens and a Jay  everything appeared quickly and disappeared into the bushes just as quickly!! There were a lot of Butterflies around mainly Whites,Gatekeepers, Meadow Browns,but a few Red Admirals, a Peacock,a Comma and a Painted Lady, didn't see any of the rarer ones the place is famous for but to be honest didn't look that hard!!

Great Spotted Woodpecker

Common Whitethroat

Greylag Geese

At this point we ran into the next big beast!!

Blocking the Path but luckily we had already decided to divert onto the Red & Blue Path to look for Turtle Doves

Gatekeeper by Margie

The beast with it's young by Margie!!

So we had diverted onto the Red and Blue path to head to an area where in previous years we had seen Turtle Doves, we followed the path and ran into another of the large mammals a Red Deer stag with a fine set of Antlers albeit still in velvet!

Red Deer Stag

Red Deer Stag

We carried on, no sign of any Turtle Doves but we could here the ominous sound of Cattle roaring!! A Green Woodpecker gave a call, alerted I managed a few flight shots as it headed calling across an open field!!

Green Woodpecker

At this point ignoring the loud bellows of Cows Margie spotted some pigs,Margie likes Pigs, and we followed them into the trap!!

Rooting Pig by Margie

At this point, the cattle closed the door!! Trapped😱😱

Cattle Moving in by Margie

Escape route blocked

Margie oblivious to the situation, continued  to try to get good pictures!!

Margie facing the beasts!! So brave!!

Luckily I had me wits about me opened a gate and we were safe,Phew!! A complete role reversal with us in the field behind the gate and the Cattle strolling down the path 😂

Calf  by Margie

Bull alert!!!! by Margie

Having escaped the peril and with no sign of Turtle Doves, lot harder if they ain't calling, a guy we saw had seen one near Dial Post but we had no luck, we headed back and rejoined the White Path, the Red Deer had gained a couple of mates as so we took a couple of pics!

Little bit of a Fly problem

Red Deer by Margie

We looped around, brief views of a Buzzard,more Cattle,some different Storks and plenty of small birds but mostly common stuff!! Saw several Bullfinch today which is always good but never got a shot of one!!

Buzzard

Final Stork View

We arrived at the campsite,lots of Goldfinches and House Sparrows and a shop and cafe van that I didn't even know was here,despite visiting regularly in the past, especially good as most if not all the produce was Organic whoop!! £26 later we are heading back to the car!! Venison burgers for Tea!!

An excellent walk,I always enjoy visits to Knepp and admire what they are trying to do with the re-wilding good numbers of birds seen with at least three large Tit Flocks several Chiffchaffs, Blackcaps and plenty seen to briefly for defo ID's saw at least 4 families of Common Whitethroats, plenty of juveniles about, So they are doing something right!! Also  it's always good when I get round without being savaged by a large animal !!!😁😁

Would suggest going earlyish for best results,we got there at eight and had the place pretty much to ourselves,but the car park was filling up as we left about 11 o'clock!!