Thursday 10 November 2022

Pulborough Blue!

 With the youngsters still visiting the chances of getting up early and going for the Sabine's Gull were remote, and so it proved!!😢 So we headed to Pulborough Brooks, with Margie on a day off as well we were mob handed and eventually arrived at around 11am hurrah!!!!😀 First sighting was a Red Admiral Butterfly!

Red Admiral by Margie

Feral Dove

And again!

Through the visitor centre and out on to the trail, it was obvious from the viewpoint that there was a bit more water about than on our last visit!! 

Margie's pic shows that there is a bit of water about!

Was pretty quiet until we got to the Fattengates Courtyard where the were some nice birds about, notably a very showy Nuthatch, and a few Tits!

Plenty of Fungi about today, this won't be the last pic of it you'll see today, Margie and Shannon became obsessed!

Great Tit

Robin

Blackbird

Goldfinch, Duncan spotted this one at point blank range and I filled my boots!!




Nuthatch

Coal Tit, tricky blighter to get a pic of!






Dunnock by Margie

We wandered off around the reserve, lots of good stuff about, but after the posy stuff at Fattengates it was all pretty distant, although the girls managed a few Mushrooms!

Egyptian Goose

Kestrel


There's always a Stonechat!

Rooks, I don't take enough pics of Rooks

Shannon starts on her Fungi quest

Although she did venture on to Berries






They did find a lot of Shrooms

The view over the gate!

Is that a young Kirk Douglas with Duncan and Shannon?


Even Margie getting in on the Fungi action

Getting artistic with Oak leaves

The floods by Margie


Margie seems to have created a painting with this one!

Shannon in action, I thought she should of got a bit closer!

More Mushroom Magic by Margie

Teasel

More floods





We reached the Hangar, A kind birder let us look through her Scope at a Red Kite feeding out on the Brooks. 

Distant Red Kite

We walked around to Jupps, where a huge amount of Teal took to the air, we soon spotted the culprit a Female Marsh Harrier hunting the Brooks, we'd seen a couple  from the other hides but this one was the only one close enough for pics!

Panicking Teal 

Marsh Harrier





Lapwing






Shoveller & Teal

Marsh Harrier




Shannon's favourite! Mallard

We then went to Nettly's Hide, we had been told at the entrance that a Kingfisher had been showing well, which I generally take with a pinch of salt, however after about 5 minutes and after almost calling a Stonechat as a Kingfisher, I saw the orange breast but luckily stopped myself just in time, sometimes we see what we want to see😲😀 and then this happened!!!!!!!😲😲😲😲😲









Admirable restraint on my behalf!! A first year male by the all black bill with the white tip!

A few other sightings from the hide were another Red Kite, we saw 4 in total on the walk ,a 1st winter Common Gull, and a large Starling murmuration!

1st winter Common Gull




Red Kite

A few of the Starlings

The walk back was largely uneventful, though did see a distant Fieldfare and some Red Fungi, yes I know more Fungi😏


Grey Heron

Terrible pic of Fieldfare









A very nice walk around enhanced by a Bacon Bap, slice of Orange Poppy Seed Cake and a Mocha in the café !!


 

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