Local walk!

 Well having driven all the way to Hampshire for the Sabine's Gull on Friday, I thought I better shine up my somewhat tarnished green credentials with a local walk today. Decided to head down Bullfinch Lane to see if I could find a Yellowhammer. I birded this area quite a bit during the pandemic but since restrictions ended have tended to go to places where there are actual birds!!!😲 Was fairly hard work, first bird of the morning was a singing Robin, always like a good silhouette picture which is quite handy as there are several today!!😁

Robin on a wire

Half the moon showed well at least!

The first part of the lane was fairly quiet, just a few Tits in the bushes which I couldn't get on with the camera, I diverted for a short walk to the right to scan the Horse Paddocks, where a couple of Pied Wagtails and a Meadow Pipit were feeding amongst the piles of dung and a couple of horses were having a mad half hour and I was glad of the sturdy fence between us!

Feisty Horse

The little one was the main trouble maker!

Pied Wagtail couldn't get a usable pic of the Meadow Pipit

Sunbeam through the Clouds!

Back on the Lane, still quiet, another silhouette Robin, past The Lag and over the stream, the first field provided a covey of 5 Red-legged Partridge, (no doubt released to be shot, let's hope they evade the guns) and a flock of Starlings which kept flying about for no apparent reason!

Silhouette Robin

Red-legged Partridge

Even the Herring Gulls are in Silhouette

Starlings, can you spot the two interlopers!

 I headed up to Yellowhammer Alley as I like to call it, once again the farmer has flailed the hedge even lower than last year,😡😢 When I first came to Hurstpierpoint this hedge was taller than me now it's barely up to my waist, predictably there was no sight nor sound of any Yellowhammers in it, maybe they will come back as the spring advances, though in previous winters I have seen them up here, flying about. Hedges have to be managed but this is just butchery.

What's left of the Yellowhammer hedge lets hope there is enough cover for them to nest come the spring

On a brighter note, there was a lot of Skylark activity, not full on song flights, but short sallies up into the air, where they were chased off by a neighbour, fun to watch against the blue sky! I made my usual woeful attempt at some flight shots!

Skylark, thought I'd share this one in keeping with the silhouette theme!

Yes I know, rubbish! But fun trying to get them!! I wandered around a bit, heading down towards the phone mast, tree across the path here would have stopped less intrepid birders, but managed to get through thanks to my surprisingly flexible and lithe body😱😲😂, although did get a bit of cramp getting my leg over one branch😂!!! Not much reward for my efforts though there was a small flock of Goldcrests which I completely failed to get a decent shot of! Not for the want of trying!!😢

Catkins out already

The only shot I got of a Goldcrest, at least you can tell what it is!!

I headed back up the lane, the Partridge were still in the field survived the guns for another couple of hours! The bushes around the Lag were a bit more productive with a small flock of Thrushes a few Redwing and a couple of Song Thrushes!

Red-legged Patridge

Song Thrush

Redwing

As I headed up the lane, I spotted a Buzzard sat on a Barn roof, unfortunately try as I might I couldn't get a clean shot through the hedge after about 10 minutes and a lot under me breath swearing, I gave up carried on up the lane past the barn, only to find from this position I had a clean shot, hurrah!!😏

What you looking at

Look I need a bit of privacy

Well I did warn ya!

Wa-heyyyyy!

Can I have my dignity back now please!

Right I'm going to leave magnificently now!!

Sorry about that!! Shame I didn't get the whole wing in with the last shot, would have been quite a  good pic had I done so!!😢 

As I watched the Buzzard fly off across the fields, it was joined by another bird as they spiralled up I realised it was a Red Kite which was nice, though very distant from a photography point of view!

Red Kite

The top of the Lane was still quiet, quelle surprise! Though I did manage a Robin shot that wasn't a silhouette, Hurrah!!

Hurstpierpoint Church

So this is what a Robin actually looks like!

Wolstonbury Hill with the Sun behind it!

So a pleasant enough walk, at least it wasn't raining, though birds were thin on the ground, I didn't see a single Finch which is fairly sad considering I was on prime farmland habitat😢! I will have another try for the Yellowhammers next month, fingers crossed they return!!