Arundel

Spent a lot of time at Barnes WWT over the season this year very interesting watching the trials and tribulations of the birds locally!!

Went to Arudel WWT for a first visit with my friend Pat who has just aquired a new macro lens for her camera.

Day out to Sussex, opportunity for her to practise with her new lens anda nice sunny day!!

Arudel is a pleasant rather attractive town with an imposing and impressive castle...have to visit another day. Passed a beautiful church St Giles on route after Pulborough...I expect Pete has been there!! The countryside looked really at its best - there had to be a reason for all that rain..the green were very green!!

WWT provided good coffee on arrival although we didn't eat there as we were too late for the hot food on our return from exploring the" estate".

We first went on the safari boat which despite the weeds and wind was really pleasant and the 3 children in the boat with us were very well behaved!!We saw a young Water vole feeding and an adult swim across the channel in front of us which was really good...Pat may have captured the young vole but she will have to look later today to see.

Plenty of young about- Little Grebes, Tufty,Mallard, Coot and Moorhens mainly.

Dragons and the others about...Emperor Dragonflies and some wide bodied something...I have to look them out but they were huge and impressive!! No pics of them as they were busy hunting.
Peacocks and some small blue butterflies (looked like Holly Blue ) but will await the photos to really id them. and some large purple butterflies which we wondered might be females...as yet unidentified!!
Said I was just beginning this butterfly lark!!

There are quite a few collection wildfowl here.....
and amidst the Blue Ducks (from NZ and I diud see them in the wild!!) was a juvenile Grey Wagtail looking very dapper!!

A Juvenile Robin all spotty (in a nice way not that teenage acne stuff)a with just a hint of red on his breast was busy in and out of a tree and on the path just outside of a pen containing some foreign Geese with their 5
very attractive juveniles!! Know the name just cant quite remember it!!)

Plenty of our garden birds there too. nice to see our breeding birds taking advantage of the collection araeas!!

Reed and Sedge Warblers about and confiding Dunnocks!!

Mute and Trumpeter Swans along with Black Swans all seem to get along.

The collection birds appeared to be very successfully breeding especially the Hawiian Geese
http://www.esasuccess.org/reports/profile_pages/HawaiianGoose.html

A lovely wander about alas no Kingfishers!!

We then went into Arudel walking past the moat surrounding the Castle into the main street complete with local butcher and lovely shops - antique shops which we resisted as we were looking for somewhere for a late lunch - it being after 3!!
The Red Lion Pub with delightful young man serving both food and drinks is to be recommended.
Local meat obviously supplied from the local butchers- my Steak was delicious and Pats local Sausages v.v.v tasty!! Sitting outside in the garden with a refreshing glass of Rose.

We then drove to Littlehampton to see the Sea. Eventually parked up and the smell of sea, seaweed and salt (well the taste really!!) assaulted our senses! Lovely...walk on the beach where local dogs were enjoying themselves...a lovely un spoilt beach...lots of Herring Guls about of all ages....and BH Gulls with some Commons.

We then went back to another car park nearer the town and walked in pursuit of real ice cream...which was sadly lacking! Every where was by now packing up except for the fish and chippies....obviously time for supper (not for us as replete) an old fashioned seaside in the to be recommended way....

I'm sure the day was tinged a little by the fact it didn't rain and that it was sunny!!

I expect I have left out some species of birds - it really wasn't a listing kind of day!!
_________________

The Good news about Woodlarks in UK

Listening to the radio this morning I heard an RSPB spokesperson reporting on the good news for Woodlarks this year.

However as always there was a but....the Wioodlark has done well due to "set aside land" that farmers do not farm but leave to itself. So what does the EC wish to do? Take "setaside out" apparently farmers wish to farm it again.

The RSPB wish that the setaside not go straight away as proposed but be left for one more year so they can get some proposals tothe farmers as an alternate or we we lose the gains made for the Wood Lark as well as other wildlife.

Read the article by clicking on the title.

To my readers

Sorry I have not blogged in ages...problems mainly with the pc but also I havent really felt like it!I am told that this happens to bloggers...but since I have never blogged daily cant see how I'm blogged out as in tombed out as any traveller to Egypt will recognise!

Not sure what to write except I have seen some Football from Canada under 20's World Cup, some footie from South America...some of the final parts of the Tour of France (ie about 20 k to go....and rain and rain and rain.........

and rain...and rain and rain....
Thats it I'm rained out!!

I have to sort out my Espana Birding trip...awaiting photos from a couple of the people who went with us...and notes from one of the leaders who promised to send me his nots as I couldn't keep up with the plants and Butterflies!!

I will try to do better in the future!!