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ZEISS DTI thermal imaging cameras. For more discoveries at night, and during the day.

RSPB Pulborough Brooks, 16th April (1 Viewer)

Elizabeth Bigg

Addicted member
A lovely day for our first visit to this reserve, with bright sunshine most of the time. Chiffchaffs were calling from all around, green woodpeckers were forever teasing us with their "yaffles", and there were occasional calls from pheasants. I thought I was going to return home with some of the birds on my list with (H) after their names.

There were three highlights of the day - first of all I sat down for a while with all our gear, while Malcolm went back to the Centre to pick up some sandwiches. I heard a beautiful song that I couldn't identify, but the bird continued to sing when Malcolm returned - and he immediately said it was a nightingale. I was rather sceptical at first, then two more people came along and confirmed it.

When we were in the first hide, admiring the usual birds, and feeling pleased that we could identify some of them following Minsmeet, we saw a green woodpecker - a little later it was joined by another, and then a third arrived. There was then a fierce battle between two of them while the other flew off. It was really vicious, until one of them admitted defeat, and flew away.

Finally, as we were wending our weary way back to the Centre, we kept stopping to try to see a chiff chaff - and eventually succeeded. It was quite close to us, and we had an excellent view, as it called from the nearby tree.
 
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Nice to hear you had such a good day out, and the weather was kind for you. Some nice bird's there Elizabeth. ie, greenwoodpecker yet to find 1.
bert.
 
bert said:
Nice to hear you had such a good day out, and the weather was kind for you. Some nice bird's there Elizabeth. ie, greenwoodpecker yet to find 1.
bert.

We have them in our garden, Bert - digging great holes in the lawn (ie moss/weed area, with a few blades of grass here and there to justify the name) to reach the ants, I presume. Their visits are very erratic - we can go for many weeks without seeing one, then suddenly we see one several days within a week.
 
I'm going to have to get down to Pulborough sounds a nice place.

I'll be testing you in a couple of weeks EB!!
 
Hi Elizabeth,

Glad you had a nice day at Pulborough....

I have been there only once - in July last year - but really enjoyed the visit and plan to go back again this year....

Saw lots of birds but the 2 highlights that I can recall were seeing a fully-grown Cuckoo 'chick' being fed by a Dunnock (with a Blue Tit watching anxiously from close by). Quite a sight, as this monstrous thing was crying for more, much to the discomfort of the attendant birds. Chatting to the warden, he reckoned it was about ready to depart....

The other thing that I can recall were the 'tame' Yellowhammers - just sitting there on top of hedges singing away. They seem so photogenic that I plan another trip this year with my camera!!
 
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