Dawn to Dusk

There was such a feeling of calm as we noticed the wildlife activity around the pond. A Grey Heron flew out of the reeds, relocating to the far side where the water was coated in ice – that side doesn’t see much of the sun during the winter months. Not far from the heron, we also saw a Sparrowhawk flying into the trees. Overhead, a Common Buzzard was being mobbed by a few Carrion Crows. Ignoring them, it settled in a tree and eventually the crows flew off. Out on the water there were Tufted Ducks, Pochard, Teal, Mallards and Little Grebes milling about and diving for food. Sadly, any hopes of seeing a Kingfisher fly-by or a Great Crested Grebe glide across the water were unfortunately dashed.

Just behind where we sat, I noticed a male Blackbird had flown down to the base of the hedge. He jumped up and down repeatedly a few times to reach some berries. It looked quite comical. Higher above Blue Tits were also on the hunt for food, flitting about from branch to branch. I didn’t get my camera out until one flew down to the reeds nearer to us.

It was a lovely start to our day. There was just one more treat for us before we left. Bob spotted a Goldcrest weaving in and out of the hedgerow by the car park. It seemed very unconcerned by me snapping away and more interested in whatever food it could find. It was probably my best ever encounter with a Goldcrest, so I was very happy by the time we left.

On our way to the Arundel Wetland Centre (WWT) we had a brief stop half way up the Bury hill. There were great views across to Amberley Brooks, where the land was submerged by water after all the rain we’ve had.

We received a warm welcome at Arundel, not only from the staff, but also from a Robin that perched on a fence post. There wasn’t a great deal to see at the centre, since most of the ponds were frozen over, but we still enjoyed our mooch around. In fact, as we walked along the boardwalk, it was amazing to see what looked like layers of air bubbles in the ice.

A pair of Chiffchaffs were flitting about at the edge of a pond near the Sand Martin Hide and we had a very brief glimpse later of a Water Rail as it crossed a track and then disappeared into the reeds. The usual assortment of woodland birds were loitering near the bird feeders along with two rats that were underneath, hoovering up the seeds that dropped to the ground.

Surprisingly, despite the frozen conditions, the boat trips was still operating. A member of staff had been out earlier to break up the ice using the boat, which created a channel for it to slowly glide through. The ride wasn’t as peaceful as usual, as the boat kept bumping into the ice, and in some places it was already starting to reform. We didn’t see anything of note until right at the end when a female Kestrel landed on top of a small tree. She had her back to us, which meant I could fully appreciate the pattern on her lovely feathers. I willed her to turn her head. When she briefly obliged me, I was very grateful.

Dancing on Ice was our lunchtime entertainment. Half a dozen Canada Geese came in to land on a frozen pond. They slipped and slid along the icy surface trying to keep their balance. Some managed better than others. One even broke through a thin bit of ice and struggled to get back out of the cold water. Eventually it did, and they all waddled away across the pond.

The last part of the day was spent up on the South Downs not far from Arundel. After parking the car, we wandered along the road and spotted a lovely row of Snowdrops shining brightly in the sunshine – my first of the year. There were no Redwings feeding on the berries in the trees nearby where there had been before, on our last visit. But on this occasion, our focus was mostly on larger birds of prey. Admittedly, early on, we did stop to enjoy watching a couple of Brown Hares on the far side of a field. I can never resist them, though they were too far away for photos. I love how they lay low, looking just like clumps of mud. Many walkers probably pass by without even noticing the hares are there.

As we approached a field margin where I normally look for hares, we noticed a photographer fixing his gaze and camera on something. We stopped a little distance away. Lifting up my binoculars, I expected to see a hare, but it was a Short Eared Owl sitting in the sunshine with its eyes closed. Fabulous! We hadn’t stopped for long, when we heard a heavy vehicle driving up the lane. I pointed my camera at the owl, just in case it flew off. But, as the noisy vehicle rattled past, the owl simply opened its eyes, looking fairly unimpressed with the disturbance, but didn’t budge. It seemed well settled. In fact, twice more vehicles went by, but it remained motionless.

Gradually, we edged further along the path looking for gaps in the hedge to get a better and closer view of it. We kept watching for a while, wondering if it would take off and start hunting. Suddenly, Bob called out quietly, ‘Hen Harrier’. He was watching some birds flying just above the field on the brow of the hill. I quickly captured a few frames before it disappeared out of sight. Looking at the images straight away, I could see the white band at the top of the tail and was able to confirm it was a Ringtail Hen Harrier – either a female or juvenile (in winter, you can’t distinguish between them). There was much excitement as they’re a rare sight in these parts.

After a while of watching the Short Eared Owl doing not very much at all, we started to deliberate whether we should continue to wait for something to happen, or carry on in the hope of seeing more activity further into the Downs. It’s always a tough choice. However, we were both in agreement, we wanted to continue our walk and enjoy that, even if we saw nothing else. So, we moved on.

Not long after, it was the turn of a Red Kite to capture our attention. It came in to land on a recently cut hedge, separating two fields. Quietly, we walked along the path hoping to get a better view of it. But, by the time we found a gap in the hedge, it had flown off. Oh well! Such is life! Sometimes you only have brief glimpses of wildlife at a distance. I guess that’s why we appreciate it so much when we’re lucky enough to see something up close and personal.

Suddenly, out of the corner of my eye, I caught a flash of white on the far side of the field closest to us. I knew in an instant it was the barnie, even though it had dipped out of sight. It was the same place I’d seen it a few days before on my last visit. Both of us fixed our eyes on the corner of the field where it had disappeared. We waited. And waited. The seconds turned to minutes. Then suddenly, up it flew up again. Beautiful! It’s such an elegant bird. Silently, and with a seemingly effortless flap of its wings, it glided above the line of tall grasses. It was wonderful having the opportunity to see if fly across in front of us a little lower down the slope. It would swoop around quickly to change direction and every now and then we were treated to that special moment when it hovers in the air before it dives down. With the last of the evening light shining on its wings, it was a beautiful moment.

The barnie headed down into the valley and started to hunt down there. Most of the photographers we’d passed earlier had already left as soon as the valley was cast in shadow. But a few hardy ones were rewarded with some lovely views I’m sure. Plus, not one, but two Short Eared Owls appeared down the bottom. They never ventured particularly high up the hill, but they were still a joy for us to watch nonetheless, through the bins. There’s good hunting ground in the whole area for the owls, so they can easily and quickly spread out. It’s pot luck whether you happen to be in the right place at the right time!