Birding with 'Statler' and 'Waldorf' at Warnham NR

Yesterday I found myself at Warnham Nature Reserve, a beautiful little reserve on the outskirts of Horsham in West Sussex. I've been there several times before and always enjoyed the place. It has the best large bird feeding station situated in a clearing with a golf course edged by scrub and trees on one side and a long sheltered hide on the other. It offers great views of the birds without disturbing them. In early February last year I saw my first Brambling at Warnham, pottering around the feeders without a care in the world. I also had great views of Redpolls and Siskins. Unfortunately we weren't so lucky yesterday, but sitting for hours in the hide isn't about 'birding', it's more about trying to get some lovely natural and close up photos.

 

So who are 'Statler' and 'Waldorf' ? Are they two more birds that I've nick-named like I have with Burt the Bittern or the Marmite Parakeets ? No. They are my new names for the two old farts who I went to Warnham with, my old muckers Fewy and Scally.

 

Some people would listen to them rambling on and comment they are like two little old ladies, but that would be an insult to little old ladies. They are just like the two characters from The Muppet Show who used to sit in their balcony, shouting abuse at the rest of the Muppets. As Wikipedia quotes 'They are two disagreeable old men who heckled the rest of the cast from their balcony seats', and that is ohhhhhhh soooooo true.......But without them my day would have been kind of boring. The banter between them on the journey there and back, and whilst at Warnham, was so entertaining I could often do nothing but listen with a bemused smile on my face.

 

 Numbers were evened up though when their friend joined us, the lovely talented Maryla, who is very much on our wave length when it comes to photography, bird knowledge, humour, sneaking off for a fag and who also shares cake in the hide. Fewy provided the coffee (in giant flasks as the café is temporarily shut) and as he was told to, both Scally and Fewy provided the fantastic dry humour and all in all we each had a pretty good day.

 

 

As always none of my photos are going to win any prizes. When I go out, I tend to take photos to capture a memory and to share that on my blog posts. The others all have fantastic photos from the day out, but as this is MY blog, you'll have to make do with mine....

 

The most noticeable, noisy and numerous bird yesterday was the colourful Goldfinch. There were loads of them, all centred around the feeders on the far left. It was hard trying to get a photo of one of them away from the feeders (for the more aesthetically pleasing photo) but I managed one eventually....

 

 

There was also a small group of Greenfinches around. Only three seen at any one time but they were also focusing more on the feeders on the far left....

 

 

Warnham has got to be the best place to get a close up view of Nuthatches. They feed on the chopped off stumps, on feeders, clamber up down and trunks and on the ground. As I so rarely see any at my own patch I do get a bit over excited when I see them so clearly elsewhere. So here's a mini over-load.....

 

 

  

 

 

Reed Buntings are another bird I don't see on my patches anymore (though I did have a 'moment' with an obliging female at the LWC on Saturday), so here's a couple of photos of winter plumage males.....

 

 

 

It's not just the little birds that take advantage of the feeders. Ground scattered food also brings in Pheasants....

 

 

Mallards....

 

 

Song Thrushes....

 

 

Dunnocks...

 

 

 and several Robins...

 

 

We also spotted at least three Redwings throwing up leaf litter right at the back, but they were very flighty and didn't come out in the open to have their photos taken.

Blackbirds were also around in very good numbers. Mainly males (some noticeably smaller than others with that distinct darker bill that indicates they aren't 'locals') along with smaller numbers of females who were more aggressive than the males.

 

Chaffinches were also present in big numbers. I couldn't get any decent photos but the one below made me smile, and I couldn't resist adding the speech bubble. Sorry !

 

 

 Back in the trees we had the usual Great Tits....(caught this one in mid jump)

 

 

Long-tailed and Blue Tits...

 

 

and the lovely Coal Tit, who despite showing many times I just could not get a decent photo off, so you'll have to make do with this crap one of the bird feeding on the 'totem pole feeder'...

 

 

 A visit to the feeding station would not be complete without the appearance of the Great Spotted Woodpecker......

 

 

 

 It was very cold yesterday, and despite being so wrapped up I could barely move my arms, head or neck, my feet still felt the chill quite badly though so I had to move around just to stop the numbness in my toes. Of course this then involved having a sneaky fag outside of the hide and it was whilst Fewy, Maryla and myself were doing just that when Fewy caught sight of our first Treecreeper of the day.

 

Now this is a bird that really does get me excited. I have only ever seen one on my patch and that was several years ago. I have seen them several times at Kensington Gardens but never managed any distant shots. They are so agile that by the time you've got your camera lens on to them, they've already moved up the trunk. But this one was a bit more obliging, and even though I nearly fell over backwards trying to focus up the trunk, I at last managed two half decent photos....

 

 

 

We were soon back in the hide sheltering from an ever chilly wind, and the Treecreepers must have felt the same. We had three more sightings of the little brown lovelies popping up all over the logs and tree trunks within the feeding station area.....

 

 

 

 

I could have gone home happy with that yesterday, but there was more....

 

Around the totem pole feeder we kept seeing a little Bank Vole or two. I managed some distant shots with my 300mm lens, but nothing that made me happy.....

 

 

Right in front of the hide was a moss and lichen covered log. It was partly covered with seed and we soon found out why. There were several Bank Voles in that immediate vicinity who were taking full advantage, but you had to be ducking quick to catch one....

 

 

The four of us hardly left that hide yesterday. We did pop down to the Heron Hide to see if the Kingfisher was around (it didn't show for me or Fewy but Scally saw it) but as we were all content with a relaxed non-pressured day just taking in the sights that the fantastic bird feeding station was offering, we were more than happy to stay in the same place.

 

I know Warnham has more to offer but I've yet to walk the full circuit. I have made it half way round before and seen Hobbies skimming over the marshes in summer, and seen Roe tracks in the mud around the board walks in autumn, but to me when someone mentions Warnham NR it will always be the feeding station and hide that springs to mind.

 

A great day out with fantastic like-minded company. One I wont forget in a hurry.