Bank Voles and a wren

Bank Vole, Myodes glareolus

to view a gallery with more photos, click here

On Wednesday afternoon I visited Arundel WWT. The Bank Voles were active at the logpile, together with a Blue Tit, a Robin and a Wren which fed on the structure. There was plenty of bird life, including a pair of Argentine Ruddy Ducks which I had not seen before.

Argentine Ruddy Duck ♀, Oxyura vittata

Argentine Ruddy Duck ♂

Bank Vole, Myodes glareolus

Black-headed Gull, Chroicocephalus ridibundus

Blue Tit, Cyanistes caeruleus

Gadwall ♂, Anas strepera

Robin, Erithacus rubecula

Shoveler, Anas clypeata

Swan Goose, Anser cygnoides

Trumpeter Swan, Cygnus buccinator

Wren, Troglodytes troglodytes

Wildlife Photography seminar and raptors

Golden Eagle ♂, Aquila chrysaetos

to view a gallery with more photos, click here

This morning I attended a Wildlife Photography seminar given by David Newton at Park Cameras, Burgess Hill. I arrived early and was able to take some snaps of the raptors which were set up in the car park before the crowds arrived. I enjoyed David’s presentation, you always pick up tips from professional photographers. I bought a new monopod to replace the current one that slides down in an annoying way. It’s a Manfrotto carbon fibre 290.

American Kestrel ♂, Falco sparverius

Buzzard, juvenile ♀, Buteo buteo

Chilean Blue Buzzard-Eagle ♀, Geranoaetus melanoleucus

Golden Eagle ♂, Aquila chrysaetos

Harris Hawk ♀, Parabuteo unicinctus

Kestrel ♂, Falco tinnunculus

Northern Hawk Owl ♀, Surnia ulula

Peregrine ♂, Falco peregrinus

Spectacled Owl ♂, Pulsatrix perspicillata

Tawny Owl ♂, Strix aluco

Medieval pendant hanger and a toad

harness pendant suspension hanger

to view a gallery with more photos, click here

On Saturday morning I walked along Ferring Rife but it was too cold for butterflies. I saw a pair of Little Egrets and a toad. Some frogspawn had drifted to the side of a pond and been left on the ground as the water receded. I moved it back into the water.

 On Sunday I attended a dig near Havant and was pleased with my find of a medieval harness pendant suspension hanger. It is made of copper alloy and has a blue enamel star at the centre and hints of gilt. I have found a pendant in the past, so it is nice to have a pendant hanger to go with it. There is a similar, but less fancy one on the PAS database here: https://finds.org.uk/database/artefacts/record/id/864404 This indicates that mine is c AD1200-1440. When I posted it on FB another detectorist posted an identical but less complete one found at Godalming.

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pendant with Lion emblem

this previous find was the sort of pendant that would have been suspended from the swivel at the bottom of the hanger

Common Toad, Bufo bufo

Little Egret, Egretta garzetta

Little Egrets