A Short Jolly To Arne

Day 3 of using up annual holiday entitlement. Forecast again dry, mix of sun and cloud....and rumours of 2 of the Isle of Wight White Tailed Eagles roughly in the vicinity....well you never know your luck!!

There was a huge amount of birdsong in the car park as I arrived, but the only bird I glimpsed as it flashed by was a Nuthatch. I thought it would probably be too breezy for Dartford Warblers, so decided to head down the seasonal raptor trail. As I crossed the overflow car park a pair of Pied Wagtails were sat along a roped off area

High in a tree a bird was singing away. The tree was high and the bird was singing, two things I don't associate with Nutties, (I also thought it was too big as I could see it quite clearly without bins) but a very friendly pair of RSPB folks said it was a Nuthatch, so that's what I'm going with!

The Waggies had clambered down from the rope by now, and were in more familiar territory, on the ground

The Raptor Trail lived up to its name, with a beautiful Kestrel sat atop a pylon

Who then dropped off the pylon, and returned with some breakfast

My first lizard sighting....unfortunately for the lizard!!

Look....all gone....

He must have been hungry, because only a few minutes later he was off again...

Something flew over after the Kestrel had departed, but I can't make out what... any idea's please? (not a great picture either )

I got down to the hide at the end of the trail, and settled in for a few minutes to see would turn up. Nothing very much for a good few minutes, except at the very extent of the camera's range two Great White Egrets flew by separately

I was about to head back, but then "ping....ping....ping" Slightly strange looking Kingie, and only stopped for maybe 10 seconds

After a good few minutes waiting to see if the Kingie would return I headed back out, planning on heading to the viewing screen to look over the Middlebere (White Tailed Eagle ) Channel. On the way I heard some horrible screeching but couldn't work out what it was, apart from a flash of what looked like a black and white wing... literally barely a glimpse so could have benn a black and white anything, zebra, humbug, minstrel....you name it lol

Shortly after a deer came trotting through the heather and gorse, showing off his velvet antlers

I got to the screen, seeing nothing else en route, and after my eyes got accustomed to the distance I managed to make out some godwits and shelducks on the far side of the channel. Over head a pair of Spoonbills flew

Followed shortly by a Curlew

And a solo Spoonie

Heading back along the path movement in the undergrowth caught my eye, Chaffie 

And... always check around.... on the other side of the tree in the foreground of the Chaffie pic...Treecreeper

There was movement deep in a tree's foliage...I'm guessing Long Tailed Tit? (Lightened a lot to show any detail!)

And scampering above, Coal Tit

As I passed the Welcome Hut, their feeders were full of finches and tits... My first Greenie in ages (Thanks Mike for the inspiration to go looking for them!!)

Another Coal Tit

And finally.... a Siskin...not seen one since me and Mrs PB were on hols in Scotland several years ago 

And so ended a delightful wander round Arne

Thanks for reading

Stay Safe All

Edit.... I stuck the unknown bird after the Kestrel in Google Lens, and it came back as Sea Eagle?!?!