A day at the lodge- garden wildlife

The heatwave continues so I spent another day concentrating around the lodge looking for inverts. Latest observations HERE.

A few photos below of the incredible garden biodiversity in this weather. Seems to be more everyday which hopefully is an indication that our oasis plan is working- its the only green spot left round here with lots of free nectar and water attracting critters from far and wide.  

Adult (above) and juvenile (below) Wren- it's me versus these two as they run round after me trying to eat the insects I'm trying to photograph 

Brown Argus

Common Blue. Eleven species of butterfly in the garden today

Striped Hawkmoth (above) and Rusty Acorn Piercer Cydia implana (below) were included in the moth trap highlights. There were 108 species last night of about 300 individuals and a few NFYs.  Now on 451 for the year. Also 77 Small Mottled Willow which is a record count here and a few Silver Ys, Rust Veneers, a single Rusty-dot and a Dewick's Plusia. 

Six-spot Burnet on the lavender was a surprise and a new for garden, moth species number 687. 

Clouded Yellow- this was a surprise flying around the conservatory- a first for garden

Blue-tail Damselfly emerged from the pond

Hornet Hoverfly 

Red-spotted Parasite fly 

Fly sp. I-nat says this is Noon Fly but not sure. According to I-Nat AI I've had 55 species of fly in the garden HERE

I-nat says this is Common Pantaloon Bee? 

Been some wacky bettles recently too in the moth trap including Rust Pine Borer (above), Vespilio Burrowing Bettle (below) and Violet Ground Beetle (below that) 

Xylotrechus antilope. Another wacky bettle- this one was inside the garden office. 

The wild carrot has been the success story of our winter seeding- absolutely buzzing with insects 

The harvest is beginning in the mini-farm

The lovage has been another great success- again totally buzzing

Garlic (above) and the first Padron Peppers (below) were harvested today

The London Run

It's got busy at work this week so I had to overnight in London to do a couple of days quoting. Gave me an opportunity to visit Beddington Farmlands and on the way back today I stopped off at Oaken Wood. Last week I stopped off at Leith Hill to drop off the duck crates and had a quick look round there. I did Knepp last year on the London run and there are various other decent sites I pass by so makes sense to make the most of these commute journeys.

So I was up at 430am on yesterday morning and did the moth traps quickly- just Cabbage moth was the only NFY. It was then a full day of work and in the evening I went to D'Angelo's school play with the family.

This morning I was up at 5am and went over the farmlands. I had 52 species of nearly 500 individuals HERE but that was just along the path. Highlights included seeing three to four Pochard families, juvenile Lapwings, a juv Yellow-legged Gull and Common and Green Sandpiper. What with the Pochards and the sight of the Lapwings sitll hanging in there it was actually quite a positive morning (although the wet grassland was more or less dry). Of course it could be so much better but it looks like the skeleton crew of birds holding the fort are hanging on. 

On the way back after the morning's extra quotes I stopped off at Oaken Wood. Had planned to meet Lee there but the heat had got the better of him and wiped him out. It was actually too hot by the time I got there so I spent an hour or so before heading home. About 30 C today with that northeasterly still.  

Still haven't seen one on the Peninsula 

Juvenile Yellow-legged Gull. A full juvenile and very dark so not sure if can completely rule out a juvenile Lesser Black-back but structurally the bill looks thick, the inner primary window is present but faint, there's an eye mask and the tail tapers at the edges with the uppertail coverts being sparsely spotted. 

Plenty of warblers along the path, Reed Warbler (above) and Blackcap (below)

One of the Pochard families, I saw three females all with broods (two with very young birds) and there were some odd birds around too - maybe first brood birds or a from a different family? Good that is a Beddington success story still to tell- a red data list species so this is great to have three to four breeding pairs. 

Green Sandpiper - an iconic Beddington bird with up to 50 birds in the past in the autumn. I only saw one today but they generally like the pits and gulleys.

The Beddington south lake

Oaken Wood 

Wood Whites (above). Had about 15-20 along the first mile or so of the path from Botany Bay car park HERE. Too hot to go any further but they were more or less everywhere. The second brood in full swing by the looks of it - earlier due to the weather presumably. A lifer, after Lee and I dipped them years ago at this site. 

Silver-washed Fritillary. A few of these. Also had Purple Emperor, Large Skippers and Brimstones. 

Nice day and great night

Spent today doing a count of the birds in Pagham Harbour and doing a bit round the lodge. There was a strong northeast wind blowing, gusting to gale force, so passerines were doubling down what with adults moulting now, being largely silent and the strong wind. I made it 72 species of about 2500 individuals HERE but once again didn't cover Halseys, the Lagoon or the Spit (I ran out of time). Haven't recorded Cetti's for the last two weeks so they must have really gone to ground and basically hardly any passerines visible at all in the bushes. 

Bird highlights today were an adult Yellow-legged Gull, 2 moulting adult Spotted Redshanks, 4 Common Sandpipers, 1 adult summer Sanderling, 5 Knot, 17 Bar-tailed Godwit and good numbers of Grey Plover and Dunlin.

There were more juvenile Med Gulls around the colony so they obviously fledge later than the other birds and Ferry is largely clearing out of young birds now. There were 8 Little Ringed Plovers but only 9 Avocet. 

So overall, what with the first YLG of the autumn and an increase in waders it was a nice little day in the field.   

However the moth traps this morning were once again more exciting than the birding (often the case this time of year) . It's not often I get three moth lifers in one night in the garden so last night was pretty exceptional. 

I thought that the heatwave was only due to last another day or two so I spent some more time recording the inverts in the garden. Had a nice selection of butterflies again including the year's first Small Tortoiseshell. However by the looks of the recent forecast the heat wave is set to continue which is a bit concerning as everything is beginning to look very dry locally (apart from the oasis in the garden I'm trying to create). 

Adult Spotted Redshank with Blackwits 

The wader roost on East Side is growing. Dunlin, Knot, Sanderling, Turnstone, Barwit and Grey Plover in this photo. 

The gull and tern colony at Norton is still going strong- birds everywhere still

Adult Yellow-legged Gull and Greater Black Back. Presumably the regular returning bird marking another milestone in the progress of autumn. 

Another sign of autumn is the hirunndines on the wires in the lane. Also a few Sand Martins around and moving through 

Green Arches (above and below). Lifer. 

Orange-rayed Pearl, Nascia cilialis- Lifer

Wood Marble, Lobesia reliquana- Lifer. Now on 686 for the garden and 443 for the year

Birch Mocha- a first for garden

Lettuce Tortrix, Eucosma conterminana

Small Tortoiseshell- the first this year. Apparantely a species in trouble this year

Painted Lady on the lavender - once again the lavender was buzzing - Commas, Essex Skippers, Red Admirals, Painted Ladies, Gatekeepers, Small Tortoiseshell, Small White and Hummingbird Hawkmoth (below) were feeding on them today

Once again the garden was alive with insects, mainly on the wild carrot, lovage and lavender. Latest inverts observations HERE

Light Crimson Underwing

The cherry on the cake of this latest heatwave appeared today in the form of a Light Crimson Underwing- a long awaited and exciting lifer. A red data species. 

Very happy indeed.