In the field Monday

Another Monday and another attempt at an estimate at the birds in Pagham Harbour. The high tide was at 0417 so I got up early to catch the falling water and walked from White's Creek to  Pagham Spit and back. Then a quick look at Mill Lane before a lunch stop and then headed back out to check Ferry and Church Norton.

Checklist HERE. 76 species of over 1500 individuals. The tern and gull colony is more or less deserted now but with lots of birds and recently fledged young hanging aorund the islands and salt marsh. The main change since last week is more autumn waders in the harbour including the autumn's first Curlew Sandpiper, the Ferry nursery also closing down and a few more Sand Martins going over.  A Snipe was also my first for the autumn. 

Adult summer Curlew Sandpiper leading the pack of Dunlin and Redshank. Only noticed this bird when I checked my photos back home as when waders fly by close I take photos and ask questions later. 

Adult moulting Spotted Redshank- one of three today, also four Greenshank. There were also 2 Green Sandpiper on Mill Lane Marsh and about 4 Common Sands dotted around. 

Juvenile Mediterranean Gull- lots of these around today after the first ones appearing by the colony last week 

Juvenile Little Tern- Andrew reports that they have finished breeding on the island now and beginning to disperse 

Juv Pochard flying down the East Side channel was a surprise 

Adult and non-breeding Knot- a noticeable influx of Knot and other Arctic waders today with 34 Knot and a count of 161 Dunlin. Also a few more Ringed Plovers around but fewer Blackwits, Barwits and Grey Plovers. A juvenile Peregrine was hunting them all at one point. 

Only 65 species of moth in the trap last night as the third heatwave came to an end. A few migrants still including Bordered Straw (above) and Ni moth (below). A Meal moth was the only NFY so a real slow down now. 

Yesterday Jacob and I did a boat trip in Chichester Harbour - the highlights included good numbers of Whimbrel and Curlew (above) and the Ice cream boat (below), although at £6 an ice cream they were basically pirates. Had a few Whimbrel going over the garden for the last two evenings and three Common Terns on Friday morning so clearly lots moving around locally. 

The Sound Approach Book Launch

I met up with Jaffa yesterday and we attended the Sound Approach to Birding Second edition book launch at Poole Harbour. It was a two part event, first a birding boat trip round Poole Harbour and then in the evening an interview with the Sound approach team. HERE

A great day and evening and nice to pay homage to a great birding team. 

 

The Sound Approach in interview with Megan McGubbin 

Mark Constantine- the boss

Killian Mullarney- artist and birding guru

Magnus Robb- sound master 

Jaffa, Killian, Lucy and me - great to see everyone

Good views of Osprey on the baot trip

White-tailed Eagle

Spoonbills on Brownsea lagoon. Ebird checklist from the boat trip HERE- was mainly chatting on the boat so just an indication of what was around 

THE SOUND APPROACH

Silver-spotted Veneer

Another one on the wish list appeared today, Silver-spotted Veneer, Euchromius ocellea. Only the 13th record for Sussex according to the Sussex Moth Group website. 689th moth for the garden and 457th for the year. 

Silver-spotted Veneer. A few other migrants today too including 10 Cydia amplana, the customary swarms of Small Mottled Willow and a few of the other usual suspects 

Hook-tipped grass moth, Platytes alpinella - only the 2nd record here 

Dark Seedhead moth, Apodia bifractella - a new for garden 

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.  

34 bird species recorded today of about 140 individuals HERE. A few more Chiffchaffs around, the Swallow flock continues to build up, Sand Martins keep appearing and the Pied Wagtail roost flight was up to 16 this evening. 

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. One of the Chiffchaff was in here this evening gleaning the insects. 

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.