Little Oak Lodge, Sidlesham, First days

We spent the first full day at the new house today which we have called Little Oak Lodge. Garden birding highlights included a Cattle Egret over, a Cuckoo, 3 Shelducks this evening, some Swifts moving through and about 40 or so Med Gulls overhead. We've also got breeding House Sparrows and had 40 species in the last day and a half including Blackcap and Chiffchaff holding territory in the lane. The boys and I walked down to the Ferry Pool to Medmerry cycle path, we found a public footpath that gets us there in a few minutes where we had a couple more new local ticks- Lesser Whitethroat and Mistle Thrush.

I'm looking forward to fully moving in this week and finally getting the chance to start some serious exploring of the area and get the local patch birding underway. We are back and forth to Oxfordshire for the next few days moving stuff over but should be over here by the end of the week. 

I had both the MV and twin-actinic moth traps out over the last couple of nights and it was pretty good despite the north wind and rather cool temperatures. Highlights included Portland Ribbon Waves, Cream-spot Tigers, Satin Wave and Eyed Hawkmoth, with the garden moth list coming in with 69 species in the first two days. Will be interesting how the mothing compares to the Old Vicarage. I'm hoping will be more migrants here on the coast but not sure the habitat is as good as it was in the mature garden environment at the Old Vic with some good extensive oak forests nearby. Will see! 

Garden Cuckoo- not a bad sign. A Cattle Egret going over was a sure sign that we are now in a top birding location so will be interesting what we get in and over the garden in the coming years. Planning on doing a lot of planting to get some decent garden habitat for migrants. 

Seems like Med Gull is one of our most numerous garden birds with small groups going over

Breeding House Sparrows are nice to have- two pairs in boxes

Cream Spot Tigers- a UK lifer for me (had a few elsewhere in WP) 

Portland Ribbon Wave- nice to have these 

Satin Wave

Engrailed/Small Engrailed Update 030624- my first error for the new house, it's a Brussel's Lace 

Common Rose Bell, Notocelia rosaecolana, I think? Extensive streaks on the costa seems wrong for the usual Triple-blotched Bell? 

Jacob in the overgrown front garden - there is a lot of wildlife gardening work that needs doing 

The boys out on the Pagham Harbour to Medmerry Cycle Path - this path links the two main birding areas on the Peninsula, Pagham Harbour and Medmerry RSPB. The other main birding area is Selsey Bill for seawatching. 

Even got time for a quick visit to the beach.