Hoopoe treble-dip and Serin

It was a good day on the Peninsula yesterday (see HERE) with the first Serin in two years, 110 Little Gulls moving east, 40 Whimbrel east , a late wave of Brents, Arctic Skuas, another Hoopoe at Medmerry, two Spoonbills in the harbour, Little Terns in the harbour, a Russian White-fronted Goose on Drayton pits, a couple of Black Redstarts, a Whinchat, a good selection of common migrants and last and literally least, the Least Sandpiper. 

I missed the bloody lot as it was a work day at the Lodge with Matt. In the evening I tried my luck for the Hoopoe and once again dipped. There must be two to three birds locally which are eluding me.

Anyway this morning I was up at first light to try and salvage something of the weekend and quickly processed the moth trap- it was a good night as it clouded up and kept mild. When I arrived at the Bill , the magic south easterly wind from yesterday had switched round to a rather dreaded south westerly- the first 'prevailing wind' since probably late February. I wasn't expecting much so when the Serin (presumably the same bird from yesterday) flew over us all at the seawatch calling I considered that extremely fortunate. A Peninsula patch tick .  Indeed other than that it was pretty quiet, about 70 Brents, a Velvet Scoter, my first Little Terns of the year, a Kittiwake and a few Common Scoters were about it migrant list here .  

The rest of the day we went to Chichester for some last minute holiday shopping but I swung the family round to Drayton Pit and picked up the Russian White-front (another Peninsula tick- now on 187 and 150 for the year). There was a mutiny when I suggested we try for the Red-crested Pochard too so we came home and in the evening I did the walk from the Lodge to Mill Lane via Ferry and back- 3 Whimbrel flying over Ferry was the highlight. 

The moth trap was pretty good with Mullein, Pine Beauty, Purple Thorn, Pale Mottled Willow, Iron Prominent, Maiden's Blush, Knot Grass, Silver-Y and White-shouldered House moth all new for years amongst the Common Quakers, Hebrew Characters, Frosted Greens, Early Thorns, Nut-tree Tussocks, Lunar Marbled Browns and Early Greys. Three Twenty-plumed moths were the most I've had in one night. Lep list now on 443 for the Lodge and 61 for the year. 

No nominations for the Wildlife photographer of the year awards for this flight shot of the Serin yet

The White-front on Drayton Pit

The Blackwits are looking pretty impressive nowadays

Mullein

Pine Beauty

Purple Thorn

Silver-Y

Iron Prominent

Lunar Marbled Brown 

The caravan (visitor's accommadation) makeover coming along (history of these houses and this estate here which originated in the Socialist co-operative, the Land Settlement Assocation that Margart Thatcher closed down in 1983) and those somewhat cleaner gutters, pipes and windows on the house are what cost me the best day of the Spring so far yesterday. Once I'm back from Cyprus there will be a work ban for the peak late April to early May period.