Church Norton, Roseate Tern

Finally caught up with the Roseate Tern at Church Norton yesterday evening thanks to Marc Read who was at Pagham Spit and picked it up from there and let me know. The blustery south west wind from the last few days finally calmed down yesterday and the evening was calm and the light fantastic so it was great to enjoy the ambience of the tern colony there as the sun was going down. About 300 Sandwich Tern and 300 Med Gulls were on the mud and islands with smaller numbers of Little and Common Terns. There were 3-4 Whimbrel about and the first two Shelducks that I've seen in a while locally. Ebird list HERE. I think I'm on 171 for the local year list now and 193 all time for the Peninsula. Will need to update properly soon but since last update Curlew Sandpiper,  Yellow-legged Gull and Roseate Terns were year ticks and Collared Pratincole and Lesser Yellowlegs were Peninsula ticks.

The moth trap was slow in the strong winds but a calm muggy cloudy night produced a good catch last night with several new for years. Now on 468 for the year and 589 all time. Webb's Wainscot, Silky Wainscot and Ear moth agg were new for years and Poplar Bent-wing was new for the Lodge. 

Adult Roseate Tern 

Juvenile Med Gull - plenty of these around now . Also the first juvenile Herring Gulls out too. 

Sandwich Terns including juveniles

Ear moth agg- have retained this for dissection to see what species it is. 200725- Colin Pratt, the CMR says I can have this as an Ear Moth. According to the Sussex Moth Group website there are no records of Crinan Ear in the county and only a couple of records of Large Ear in the north of East Sussex. 

Tawny barred angle - a new for year 

Poplar Bent-wing, Phyllocnistis unipunctella - might actually be a lifer

Soundscape from Church Norton- Sandwich Terns, Curlew, Little Egret, Herring Gull, Oystercatcher