Back to the patch and the fifth wave

It was a bit topsy turvy coming back from the holiday rain and cool temperatures in Scotland to the hot and dry conditions back home, exaggerated by the beginning of the fifth heat wave this summer. It really has been an extreme summer this year with several serious wildfires and droughts across the country. Our local area is on an extreme fire risk warning. 

Thanks to Kath and Kyle our plants and pets were kept alive while away (apart from our Mexican Red Knee that mysteriously died despite having all it should need). I got on with watering everything as soon as I got back yesterday.

So yesterday afternoon was spent just catching up in the garden. It was quite lively on the bird front HERE with a nice flock of mixed hirundines on the front garden phone wires and one or two juvenile Sparrowhawks playing cat and mouse with them. 

This morning I headed over to East Side and walked to the Spit and back and then went over to Mill Lane and Ferry HERE. 74 species of over 2500 individuals. Mill Lane Marsh has dried out but fortunately the RSPB have partly flooded Ferry again. Highlights included an influx of autumn wildfowl with 18 Teal, 3 Shoveler and 8 Gadwall, huge numbers of Med Gulls (I estimated 1500), 9 Yellow Wagtails in White's Creek and my first 2 Wheatears of the autumn. A nice little selection of waders on the rising side with 14 species including 4 Greenshank, 1 Spotted Redshank, 7 Whimbrel and 6 Knot. An adult Peregrine was out hunting over the spit at high tide. Oystercatcher numbers have gone up to nearly 90 HERE where as Black-tailed Godwit has dropped right off HERE. 

The moth traps were quite lively with 90 species inlcuding 8 Portland Ribbon Wave and 2 Blair's Mocha which have been scarce this year so far.  Also a few NFYs, now on 494 for the year and a Delplanqueia dilutella/inscriptella - a first for site. Straw Underwings have appeared now too. Other 'migrant' species included two Cydia amplana, four Silver-Y, four Rusty-dots, 2 Dark Sword Grass, a single Diamond-back and Vestal, two Delicates, about 25 Small Mottled Willow, 9 Rush Veneer, six European Corn Borer and a handful of White-points.  Derek over in Bracklesham has had extremely high numbers of Small Mottled Willow over the last week- no obvious increase round here. Also a couple of Yellow Belles. 

Seems like more butterflies around (Common Blues and Brown Argus are in the garden meadow) and there was a Ruddy Darter in the garden yesterday too. 

Sand Martin( above) and Swallow and Sand and House Martins on the front wires

Sand and House Martins

Juvenile Sparrowhawk

Whimbrel- a few more of these today

Autumn ducks- Gadwall and Shoveler (above) and Teal (below). Oddly the Teal were out on the sea/harbour entrance. 

Wheatear- my first of the autumn . There was a small influx today on the Peninsula with 3 at the bill, 2 at Norton, one on the wall and the 2 on the spit.  Despite the clear blue skies and high pressure there was a brisk south east wind today which could have held up migrants. As usual all the local bird news HERE. 

Huge numbers of Med Gulls were out on the Spit 

The Pagham Harbour Common Seals have peaked at 10 individuals (9 here and one by the harbour entrance) 

Delplanqueia dilutella/inscriptella- retained for critical examination. Either species would be a first for the garden. 

Rosy Knot-horn- NFY at last  

According to I-Nat AI this is Common Groundhopper. Latest pan species observations from the garden HERE

It must be August not just because Wheatears have returned, hirundines are gathering on the wires and the first autumn ducks have arrived but also because there is an abundance of food ready for harvst in the garden now