Hard work rarely pays off

I decided to do a full count of the birds of Pagham Harbour today. I started off at Church Norton and did the graveyard to the severals, then over to Ferry and the discovery area, then off to Halseys to owl copse and then circled round the back fields. Then a stop for milkshake at Berries on Tap and an early lunch at Runcton Farm Shop before doing North Wall to Pagham Spit. 

14,792 steps and 83 species of bird of 3711 individuals logged HERE. Highlights were basically nothing. Despite seven hours searching I didn't see anything that unusual. One Wheatear and one or two presumed juvenile Yellow-legged Gulls was as good as it got. Dunlin and Ringed Plover numbers are up again and I also had my first juvenile Black-tailed Godwit for the year. A few Yellow Wagtails were going over and there were three juvenile Common Gulls around too. 

Bird of the day on the Peninsula was a juvenile Turtle Dove that Lucy Love found in her garden drinking from the bird bath. The Taoists have an idea called 'wu wei', which translates broadly as 'effortless action', an idea I am normally a follower of and today provided confirmation that it is a good idea.

The moth trap was less dissappointing with a few new for years including Small Rananculus and a couple of Beet Moths. Also a few migrants including a Bordered Straw, 4 Scarce Bordered Straw, a Pearly Underwing (very few this year so far) and 13 Silver-Y amongst the Small Mottled Willows, Rush Veneers, odd Rusty Dot and a few Dark Sword Grass and Delicates. Delicates are been featuring well recently with nearly double figures yesterday. Now on 509 for the year which is broadly similar to this time last year. 

The most excitement today was saving the lifeboat a trip out. I noticed a couple of people far out on the main pagham spit island where a few weeks ago a family had to be rescued from after getting cut off by the tide. They seemed oblivious to the rising tide so with the help of other beach goers, after I pointed out the risk, they were yelled in and then effectively rescued by other people helping them back after trying to cross the channel which had already become quite a torrent of water rushing into the harbour. A few minutes later and they would haven't made it back. Both girls were totally soaked and one lost their shoes but otherwise all good.   

First-winter Wheatear

My first juvenile Blackwit of the autumn, with an adult Spotted Redshank

Presumed juvenile Yellow-legged Gull , two birds on East Side. More photos HERE. 

An increase in Dunlin numbers on East Side. I got ChatGPT to count them- approx 160. Also about 100 Ringed Plover.

The Peregrine put all the small waders up at one point. ChatGPT reckons 230 birds in this image

Good numbers of Sandwich Terns at Pagham Spit, 3 Common Terns today too but the Little Terns are long gone- they more or less dissappear as soon as the young fledge

Jay- not a guaranteed bird on any one day at Pagham Harbour. 

Juvenile Cattle Egret- all the breeding birds are free flying now including the last of the Avocets on Ferry and the Shelduck family 

Bordered Straw. 4 Scarce Bordered Straw last night too.

Silky Wainscot

Small Ranunculus- NFY

Beet moth- the all time garden moth list is 704 so added something recently. Might be this species.

Cool Sunday

It felt decisively autumnal this morning in the cooler conditions and partly overcast skies. The moth traps were not as exciting as recent days but there were still a few migrants including 3 Small Marbled again (maybe the same ones?) and a new for year species in the form of a couple of Frosted Orange. Now on 506 for the year. A Greenshank flew over the garden this morning, there was a Ringed Plover calling yesterday evening and the good numbers of hirundines, mainly Sand Martins are still present over the garden which is wonderful to see. Also a single Swift still around. 

As it was Sunday, Holly took Jacob to church and I hung out with Isaac for a bit before we all met up again and spent the afternoon at West Wittering and East Head. There was a surprising large high tide roost of waders on Snowhill Marsh. I had given up on that site after trying persistently over the Spring for roosting waders but it seems it's being used again now- maybe because it was a very high tide, over 5 meters. Ebird list HERE with highlights including my first Golden Plover of the autumn, 12 Greenshank, a juvenile Bar-tailed Godwit and seemingly where all the local Black-tailed Godwits and Sandwich Terns have been hanging out. 

In the early evening I went to Church Norton to look for the Pied and Spotted Flycatchers that had been found in the morning. I couldn't find the flycatchers but did have a couple of Garden Warblers (a local year tick, now on 178), about 8 Willow Warblers, a Chiffchaff, a couple of Blackcaps, a Wheatear on the concrete blocks and more surprisingly a Treecreeper was in with the tit flock. It broke off from the flock as it refused to fly over our heads with the flock and went back to the south side of the area behind the hide. A Pagham Harbour tick for me (now on 191) and only seen them on the Peninsula in the woods along Chichester Harbour.  It evaded my camera but I managed to get a sound recording below. Ebird list HERE.

Garden Warbler

There are few finer waders than a summer plumage Grey Plover 

My first Golden Plover of the autumn

High tide wader roost at Snowhill

Approx 250 Sandwich Tern on the marsh too

Frosted Orange- NFY

Small Marbled , one of three again. 

Golden Argent- there were lots of these in Scotland but the first here in a while

Treecreeper calling at Church Norton 

The fifth wave waning

Cooler conditions are forecasted for tomorrow and there is plenty of rain in the forecast for next week. What with all the DFLs on the Peninsula at the moment. in the hot weather. the traffic is awful so it was a good excuse to spend the day at home and make the most of the rest of this heat wave. The best one for moth migrants so far.  

The moths traps were even more busy last night with 113 species of around 450 individuals with a few potential new for sites and NFYs. Now potentially on 703 for the garden and 505 for the year.  The traps were also full of by-catch, mainly beetles and bugs. Latest pan-species observations HERE. 

The garden oasis is working well with lots of butterflies and insects taking refuge here. Today there were single Common Darters and Migrant Hawkers, 15 Small Whites, 3 Large White, 3-4 Red Admirals, 2 Peacocks, 2 Common Blue, 1 Brown Argus, 2 Meadow Browns, 1 Comma, 1 Small Copper and the second Clouded Yellow for the garden in the meadow. There were also Yellow Belles, Rush Veneers, Blood Veins and Vestals in the grass too so the meadow is excelling. What with the Clouded Buff in the meadow recently it really has been pretty incredible for a one acre plot in the middle of what is now a desert.

There were lots of hirundines over head too with approx 250 Sand Martin, 80 Swallow and 30 House Martin and the Hobby was on the hunt again. Also a couple of Yellow Wagtails over and a Willow Warbler was in the raised bed briefly. A pair of Ravens were circling for a while calling and the family of Buzzards were up for most of the day. Garden log from today HERE. 

I had to drag myself away from the garden to have a quick check of Church Norton but I timed the tides wrong. There were another 100 Sand Martins over there with a Hobby hunting there too. Elsewhere on the Peninsula today there were about 20 Wheatears, the autumns first Whinchat, a Spot Fly and more Willow Warblers with a Pied Fly yesterday and a small influx of Pied Flys in the county today too. I'm looking forward to have a full day in the field on Monday. 

Hobby hunting Sand Martins over the garden

Sand Martins (above) and mixed hirundines (below) around the garden 

Raven over- one of two

The local Buzzard family were enjoying the thermals today. This juvenile was soaring fairly low.

Juvenile Song Thrush- the local passerines are remaining very elusive at the moment 

Clouded Yellow

Barred Rivulet- one of two, the first for site and a lifer

Three Small Marbleds last night - from a garden mega to quite a regular moth recently. Also had another Striped Hawkmoth and good numbers of common migrants including 80 Small Mottled Willows, 22 Portland Ribbon Wave, 25 Rush Veneer and a good selection of the other expected migrants.  

Golden Twin-spot- a first for the year

Cosmopolitan- the second this year

Dark bordered Pearl- one of two

Scarce Oak Knot-horn (tumidana)

The apps say Phyllonrycter trifasciella - retained

The apps say Sycamore-seed Pygmy, Etania decentella. Retained. 

The apps say Glasswort Case-bearer, Coleophora salicorninae. Retained. 

Striped Hawkmoth- these are becoming so regular here now that I almost didn't feature it in this post- I've now come to my senses and here is one of the most incredible migrant moths that we get here

The front garden aka the Sidlesham oasis

Instead of eating them I let the artichokes flower to enjoy this spectacle which the bees love

Meanwhile outside the oasis, this is what everywhere else looks like- Kyle's sheep in the field next to our garden and St. Wilfred's graveyard at Church Norton (below). Fingers crossed for some substantial rain next week as it's a bit nervous for everyone living in a nationwide tinderbox. 

The fifth wave intensifies

The blistering and stifling heat continues but by the looks of the forecast it's getting cooler on Sunday. Therefore I went all in again with four moth traps out in the garden and did my best to keep an eye out during the day for inverts. It was a busy work day so I probably missed some bits but there were a lot of hirundines around, approx 200 Sand Martin, 100 Swallow and 30 House Martin and at one point they all balled up with the arrival of an adult Hobby. There was also 3 Yellow Wagtail over.

The moth traps were very interesting and diverse (again over 100 species) which seems a bit surprising considering the prolonged drought conditions everywhere. There was also plenty of butterflies with Small Whites, Large White, Painted Lady, Peacocks, Red Admiral, about 6 Holly Blues, a Brown Argus and a Small Copper in our garden meadow. Hopefully the oasis we've created has got something to do with the sustained abundance.

Highlights in the moth trap included a nice selection of migrants with Small Marbled, Marbled Green, 2 Saltmarsh Knot-horn, 8 Vestal, 15 Rush Veneer, 4 Dark Sword Grass, 1 Rusty Acorn Piercer, 16 Portland Ribbon Wave, 2 Diamond-backs, 5 Rusty-dots, 2 Scarce Bordered Straw, 2 Silver-Y and about 40 Small Mottled Willow. Derek in Bracklesham is getting over 100 Small Mottled Willows recently and up to 200-300 last week and is only a few miles away.  

There was also some interesting dispersives including Clouded Buff again, a record 7 Rosy Knot-horns, Rosy Wave, 4 Yellow Belles, 5 Roseate Marbles and several coleophoras which I have retained for dissection- presumably also off the Downs considering the supporting cast. Also a Vine moth which if confirmed is a new for site. Now on 499 for the year. 

The government phone alert went off this evening warning of extreme fire risk in the area. There's some rain in the forecast for next week so fingers crossed the thirsty land gets some respite soon. 

Adult Hobby over the garden

Green Silver Lines- always a treat to see. The Clouded Buff was in the trap too adding a nice bit of colour this morning.

Vine moth candidate- if confirmed a first for site

Rosy Knot-horn- a nice influx of one of my favourite moths, a species which triggered a passion for leps

Roseate Marble- five of these 

Small Marbled

Marbled Green

Aethes sp- retained for dissection 

The apps were confident this is Golden-rod Pug but Colin isn't having it without dissection and I didn't keep it- one that got away sadly

Great Silver Diving Beetle- absolute monster. Presumably it's pond dried up and it's looking for water. It's amazing to observe how inverts are dispersing widely in response to the extreme conditions and migrants are moving in - literally population distribution and migration ecology evolution occurring in real time.