Thursday 12 July 2018

Whole lotta Rosie..

The day started with Curlew calls over the car as I was loading up but, unlike a few days ago, wasn't Starling mimicry but the real deal heading high westwards. Then off to Titchfield for a couple of hours whilst waiting for the hospital to contact us about Dad's pending move.

After yesterday's Ruddy-fest at Pulborough (one male pictured in yesterday's post), just a single male Common Darter along the boardwalk today, the first I've seen this year. The dragon hot spot held a very inquisitive Southern Hawker which kept flying within inches but elsewhere just Emperors and this male Banded Demoiselle (an arms length shot into the sun).

The four Marsh Harriers were all airborne together with the two juveniles chasing their parents but just a couple each of Buzzard and Kestrel and neither Swifts nor hirundines.

Earlier, just after opening, a search of the beach on a near high tide failed to produce any of yesterday's Roseate Terns however, later checking of south scrape found two unringed adults sitting on island D woodwork, before being flushed off to the causeway by gulls. These were my first RTs since July 2010 and July 2011 both singles here at Titchfield also.

A few dozing Redshanks held this single juvenile and my first juvenile Med Gull flew over and out to sea; a couple of adults headed high, inland.

On the way back to the car this Physocephala rufipes, a conopid fly, was resting on a leaf.