Sunday 1 September 2019

Come on Autumn!!

Well August was a mixed bag weather wise with some rain (but nowhere near enough to reflood the brooks although they  now look green rather than desert-like), plenty of sunshine and high temperatures, plenty of wind and even a little from the east eventually. But, for the most part, it was hard work with little on offer.

Hovers
A best count of 21 Volucellas of three species at TH and just good numbers of common species on Wild Parsnip at QECP.

Diptera
Plenty of Tachina fera and Phasia hemiptera at various sites including QECP and Sustainability and hundreds of Eriothrix rufomaculata on Ragwort at PB.

Bees
Elsewhere people have had early Ivy Bees but none yet at any local sites.

Wasps
Beewolf at Pulborough on main reserve and heathland plus others at Blashford around the usual spot; Cercerus rybiensis with Lassioglossum prey, Crabro cribarius and lots of Ectemnius spp  at Pulborough.

Mammals
Pretty much nil

Dragonflies
Just a nice hatch of Migrant Hawkers (first of the year) at Pulborough mid-month.

Butterflies
Painted Ladies on many dates and decent numbers of Holly Blues and still a few Brown Argus.

Other inverts
The  Pulborough Wasp Spiders proved elusive but thanks to Bryn at Blashford this one below was one of three seen on the south side lichen heath.

Birds
The QECP Spotted Flycatchers were nice to watch with both adults and two plus young but fewer on subsequent visits.

A 2cy male Marsh Harrier was the best at PB on two occasions plus the odd glimpse of one, maybe two, individuals at TH.

Another Wood Sandpiper, which gave great scope views, and four Black Terns plus a dozen Little Terns (the latter NfY!!) amongst 200 or more Common Terns were at TH although still no Roseates - probably little chance now.

Osprey at TH feeding whilst perched up on the Owl/Kestrel box was pretty decent and on the same day the North Binness bird was present, but hunkered down with a Peregrine on a post nearby. Subsequently, the TH Osprey was watched from the meadow on a second day but another much closer bird at Ibsley Water provided much better views on the ground.

Migrant passerines have been mostly tough to find although five decent looking Whinchat on Farlington,  probably 30 or so Yellow Wags at Farlington and TH (and even a singleton over the house) plus two nice fresh Wheatears on the Hill Head Yacht Club fence and a couple of the latter on hay bales at Pulborough.

Sadly, two Wrynecks at FM had gone to ground for all the post lunch visitors, myself included and one at Hook Links wasn't worth pursuing. Maybe still time in September for one.