Local
All three Reed Warblers stopped singing two weeks ago so presumably all departed and no obvious sign of successful breeding. Young, unfledged Moorhens are still surviving.
On a couple of days single Swallows increased to five, ten and more, twittering away and hunting at ground level but no sound of Swifts here in the last week.
On the 29th a very noisy female Tufted Duck with three tiny young was 'alarming' to a fox with its head under the wire just feet away - the dopey Mallards all swam nearer for a closer look!!
One or two calling Willow Warblers hiding in thick scrub.
The Essex Skippers are all 'done and dusted' leaving just a few very tatty Meadow Browns, a few whites and still plenty of Gatekeepers- it seems to have been a good year for them. Singles of Small Copper, Holly Blue and this Painted Lady, below.
Three species of Grasshopper within a few yards namely, Lesser Marsh, Field and Meadow.
The only dragonfly left to appear here is Migrant Hawker which I'm sure will pop up in the next week or two. The small pond has Southern Hawker and a few paired, ovipositing Common Darters. One or two blue damselflies here might be Common rather than Azure based on last year but I'll need to take bins or a bigger camera lens to check.
Astata Boops appeared on the pond's fence and more recently both Volucella inanis and Volucella zonaria are to be seen on Hemp Agrimony and Eristalinus sepulchralis has been on umbellifers on a couple of occasions.
The Ragwort, splendidly covered in a variety of inverts two weeks ago, has now gone to seed and 'butterfly alley' is feeling empty until next spring. A few soldier beetles and Eriothrix rufomaculata are all that's left. Unlike elsewhere, where umbellifers are very numerous and productive there's little left here with any nectar value.
Moth trapping has been slow and either TOO hot or not worth doing with overnight wind and rain but Toadlax Brocade and a new micro, Duponchelia fovealis plus a few Jersey Tigers make it worthwhile.
Chichester Community Orchard
The first Common Damselfly and Volucella inanis of the year.
Titchfield Haven
Flight only views of Norfolk Hawker was the only notable sighting from the reserve.
Two Green Sandpipers, one Common and two returning Turnstones were the best of the waders but singles of Arctic and Roseate Tern were too elusive for those of us on site.
Pulborough
A virtually blank visit, mostly a catch-up with PW, but also handicapped by no water on the south brooks and disturbance on the north brooks; passerines now almost totally silent. Roe Deer the only thing in my notes.
Iping Common
Late breakfast plus a couple of purchases at Aylings prior to a short walk out along the top path. Four singing Yellowhammers, two perched up nicely, were the only birds and not a single Silver-studded Blue.
The scrub around the carpark produced the most insects with Nyctia halterata the best.
