WWT moths

Arrived in Arundel about 09:15 and was pleased to see and hear a few House Martins over Queens Street.

A little later at the pub carpark both adult Peregrines were on their usual perch and very noisy with the female plucking some prey.

Whilst queuing on the entrance bridge a number of  Four-spotted Chasers were ovipositing, a similar number of male Black-tailed Skimmers were sitting on warm patches of ground and a few Red-eyed Damselflies were on floating vegetation.

The moth event run by Suzy and Hannah was under the usual gazebo and attended by about fifteen people. A total of about seventy moths of twenty-five plus species.

Shears and Mottled Rustic were species I've never caught and Variegated Golden Tortix and Grey Pug were species I've only caught once, both in 2024, the former at No3 and latter at No8. Some wainscots seemed to be Smoky and Common. A few expected 'crowd pleasers' were missing, namely Elephant Hawkmoth and Buff-tip.

List below in part.

Other inverts were thin on the ground with an Osmia spp probably leiana just too quick for me.

Bird-wise a single Little Egret was feeding at least one young and both Marsh Harriers were active with the female continually being chased around a long way up by a very irate Oystercatcher. On leaving the male was sparring with a Buzzard.

No kites nor Cattle Egrets today.

GWH membership renewal

 

(Nephrotoma flavescens, Chrysotoxum bicinctum, Pipizella spp, Pegomya spp, Ectophasia crassipennis, Stem borer spp, Clover Melitta, Painted Lady, Pyramidal Orchid, White Helleborine, Enoplognatha ovata/latimana)

Weather hardly ideal for a walk here but at least it was quiet - until the coach load of school kids turned up!!

A Raven was calling from the usual tree and visible distantly but  single Swift was the only other bird.

Hoverflies

Eristalis pertinax, Chrysotoxum bicinctum, Meliscaeva auricollis,Cheilosia spp, Cheilosia pagana, Eupeodes spp male, Eupeodes luniger female, Syrphus spp, Myathropa florea, Volucella bombylans, Sphaerophoria spp, Episyrphus balteatus, Pipizella spp, Platycheirus albamanus (FB recorded)

Moths

Eucosma hohenwartiana, Crambus lathionellus, Chrysoteuchea culmella all kicked up from grass. Yellow-banded Longhorn near pond. The first above thanks to BS(FB Micros)

Butterflies

Pretty poor with just Common Blue, Painted Lady, Red Admiral, White spp, Large Skipper and Meadow Brown.

Other stuff

See above - The Clover Melitta (above) confirmed by CL and MM.

Dioctria atricapilla (Violet Black-legged Robberfly)

Andrena spp bicolor?

With it being fairly dim in the corner by the wishing well, and not putting on my reading glasses,  I didn't realise that the Enoplognatha spp was even a spider until I downloaded the photo!!

SHP x 2

 Thursday

Large Skipper x 2, Meliscaeva auricollis, Chrysotoxum bicinctum,Noon Fly and Eristalis spp, Crabronid wasp possibly Lindenius albilabris

Monday

Chrysotoxum  festivum, Phaonia spp, Dactylorhiza, Hawthorn Mining Bee (Andrena chrysosceles)

6

Briefest of QECP visits

 

A lot of faff yesterday included a visit to SC only to find it closed; I forgot they're not open Tuesdays!! Then on to QECP where a u-turn under the bridge was required due to flooding after heavy rain at night and again earlier in the morning. After reentering from the north I'm glad I did as the AA were dealing with someone who tried to drive through the flood - and failed!!

A gap in showers with thunder gave time for a quick walk after a slightly disappointing lunch. 

A few worker Bombus lapidarius were walking around in a confused state after what looked like a badger had dug out the nest.

A poor photo above of Gymnosoma rotundatum, now called Ladybird Balloon-belly.

The first few Bombus vestalis of the year were enjoying the thistle flowers in the 'hot corner' along with this Small Tortoiseshell, only my 2nd or 3rd this year; such a massive reduction in numbers over my lifetime.

Finally, a few Broad-bodied Chasers were on the wing but this one was perched low down by the staff vehicle park.

And today (03/06) saw the Swarovski 12×50s off back to Austria for a second bout of re-armouring via LCE Chichester. This really shouldn't happen at this price point!!

And Amazon delivered a CD which has the longest title of any I've ever bought - 

'The Worse Things Get The Harder I Fight, The Harder I Fight The More I Love You'!!!

A few from Titchfield on the coolest day for a while.

Food pass between male and female Marsh Harriers

Plenty of Painted Ladies, part of the ongoing invasion, and outnumbering all other butterflies totalled.

Along the path-side twenty or so Southern Marsh Orchids (probably 200+ in meadow) and a single Common Spotted. Lots of Ragged Robin.

First Black-headed Gull chicks.

Some NfY insects:- 

Wasp Beetle x 2 on Hemlock Water Dropwort, Meadow Brown, Cantharis pallida, Cantharis fusca, Cheilosia illustrata, Chrysogaster solstitialis, Roesel's Bush-cricket

Brief local

No change bird-wise although a Swallow hawking low over the field is presumably a local breeder in the Burrfields area.

This Broad-bodied Chaser sat up for a photo but too far for the macro lens. Later, two male Emperors chased each other skyward. Its that time of year when, despite warm conditions, there is a big butterfly 'gap' being still too early for Essex Skipper, Meadow Brown and Gatekeeper etc and nothing other than a couple of Holly Blues.

This Phania funesta was the only other thing of note.

As the Yellow Flag goes over the first few spikes of Purple Loosestrife are appearing.

And a bunch of hawking gulls midday included some calling Mediterraneans.

First trap of the spring... and summer only four days away,

I wasn't sure whether to put the trap out with a resident family of six foxes; the novelty has very definitely worn off now what with noise, smell and general chaos and damage. Awake by 04:30 and not long after that all hell broke loose, with an adult arriving with food and four youngsters going 'bat-crap crazy'. So it seemed wise to deal with the trap and unplug the electrics.

The totals came to 40/17, not great but about par for the course.  A Portland Ribbon Wave (below) was the fourth here, one per year since 2023 although this is the earliest and the Setaceous Hebrew Character (below) was the only thing I could be bothered to photograph out of a pot. Two common moths, Cinnabar and Yellow-banded Longhorn (a female), were both new for the garden and trap.

All were added to the usual Sheets spreadsheet.

A few screaming Swifts overhead.

The heatwave continues and wasn't conducive to much else. Later, a lingering coffee in the airconditioned Costa was very pleasant.

At the pond the lone Reed Warbler seems to have started mimicking alarm-calling blackbirds. Another four Swifts overhead.