Monday, 4 September 2017

Warm but overcast with no sign of any bird movement today.
A juvenile Sparrowhawk was playing cat and mouse with a bunch of Magpies and in between was chasing Wood Pigeons before settling on various fence posts. Later, it was joined by a second bird and both slipped away into the trees.

The Pec Sand was on North Scrape and a couple of Greenshanks were flying around 'chu-chu-chu'ing although I couldn't find the Little Stint. Just three Swallows and a single Swift. Two Kingfishers were noisy but invisible and later a single was perched up on a post. The scruffy Water Rail was again in front of Meon Shore. A small bonus in the shape of a Little Gull sitting on the water of South Scrape.

The ubiquitous three odonata plus a few Eristalis spp, Helophilus pendulus and a single Meliscaeva auricollis were about it for insects. Still pretty much no wasps and no sign of Ivy Bees yet, although plenty of time for them yet