Monday was a mixed bag in Chichester, then Stansted, briefly at Farlington and finally a local walk.
Started with silent Peregrines; you wouldn't have known they were there.The Ravens on the other hand were non-stop calling. Today was the first decent day with no Bee Flies, few hovers and just some nice Tawny Mining Bees, Blue Mason Bee and unobliging Nomada spp.
At Stansted just Firecrest singing away and plenty of calling Med Gulls in a field being ploughed. Many Empis tesellata, some mating, and an ivy-clad stump was a nice natural bee hotel for Osmia bicornis.
A brief stop at FM felt like a cool summer day with low tide, high lake level and pretty much no birds although two Whimbrel were in close on the west side.
Locally, the Swans had moved off the nest eventually with seven or eight cygnets and just several Holly Blues zipping around.
Tuesday
Some new stuff today - Adela reamurella, (Green Longhorn Moth) and
Tatianaerhynchites aequatus (Apple Fruit Weevil), first Azure Damselfly of the year and first Eristalinus sepulchralis plus first few Myathropa florea; another Brachyopa spp was sunning on digitalis. The male Marsh Harrier, high and distant, Hobby and Peregrine plus two Sparrowhawks, a dozen Swift's and a handful of Swallows. For the first time Holly Blue was the commonest butterfly followed by Orange Tip and Peacock. Just Green-veined White to add. No dragons yet although the hobby was certainly catching some insects high up.
Good catch up with PP/RC over lunch, plenty of wader-tracking/ringing info
Wednesday
Six Whimbrel, one Peregrine and two Adders were the highlight plus time with 'newboy' Keith and a catch up with HK and wife, Lisa G and her partner and lots of visitors. On the way home a Raven was chased south over Whiteways by a crow. EDIT the Adders were identified as U11 (below) and AA1 (Big Al).
Thursday
A brief look at QECP was pretty heartbreaking with the access road area, so good for Vipers Bugloss and attendant bees, orchids, Chalkhill Blues etc, now destoyed by dumping of spoil, tree trunks etc. Not a square inch remains. Elsewhere much other good hover areas have been eradicated. The lower bridleway has had its scrub removed; maybe the sawdust remains might provide some adder sunning habitat. Still no news on site re-opening date though. Maybe time to cancel yearly parking permit and spend time somewhere less f****d!
Plenty of Green Longhorn moths on the wing, just one Blue spp butterfly and one Small Copper. The dock was well populated with Green Dock Beetles and a Pyrochroa serraticornis (Red Cardinal Beetle) zipped past. One dead Slow Worm on the path with another very lively individual under corrugated iron. Birdwise nowt but typically wary Mistle Thrushes and audible Firecrests.
On Butser masses of Cowslips and Early Purple Orchids but not a single (obvious) insect. Some distant 'cuckoo-ing' was blown away in the breeze but seemed to come from the other side of Rake Bottom; just Whitethroats and Skylarks plus a distant kite. Highlight, easily, was a long chat with visiting Dutch tourists; Brexit, Exmoor, narrow country roads, parking charges, Sri Lanka, the very 'yellow' scenery - Rapeseed, Gorse, Cowslip etc.
Friday at TH produced first Xylota segnis, Baccha elongata and Cheilosia caerulescens of the year and also first Hairy Dragonflies, a mating pair in flight over Darter's Dip. A distant food pass from the harriers, now relocated to their usual site and a lone Wheatear on the beach.
Today after a lively 'tog' meet in the library a return to TH where yesterday's Bar'wit was now two and the injured Black'wit was still hobbling around the meadow. Both Lesser Whitethroats were still rattling away. A newly emerged Broad-bodied Chaser was in the scrub by the 'badger' and, a little further down in its usual location, an Anasymia hover (below) also NfY. Grammaroptera ruficornis was also seen; I think I recorded it here this time last year. Finally the flower bees holes in the tree rootplate adjacent to the centre entrance were being investigated by a Mourning Bee and one of the latter was again in the garden yesterday. A first queen Dolichovespula media (below) of the year was chewing wood off the Cottage Hide roof.
