Saturday
Nice to catch up with Mark and Pat after a couple of years over a coffee on the terrace and earlier to meet the new H&TG for Saturday, Andy whose 'home patch' covers Worthing and Cissbury - http://www.ashdownonthewing.co.uk
On the reserve five Hobbies were on show with 2-3 each of Kestrel and Buzzard plus a single Red Kite all airborne together. Another family of Egyptian Geese (five young) were obvious but little else; and just eighteen Black'wits on the north brooks - presumably birds that didn't fancy the schlep to Iceland!
The dead wood by the feeders attracted a big queen Hornet looking for pulp and the vegetation around here and the play area was most productive for hovers.
A chunky looking female Adder slipped away from its sunning spot adjacent to the Grass Snake info board (!!) as I disturbed it walking by.
A few Small Heaths were the first of the year as were Brown Silver Lines and the soldier fly Chloromyia formosa.
Tuesday
In Chichester it was nice to see many bumblebees of five species, pretty much all on Nepeta, and featuring good numbers of B.vestalis; but sad that there was almost nil supporting cast from hovers other than a single
At least four Ravens were flying around and constantly calling, audible out on West Street and, for me, more incongruous here than the Peregrines, the female of which perched up above the nest box calling whilst the male plucked a small passerine nearby before dropping the meal off for her to feed to the chicks; he departed immediately.
Overhead maybe ten screaming Swifts.
Wednesday
The Daily Fail and co were predicting 'hotter than Ibiza' for the days ahead but today was chilly enough for a neck buff and waterproof coat and later the central heating was fired up for a couple of hours!
Whilst the Hemlock Water Dropwort is rocketing up and flowering there wasn't ANY obvious invertebrate life but the path side clearance of HWD at least allowed a couple of Southern Marsh Orchids to be accessible; elsewhere 80 or more included some 'Leopard' variety according to RC. The Broad-leaved Helleborine is peeking through now.
Lots of Ragged Robin and Yellow Flag were the standout colours today
