With just a few days left of 30DWiJ Wednesday started with a few moths, nothing special but this Lesser Stag Beetle was a nice addition as was the rather attractive Barred Yellow, a common species but first for the garden and trap. Later at Pulborough just three LRPs, a nice Hobby in close to Westmead, four or more Spotted Flycatchers on the heathland and this Emerald Damselfly by the pond.
Thursday saw a rather fruitless visit to Blashford with just this single Grass Snake, male and female Emperors (the latter egg-laying in the pond), two Black-tailed Skimmers, first fully-fledged juvenile BHGs and 50+ Sand Martins.
The three ubiquitous species of geese are now present in good numbers, either this years juveniles or their moulting parents. A close Common Sandpiper provided the only decent wader sighting.
Later in the forest for a lunch stop, a continuously singing Woodlark was nice, a pair of Stonechats were presumably tending young and, after a five minute wait, a circling adult Gos.
A brief visit to Portsdown produced many hundreds of Pyramidal Orchids to go with those on J11 roundabout plus a handful of 'gone over' Common Spotteds. Two Small Blues were blown away in the wind but this Essex/Small Skipper just held on; surprisingly Marbled Whites barely made it into double figures.
