After a glorious summer day on Saturday where it was hard to motivate myself to get out of bed let alone go birding, Sunday provided the only opportunity for 'photo time' with the Peg family. Sadly, the light was flat and grey all day but at least all are now fledged despite AC's poor attempts at landing. The adult male spent a fair amount of time on the cockerel out of the way of the non-stop screaming! Early on a shower of Jackdaw feathers rained down and later a pigeon was brought it so there was plenty of activity. Other birdlife was limited to a few Swifts, one Buzzard, one Goldcrest and a few tatty gulls. But a pleasant day was had in the company of D and J and daughter, the 'Chichester Peregrine Fanclub' and various visitors from all over.
Earlier the trap held 37 of 16 including first Small Ranunculus and Dark Arches of the year and Zeiraphera isertana (NfT/G).
Today a 'Pond and Park' trip, despite the continuing grey weather, produced a few firsts namely:-
Painted Lady (15) after many reports of decent numbers elsewhere in the country
Ringlet one or two at QECP
Marbled White just one
Stenurella melanura
Nowickia ferox
Also another Ladybird Fly and a male Phasia hemiptera (below) on HMD with numerous small Meligethes beetles and just Xylota sylvarum (below) of interest on the hover front.
Birdlife today was pretty much nil although the QECP Marsh Tits were calling briefly and both adult Swallows were rocketing up and down the access road below head height; a Song Thrush was feeding young.
