Time for a change!!

Plus

Plus

Equals

The Swarovski 8x30 Companions were a bit of a 'Covid-buy' four years ago whilst needing a small, light pair of binoculars that my arthritic hands could hold. Unfortunately, unlike the 12×50 WBs or the old Zeiss 7x42 Victorys, they never grew on me and I found they spent most of their time in the soft case at the back of the cupboard; the old 8x32 Opticrons were optically OK for a small pair to carry on non-birding days.

So, before losing anymore value it seemed that a trip to LCE's field event at Lakeside would be a good opportunity to p/x them.

Exiting town a Whimbrel flipped eastwards over the motorway and unlike Thursday's jaunt to Lymington, the M27 was running fine and the travel time and distance were spot on Google Maps suggestions. 

Parking was easy and free which is so unusual these days although sadly the weather was cold and grey and not suitable for any macro photography. A pro photographer, down from Scotland to run morning and afternoon sessions of macro-photo walks, was, I'm  sure, struggling to find nice subjects.

The LCE staff were great and the venue, in my eyes at least, far superior to Titchfield, with much more space for all the gear including an Olympus rep with a whole bunch of camera bodies and lenses etc. Another visitor, like myself, was a recent purchaser of the 90 macro and also struggling to find subjects

I tried the Leica Trinovid 8x32 for the fabulous close focus for plants and insects but struggled to get an image in focus in both eyes; I think my brain just couldn't cope. The Papilios live to fight another day!!

And so the Zeiss, my first choice, came home with me. A better p/x offer than elsewhere AND a better 'show price' AND a free trail cam!! What's not to like.

Bird wise just lots of broods of Greylags, four Great Crested Grebe chicks with an adult and a smattering of woodland/scrub bird song.

A few plants below and a recommendation for the cafe - 7/10 for breakfast let down by tough bacon but good otherwise.  A bit noisy, unsurprisingly,  being the weekend but will definitely be returning on a warm, sunny 'invert' day in future.

Below, Green Alkanet, White Campion, Three-cornered Leek, Vetch, Cuckoo Flower, Red Clover, Woodruff (I think!)  and a mass or Epimedium/Barrenwort.

A day too late...

After PW's explicit directions it seemed rude not to have a drive over for Lymington's Marsh Sandpiper on Normandy Lagoon, a site I've never visited and a species I've only seen twice in the UK and neither in Hants.

Just before getting ready to depart on Wednesday the cool weather and morning's forecast had me re-thinking and opting for Thursday. Big mistake!! Arriving today after a tedious drive through the M27's seemingly continuous roadworks and slowed by a stranded Porsche in the outside lane, it was soon apparent that the bird had either moved locally or, more likely, departed permanently overnight. Lots of birders scoping in all directions and generally chin-wagging. Oh well.

Still, a Lesser Whitethroat singing on arrival plus a little sunshine and things could be worse. Cetainly the view out to the Island, Hurst Castle and the Needles is pretty neat!!

The lagoon  had plenty of raucous terns including my first Littles of the year, always a delight. An earlier Curlew Sandpiper had gone to ground but a nice range of Bar-tailed Godwit plumages and, best of all, this summer plumage Spotted Redshank; also a mix of Dunlin plumages and the odd Whimbrel '7 whistling' out on the salt marsh.

An inbound Raven looked to be carrying an egg, presumably from a Black-headed's nest on the salt marsh; it stirred up all the Avocets as it went over.

Stonechat, song-flighting Meadow Pipits and a few Linnets were the only passerines of note.

Wednesday was just a chore day with a local walk although it was nice to see a Common Seal from the car on the way home. On the patch a hover popped into view and turned into this Dasysyrphus tricinctus, not a species I see too often; this Misumina vatia was polishing off a fly on the same patch of Alexanders.

A Green Woodpecker was very vocal in the roadside trees but mostly invisible and alerted me to this male Sparrowhawk,  a bit distant for a macro lens!! It was in the same clump as last year's pair so maybe there's a nest nearby or in the offing. Later it or another was harassed by a gull and stooped down into the island's largest tree as I've seen them do before. A single calling Swallow went overhead.

Both male and female Melanostoma scalare and this Green Shieldbug, Palomina prasina were in the hedge adjacent to the tarmac path.

It was too cold for bees with just a few A.flavipes, a few worn and unidentifiable individuals,  plus singles of A.fulva and A, haemorrhoa neither of which were keen on being photographed.

Local stuff

Lassioglossum spp (calceatum group?) on Dandelion 'clock'

Slightly worn male Anthophora plumipes 

Sawfly, Aglaostigma spp and

Nomada goodeniana

WWT

Red Mason Bee, Osmia bicornis

Alder Fly, Sialis spp

Rhingia campestris on Red Campion

Sand Martins and Oystercatcher

Pulborough 

Nomada marshamella

Orange Tip

Anthomyiidae spp on Stitchwort

A few miners....

 

Thursday, PHP and QECP were poor in grey, misty conditions with just Firecrest (1 and 3 respectively) Great Crested Grebe at the former and Grey Wagtail at the latter.

Today, better weather today produced a few more insects.

Andrenas - flavipes, haemorrhoea, scotica and fulva. Nomada goodeniana

Butterflies - Speckled Wood, Brimstone, Small White, Peacock and Comma.

Dark-edged Beefly

Parent Bug - Elasmucha grisea

Hoverflies - Myathropa florea 

Beetle (above) - Agonum spp

Titchfield today and back to cloud and wind:-

Just five sedge Warblers NfY, about 75 Avocets, single Little Gull and both harriers, the male displaying. Others had a couple of Garganey and a Hobby at Posbrook.

Still struggling but birds arriving..

 

The day started with a Sparrowhawk setting off the Starlings on the way around to the paper shop. 

Then off to Pulborough; grateful to not being west-bound - another chronic morning's traffic due to an early morning accident towards J11 and subsequent barrier repairs.

Arrived at PB in time for a coffee spot on opening at 10:00 am; probably a mistake as the first coffee is never hot!!

A calling and visible Cuckoo was a nice start, dropping off the fence line to feed and then perching up whilst being dive-bombed by unhappy Meadow Pipits!!

The usual suspects later at Westmead with a very distant White Stork and both eagles being shadowed by diminutive looking kites. Two Snipe were playing hard to see but appreciated by many including a delightful family from Forest Row. Four Avocets and twenty odd Black'wits trailing a single Grey Plover and a heard-only LRP rounded out the waders. 

Two Great Crested Grebes were displaying distantly. 

Four Whitethroats and a single Willow Warbler were NfY and numerous Blackcapscand Chiffchaffs were calling.

The above Adder was in the usual spot and the Common lizard caught me out; I didn't notice the OOF grass stem which has given it a green face.

Sadly the new macro lens didn't make it out of the box.

Others had Orange Tip butterfly but it/they eluded me.

A late visit to WWT was thwarted by 'last entry 3:30 pm' but I managed to get in, out of the rain and have a coffee, rather better than this morning's. No Kingfisher action.