Will this Reed Warbler's nest fall prey to this nearby Cuckoo?

A late start after a bad night meant that news of a Long-tailed Skua off TH (and tracked through to Splash Point) was a missed opportunity but probably better than being on site and missing it!

With some rain going through it wasn't worth going far, so a coffee at the park and some catch-up reading was enough of an outing. Luckily the weather dried out, the sun came out, wind dropped and it was nearly t-shirt weather. The usual route produced three close vocal Firecrests and a few Blackcaps. A single Buzzard was the only aerial species, although the Swallows are back checking the outbuildings for a nest site. No bins nor camera so didn't bother with hovers; several Peacocks, Brimstones, Whites and a Comma. Several Common Carpets got 'kicked up' on the bottom path, my first this year.

Chiff-if-if

First decent day for sometime at Pulborough although still chilly in the north facing areas early on. Butterfly wise this Comma (below), a few Orange Tips, Peacocks, Red Admirals, Speckled Woods and lots of whites plus a brief Small Copper. Three Broad-bodied Chasers included a male and plenty of Azure Damselflies. The birding highlights were three 'chiff-if-if' ing Wood Sandpipers flushed by a raggedy Red Kite and two or three Hobbies, the first of which perched up for extended scope views. Swifts and Swallows plentiful earlier soon dispersed. A distant LRP was still display-flighting.

The three Nightingales were very subdued and only heard briefly and two Cuckoo's were equally elusive.

This Chrysotoxum hoverfly didn't hang about for a decent picture and a similar or same species later on in the play area was even more elusive; the former looks OK for cautum. Also an Arge spp Sawfly and a couple of Beeflies.

Local stuff

On the way to Petersfield pond, a Red Kite overhead and on arrival far fewer people than a couple of weeks back thankfully.

A Reed Warbler in the south-west corner in reeds and another in scrub on the east side. About 100 Swifts, 50 House Martins and the odd Swallow. A Grey Wagtail was collecting food and another was calling from the grounds of one of  the houses on the west side, presumably the nest being there.

A Small Copper (below) was NfY but didn't pose long enough and, back at the carpark, three Orange Tips.

At QECP two Firecrests and a Buzzard. Lots of hovers but all Cheilosias, variabilis/ranunculi/albitarsis/pagana. The Xylota segnis below was typically mobile. Just Syrphus spp, Platycheirus spp and Meliscaeva auricollis.

On the vegetation piles from the 'tidy up'  (nice chat to grounds staff) a couple of Nomada spp,  the one below being a female marshamella.

On Butser, another couple of views of Kite and Buzzard, one Lesser Whitethroat, two Cuckoos (one being chased off by M'ipits), one Raven being chased by a crow and a couple of Skylarks. No Butterflies except for the Grizzled Skipper below - will be interesting to see how Bryn and Jan got on descending into Rake Bottom next time our paths cross.

Finally the A3 'roadside Buzzard' was in its usual spindly tree on the east side.

May the bug be with you!

Just three 'May Bugs' in the trap along with a single Heart and Dart; certainly not worth the electricity. Next time must try against the south side fence.

At Titchfield two Arctic Skuas from the restaurant(!) and two overhead Yellow Wagtails were both new for year. A good continuous passage of hirundines, mostly Swallows, fewer House Martins and just a handful of Sand Martins although many distant birds were unidentifiable. Also 25+ Swifts.(Probably 600+ birds whilst I was there).

A Cuckoo was calling closely from the canal path but was only glimpsed in flight from Meadow Hide.

Some warmer and sunnier weather early afternoon produced Azure and Large Red Damseflies, Cardinal Beetle, an Anasimyia hoverfly (possibly transfugus per Roger), loads of Cheilosia albitarsis/ranunculi on buttercups, Beefly, Drinker Moth caterpillar and a Roe Deer.

 Nomada lathburiana

Friday and Saturday

Friday saw three Swifts over early and later a single over the Pond. Exitted the library just in time to see a newly arrived Hobby slip by, I think maybe the first I've ever seen on Portsea Island. New in Reed Warbler singing strongly from the east side and Blackcap doing the same from the woodland area.
Four smart adult Lesser Black-backs and a couple of Swallows.

Today the Reed Warbler was silent or possibly departed, the male Gadwall still on his todd. Insect wise Dock Bug and numerous Myathropa florea (both below) and single Large Red Damselfly, another shieldbug spp, several each of Small White, Holly Blue and Speckled Wood and finally four Swallows over the rooftops.

Later at a crowded QECP, two Buzzards and three Firecrests, one seen, plus more Myathropa florea, various unidentified Cheilosia and several Brimstones/Small Tortoiseshells/Holly Blues/Peacocks/Small Whites.

Andrena haemorrhoa

Jinxed, but sadly not Jynx'ed

Well, after yesterday's visit to a very slow Blashford and missing the TH 'rumper', today was Titchfield's turn to be overcast and (almost) birdless whereas the Blashford Bonaparte's was on show unlike yesterday!!

A coffee on arrival, watching the ever smaller flotilla of Eiders, down to six or seven and constantly harassed by large gulls.

A Cuckoo was calling strongly from near Suffern but disappeared across the river and never gave me even a glimpse.

Two Little Terns were off Rainbow Bar along with 20 ish Commons.

The odd warmer period brought out a few hovers but mostly unidentifiable Cheilosias ( a pagana above)  and Sphaerophorias plus Marmalade Fly

Nothing much from Meonshore other than a few distant Swifts and a small number of Hirundines to search through, but nothing with a pink bum!

But then a little purple patch with a distant Red Kite, a couple of Buzzards, the male Marsh Harrier and finally a cracking but distant male Hen Harrier - never seen a male here, my first HH for 18 months and my first ever male in May.

Will last spring's Wryneck (Jynx!!) sighting be repeated? Or something better?