Balmy June

Bit of a catch up - over a couple of good weeks of warm weather, sightings included common orchids at Kingley Vale, Small Magpie moth at Aldwick and a good evening at Pagham Harbour - Sedge Warblers, Sand Martins, House Martins, Swallows, Mute Swans, Pochard, Shelduck, Goldeneye, Cormorants, Common Terns, Little Egrets, Greenfinches.

Goodwood

Another very hot day with brilliant sunshine.  In the woods in Goodwood Country Park, very few birds to be seen, but some success with butterflies.  Several Speckled Wood, a Brimstone, a Red Admiral with a chunk of its wing missing and a Light Emerald moth.  

Speckled Wood

Red Admiral

Light Emerald

Had another close encounter with a deer which came out onto the path about 15 yards ahead of me, not seeing me at first.  After it had bolted it spent the next few minutes baying like a dog with a sore throat.  I thought it was a female, but maybe it was a young deer cut off from its parents.

Halnaker in the heat wave

With temperatures in the mid twenties, a quick walk up on Halnaker Hill proved good for birds - with Blackbirds, Wrens, Woodpigeon, Great Tits, Buzzard, Corn Bunting and Red-legged Partridge seen.  The Corn Buntings were in a group of four which seemed to like perching on the telegraph wires overlooking the south-facing slope.

One of the two Red-legged Partridge spotted down the farm track.

The hot weather has been good for the insects - butterflies seen included several whites, a Brimstone and Speckled Woods - but not a Painted Lady in sight! This Spotted Cranefly was missing a hindleg.

In the gulley on the way back down from the hill, a deer was chewing at the hedge just 10 feet away from me - so close that I thought it was a calf or a goat at first. 

In Aldwick - an as yet unidentified moth practising camouflage.

Painted Ladies

24-31st May - Catching up on the end of May - a good spell of weather, the daily strong winds finally petering out by the end of the month. Painted Ladies were numerous throughout the week, apparently England has been invaded by thousands which have made the long journey from North Africa onto Spain and France to breed and then their brood have now reached our shores.

On a trip up to Kingley Vale we saw dozens of Painted Ladies, one Orange Tip and one Brimstone.

The aphid population is taking off. Hopefully this Pine Ladybird will eat a few.

This female Blue-tailed Damsel Fly has taken up residence by the pond.