Avocets gone
22 Aug 2015
... gone. The avocets and their two young have now flown. A little local success story.
In nearby pools there was a ruff feeding, a wader on passage but not one I often see here. And further along the sea-walls there were two clouded yellow butterflies, so it looks as though the tiny colony at East Lane may have survived despite all the clearance work there.
Jeremy
Bird ringing
16 Aug 2015
We had a bird-ringing demo this morning (early) from Mervyn, who rings regularly in SS. Most of the catches were common garden birds like robins, great tits and dunnocks, but there were also several migrant warblers like common and lesser whitethroats, reed warbler, garden warbler and this very bright willow warbler – all of these heading south to Africa this month.
Jeremy
Avocet young
15 Aug 2015
One avocet on guard. The young ones are getting flighty and it will soon be going, going ...
Jeremy
Green sandpiper
13 Aug 2015
The avocets now have two fully fledged young which are making short flights, so they will probably be gone from their breeding pool soon. Today they were joined there by a green sandpiper, a small wader on autumn passage, which flashes a distinctive white rump when it takes off, contrasting with the very dark back so that it looks rather like a house martin at first sight.
Jeremy
Darter
12 Aug 2015
Lots of dragonflies on the wing this week. I've seen brown and migrant hawkers helicoptering along the dykes and today got a close veiw of a delicate common darter resting on a bramble leaf.
Jeremy
Day-flying moth
09 Aug 2015
Not all moths fly only by night and I've just been watching a delightful little day-flying one in our front garden. it's called a 'small purple and gold' and in appearance is just what it says on the tin. My book of micro-moths (and it is tiny) says that it feeds particularly on herbs like marjoram and that's exactly the plant it was nectaring on. The Latin name literally means 'bright flyer into flames', which isn't quite as helpful (to us or the moth) as the English one.
Jeremy
Bird ringing
02 Aug 2015
There will be a bird-ringing demonstration at the Secret Garden from 7.30am on Sunday 16 August. All welcome, including children. See birds in the hand instead of in the bush.
Jeremy
Kingfisher
02 Aug 2015
A kingfisher in the Sluice area today. It will probably be around now for the autumn and winter. You have to be quick to see it but it perches on the reeds and the rocks near the outfall. Probably easiest to pick up from its whistled calls.
Jeremy
From Anne Page
31 Jul 2015
Under our back door is a residential home: this summer on emerging for the morning swim I have found there: frogs, toads, lizards, snails. There have been two swarming flying ant infestations in the garden and house.
Wonderful sightings of the avocets nesting near the southerly sea wall. And one glorious swim with the Little Terns fishing about me. Last week, followed the hare running quite slowly along the landward verge from opposite the Alde House garden right up to Oxley Dairy’s entrance.
Anne Page
Moth morning
29 Jul 2015
A reminder that there will be another 'moth morning' in the garden of The Battery from 7.30am on Friday 31 July. Be there. Could be your best chance of seeing a Flounced Rustic in the flesh!
Jeremy
