Shore Lark

 

December the 10th and Dave and I were at Sovereign Harbour photographing the Great Northern Diver and Guillemots. That night when I got home I looked at the messages on my phone and realised we had been just a couple of miles down the coast from a reported Shore Lark at Pevensey Bay. Bad mistake, must check my phone more often.

I told myself that I already had good pictures of Shore Larks and that it was no big loss but then it was reported again and then again the next day. By the 21st it was really starting to get annoying. Then when I checked I realised that I had not seen a Shore Lark for five years.  So back I went and after a bit of searching there it was.

There is a nice strip of land as you approach the Martello Tower where I was expecting to find it. It is sparsely vegetated shingle where the bird would find grass seeds and if it was lucky a few insects. Instead it was further west in front of the beach houses where it was foraging on ground that had recently been bulldozed into sea defence banking.

It seemed a strange place to find the bird but as the next two pictures show, it seemed to be finding plenty of seeds on the ground.

Leaving it for those eleven days before I went looking, worked out quite well and I had the bird all to myself for about two hours before anyone else turned up. Although I have to confess that I spent about half that time locating the bird, when a few extra pairs of eyes would have been useful.

It is always interesting, when you spend any time with a lone bird, to note just how long it spends checking out the skies for predators. The one eye on the sky pose ends up in a lot of my pictures. It makes you realise just how precarious a birds way of life really is.

The days are short at this time of year and I wasted what was left of it looking around Horse Eye Levels. It is one of those places that can sometimes really deliver but on most occasions all you get is a few crows and starlings. The best I found was a flock of about thirty Redwings that I managed to flush. Try as I might I could not see any Fieldfares amongst them as they flew away.

Lesser Spotted Woodpecker

 

You will probably see a lot of better pictures of Lesser Spotted Woodpeckers but for me these are special. I hadn't seen one for over 50 years and I have spent many hours looking. I have been close to a few. Standing at the bottom of a tree listening to the drumming, then hearing it start up again 50 metres away, when seemingly nothing had flown from the tree I was watching. A real bogey bird.

They are not a common bird in Sussex being mostly confined to a few woods in the northern part of the county. I really wanted to see one and for 2022 I had decided to target the New Forest, Burnham Beeches, and Cassiobury Park. All places I had tried before without success but this time it was going to be different. I would get there before the trees turned to leaf and spend all day looking for the Lesser Spot rather than getting distracted by other interesting birds. In 2022 I was going to nail it.

Then reports started to come in of occasional sightings of one in the Fattengates area of Pulburough Brooks. It had to be worth a look.

Needless to say it was not easy. Six hours walking the paths around the area last week just left me frustrated. Lesser Spots have big territories and it is pure luck being in the right place at the right time. Today I spent another morning walking the paths. By one o'clock I was ready to give up and move on. One last check and in the distance was a lone small bird foraging high in a tree. Most noticeable was its speed and style of movement flicking between branches. Backtracking a bit and I had it in the bins with the red cap clearly visible.

Getting a picture was an altogether different challenge. The light was poor, the camera was struggling to pull focus through the dense tree branches and the bird was moving rapidly making it difficult to keep in frame. It was also a long way off so these pictures are big crops. They are not good but then yesterday I had no pictures of Lesser Spots so they are better than nothing, a lot better.

I only had sight of the bird for a couple of minutes and when it flew it disappeared over the hedgerows and out of view. I searched but could not find it, perhaps its large territory means that it will travel longer distances between foraging stops.

As always, I would like to get some better pictures, so at some stage I will be going back for another look but for now I am more than happy. I have my record shots and seeing it now has freed up a number of birding days that were going to be dedicated to it next year.

The red cap shows that this is a male so we could be lucky with this one staying on territory and attracting a mate to the area as well.

Long-tailed Duck

 

There have been some good birds around over the past few weeks but not many of them have come close enough for a picture. Worse still the really good one, the Lesser Spotted Woodpecker was, for me at least, a no show.

I can't claim much credit for the Long-tailed Duck below. It has been around in Shoreham Harbour for over three weeks now and seems quite happy to swim over and put on a show when you go to visit it. The only difficulty is getting some decent lighting for the pictures.

Long-tailed Duck

Long-tailed Duck

and doing its Penguin imitation

Lots of female Goosanders along the coast. This one being one of four in Pagham Harbour.

Female Goosander

My first Water Rail of the year on the Breech Pool at Pagham Harbour. Recent modifications to the harbour mouth seem to have improved the flow of water out of the pool and with lower water levels the birds appear to be returning.

Water Rail

A Great Northern Diver, a couple of Guillemots, and an inquisitive Harbour Seal from Sovereign Harbour. Unfortunately I missed the Black-throated and Red-throated Divers that had been there a few days earlier.

Great Northern Diver

Guillemots 

We also had a couple of curious Harbour Seals

Harbour Seal

A visit to Pulborough Brooks gave me picture opportunities with Jays and Bullfinches but not even a sighting of the Lesser Spotted Woodpecker I was looking for.

Jay

Bullfinch

But you can always rely on a Dunnock turning up and posing in some decent light and with a good background.

Dunnock

Lets hope the LSW stays around and is just as cooperative!

Snow Bunting

 

With a Snow Bunting being reported in the sand dunes at East Head, Dave and I thought we would pay a visit. We hadn't been there for a couple of years. It is a really beautiful place but it's spoilt by too many people and hundreds of dogs, most of them off the leash.

We wouldn't have bothered for most birds but Snow Buntings seem particularly tolerant of disturbance and are adept at avoiding dogs. They take little notice of people and so usually offer the photographers some good picture opportunities. It was worth a look.

And look we did, for about an hour and a half, walking around the tide line and through the dunes. We could see no sign of the bunting and other birders we saw were leaving empty handed. The dogs got the blame but to be fair there were plenty of places amongst the dunes where the bird could have been feeding in safety.

In the end we gave it up as a bad job and headed back to the car to move on to another location. Then, much to our surprise, as we walked across the car park and were only about fifteen feet from the car, there was the Snow Bunting waiting for us. Or so it seemed at the time. In fact we only just managed to avoid stepping on it as it scuttled across the grass in front of us.

There was a bit of a panic as we had already packed the cameras away but the bird was very obliging, staying close by until we got our record shots. In fact it stayed within 20 feet of us for the next hour.

Nothing seemed to phase the Snow Bunting, people and dogs walking by, groups coming to see what we were photographing, cars and a tractor going past, and even a Land Rover splashing through the deep puddles at speed, less than ten feet from the bird.

I don't get to see that many Snow Buntings, this being the first for a couple of years but as they are so obliging you do tend to end up with a lot of good photographs of them. It was nice to get this one, with a background of grass and water, instead of the usual pebble beach where it tends to blend in.

Our target a couple of days later was a much less obliging bird. We were after Brambling. The technique is simple, find a big flock of Chaffinches and search it in the hope that there are a couple of Brambling flying with them.

The location was Friston Forest and we found our Chaffinch flock easily enough. We also identified at least three Brambling flying with them. So far so good, but unfortunately the light was very poor. A heavily overcast day, a location under the shade of trees, and a very skittish flock of birds. Added to that the Brambling is well camouflaged when feeding amongst the Beech Mast on the forest floor.

But again, this is a bird that I don't see very often and unlike with the Snow Bunting, it's not one that I get many good photo opportunities with. We did manage to get some record shots, they are not particularly good, but this is certainly a bird worth recording here and I think we will also be going back for a second go at photographing them.

The Autumn Moths

 

It has been a bit slow on the mothing front for the past couple of months and unfortunately a bit boring as well. The experience last autumn, when I started using the moth trap, was one of opening the trap each morning and finding new and exciting species to photograph and read up on. Not only has this autumns catch been almost identical to last years but the main excitement has come from counting the number of Box Tree moths in and around the trap. Counts in the thirties and forties were not unusual and even on poor days the Box were outnumbering other moths by around four to one. Not really what you want to see from an invasive pest species.

Then there is the guilt that goes with having to deal with the captured moths. Do I release them, knowing that a number of my neighbours have Box trees growing in their gardens, that are likely to be devastated, or do I kill them all. Easy choice really, it's not the moths fault that they are here, nor will my killing a few have any real impact on the outcome, and I can't face having to kill forty or so moths every morning. 

Anyway, they are quite a nice looking moth. - unless, that is, you grow Box trees.

Box Tree Moth - Cydalima perspectalis

Brown variant - about 20-25% of sightings.

So no Oleanders or Clifdens this autumn but still a few of the less common (for me) UK moths that are worth recording.

Barred Sallow - Xanthia aurago

Black Rustic - Aporophyla nigra

Common Marbled Carpet - Chloroclysta truncata

Red-line Quaker - Agrochola lota

With this Blair's Shoulder-knot being one of only two new moths on the garden list in the past couple of months.

Blair's Shoulder-knot - Lithophane leautieri hesperica

There have also been a few of the so called migrant species, especially during the last couple of weeks with warm southerly winds blowing. The best and also new for the garden being two Gems on the 24th October and a third on the 26th.

Gem - Orthonama obstipata

Olive-tree Pearl - Palpita vitrealis

There also seems to have been an influx of Rusty-dot Pearl - Udea ferrugalis and a couple of Blair's Mocha - Cyclophora punctata. Both of these put in regular appearances during the year so I would imagine there are local established populations as well as the migrants.

Also, one caterpillar in the garden. I think it might be a Hebrew Character

Possible Hebrew Character Caterpillar

Last year I picked up a few moths in in the garden during the first couple of weeks of November but then nothing until March. I think, if I am to see any of the winter moths, I will have to take my search out into the countryside and into the local woods.

Western Conifer Seed Bug

 

I found a Western Conifer Seed Bug in the garden a few days ago. It was probably attracted in by the light on the moth trap. It took me a while to work out what it was. The obvious first thought was Shield Bug but I didn't recognise it and at a good two centimeters, it was too big for the usual candidates. Fortunately the white diamond pattern on its back was distinctive and a quick search on the web came up with the answer.

Western Conifer Seed Bug - Leptoglossus occidentalis

The bug is a native of North America . It became established in Europe in the 1990s and eventually spread to the UK in 2007 where it has now become established. It feeds on sap in conifer trees but does not appear to do any permanent damage, although it could become a pest in conifer nurseries.

It is actually a Squash Bug from the family Coreidae rather than a Shield Bug which is the family Pentatomidae. 

Finding it reminded me that I have seen a few other Shield Bugs over the past couple of months. This fifth instar Common Green Shield Bug gave the opportunity of a chocolate box picture rather than the usual record shot. Just lucky with the lighting on this occasion.

This should not be confused with the similar looking Southern Green Shield Bug, which is another recent arrival from the continent. Whilst the Common is a sap sucker living on a variety of plants and not doing any real damage, the Southern is more of a threat to bean and fruit crops. It remains to be seen if it becomes established enough to be recognised as a pest.

  

Common Green Shield Bug 5th Instar - Palomena prasina

I have yet to find a Southern Green but here is an old picture of the Common Green adult stage. In the Southern the tail end dark patch is a pale green/grey colour and there is a straight row of five dots across its back, three white and two black.

Common Green Shield Bug Adult - Palomena prasina

The next up is a Hairy Shield Bug, sometimes called a Sloe Shield Bug, well camouflaged on this thistle head. This one found whilst we were out looking for Brown Hairstreaks at the Steyning Rifle Range

Hairy Shield Bug - Dolycoris baccarum

And a Hawthorn Shield Bug which as the name suggests feeds on haws. This one again attracted to the light from the moth trap.

Hawthorn Shield Bug - Acanthosoma haemorrhoidale

These Shield Bugs are also known as Stink Bugs due to their ability to release a fowl smelling fluid when threatened. It doesn't sound very pleasant but to date I haven't manged to provoke one of them enough to cause them to deploy this tactic against me.

It was good to find the Western Conifer Seed Bug as it is relatively new to this country but I am still missing a good few of the longer established species. I will have to put a bit more effort into this next year.

Purple Heron

 

You wait ten years to see a Purple Heron in this country, then they all turn up at once. Well nearly all at once. One last year at Burton Mill Pond and one this year at Pagham, both October birds.

The two experiences, however, were completely different. The Burton Mill Pond bird spent the day deep in the reeds, only showing itself when it flew into the trees to roost under cover of almost complete darkness. The Pagham bird favoured an open field with little cover and seemed quite happy and surprisingly successful foraging out in the open.

The bird had been around for a week or so favouring a field at the end of Summer Lane in Pagham. The only difficulties, were that it did not seem to have any regular pattern to its visits and it was also subject to frequent disturbance from locals and visiting observers.

My first visit to see it was on the Monday morning when I arrived to be told that it had just been flushed by a dog walker crossing the field. I waited around for a couple of hours but left without seeing it. Apparently it did return but not until late afternoon.

Wednesday I picked up Dave and we headed along the coast to Pagham for another look. You've guessed it, we arrived to be told that it had just been flushed by a photographer getting too close. Fortunately we both had the cameras packed away in the rucksacks and were able to wave the bins around like the good birders we are.

We had a walk down the rife towards the harbour to check out a few of the other fields but were fortunate to arrive back close to the original spot just as the heron made an appearance. Once again it landed in the open field and immediately started feeding.

With regular disturbance and lots of people visiting to see it, the bird had probably developed a degree of tolerance to people being close. Put that along side its success in finding food and the fact that it had chosen to land reasonably close to us, meant that it did not seem at all concerned by our presence. We watched for about 45 minutes until it worked its way across the field and into the cover of a reed bed.

The heron showed well at times but was well camouflaged when moving through the longer grass and difficult to see when looking straight into the lens. The shot below being typical of a lot of the views that we had.

My only regret, the camera was till safely packed away in the rucksack when the bird flew in. Bad mistake, I missed some good flight shots.

Glossy Ibis

 

The threat of having to queue for fuel has kept me close to home for the past couple of weeks but with the panic easing and my fuel tank now topped up I thought I would venture out once again. My destination was Farlington Marsh. It's one of those places where you can walk around one day and see nothing then the next day find all sorts of interesting birds. 

Today, was unfortunately closer to a nothing day, than an interesting day. A few distant waders, lots of Little Egrets, a couple of Wheatears, and a fast flyby by what I think was a Sparrowhawk. Whatever it was it wasn't hanging around to have it's picture taken.

I had been hoping for Bearded Tits. I have seen them there at the beginning of October in previous years and with a strong south westerly blowing there was a good chance they would be foraging in the reed bed behind the shelter of the sea wall. Sadly it wasn't to be and I will have to return later in the winter.

I had a backup plan, a Glossy Ibis at Warblington, just a few miles east along the coast. The Ibis had been resident for a week or so, towards the end of September but then appeared to have moved on. I couldn't get down to look for it then but it's reappearance today was good timing.

It was easy to find, in the middle of the field just to the east of the new cemetery.

It would have been nice to have got a bit closer but I can't really complain. Some of the previous Glossy Ibis I have seen have been very wary of people and moved away as soon as you showed yourself.

Favouring a field just by a well trodden  public footpath this bird must be well accustomed to people moving back and forth. I had hoped it would gradually come closer as it got used to me being there but it seemed to be finding plenty of food in the middle of the field.

I had a look around the harbour and the Nore Barn Woods and went back about an hour later hoping it had moved closer but it was nowhere to be seen. Nor could a search of the hedges and trees around the field produce any sign of a roosting place. However it could well have been there as I imagine once settled in a tree it would be well camouflaged.

It was the only bird I managed to photographed all day but as it was one I don't get to see every year, I at least went home with a smile on my face.

If you do ever get down to Warblington make sure to have a look at the Yew trees in the churchyard. The church dates back to Anglo-Saxon times and some of the trees are reported as being over 1500 years old. They are truly impressive and if I had been a bit more on the ball you could well be looking at a picture of one of them now.

The church is probably interesting as well if you like that sort of thing!