There were 25 Mediterranean Gulls (including 12 juveniles, four Little Gulls, three Yellow-legged Gulls and an adult Roseate Tern at the Patch and 38 Sanderlings on the beach at the fishing boats. Overhead, 250 Swifts passed through and on the land, the Cetti’s Warbler was still in the trapping area and a Common Sandpiper and the “hepatic” Cuckoo were seen at the Long Pits.
David Walker (from DBO website)
The rare and strange Sheep Nostril Fly (Oestrus ovis) has made it’s annual appearance at Watch Cottage with 2 seen today.
Read the rest of this entry »
After the mid-summer low counts of Little Egrets, the numbers are now increasing rapidly with 26 tonight at the Castle Water roost.
The Pannel Scrape was similarly quiet yesterday, the main sounds after months of gull-bedlam was that of Lapwings and a few remaining Common Terns & their young.
Waders here and at the Flood included 6+ Green Sandpipers, 6 LRPs, 2 Common Sandpipers, 1 Greenshank, 1 Black-tailed Godwit, 1 Snipe.
Also at the Flood: 2 Little Gulls, Barn & Little Owl.
The end of July and beginning of August are usually the best time of the year for woodland butterflies. In many of our larger woods the white admiral and silver-washed fritillary are on the wing and purple hairtreaks can best be seen in late afternoon high in the tree tops. Along the coast, if you are lucky, you may catch a glimpse of a fast-flying dark green fritillary. If you stand in the same place, they often come back a few minues later as they patrol in a grand circle.
The photo is of a white admiral seen in Bixley Wood, Beckley earlier this week.
Ternery Pool has changed over the last few days, with most of the breeding gulls having moved on, the pool is now dominated by hundreds of fledged Sandwich and Common Terns, still being being fed by the parents. So the sight, sound and smell is spectacular. The Little Terns on the shore are more discrete and have now fledged 13 chicks. Only 1 Roseate Tern today (and 1 Black Tern yesterday).
A Balearic Shearwater has been reported this morning (9.30am) lingering offshore from Hastings between Warrior Square and the pier.
A bedstraw hawkmoth was recorded by Norman Hall at Hastings Country Park on Friday/Saturday night. 70+ species of macros caught.
At Castle Water:
6 Common Sandpiper, 5 Green Sandpiper
3 Whimbrel, 10 Little Egret
At Ternery Pool:
2 Roseate Tern
400+ Sandwich Tern, 150+ Common Tern
4 Common Sandpiper
Offshore:
130 Gannet
50+ Common Scoter
Sam
At least two of the five barn owl chicks have fledged and were seen flying around the barn owl boxes or resting on fence posts while the adults were actively hunting from 8.30pm until dusk last night.
A breeding bird survey of the Hastings cliffs by Ian Standivan has revealed five pairs of black redstarts, two pairs of rock pipits and a pair of grey wagtails all with young. A full breeding bird report will be available later in the year.