Osprey

 I keep the local birding Whatsapps all muted now but happened to glance at it randomly this morning and saw that SP had noted an Osprey at North Wall so popped over for it. The traffic was as usual horrendous and what should have been a 10 minute drive took significantly longer but got there in the end and the bird duly obliged, having its Bass (probably, may be a Thin-lipped Mullet) breakfast in the west of the channel. Pleased to see my first one of the year.

Bad digiscoped Osprey picture:

Lesser Weever Fish

Not something we get too many of in the south so pleased to see this Lesser Weever Fish caught by my son at Southwold Pier, another one for the "fish mini-species" list! 

We are looking to do some more fishing in Pembrokeshire so should add a few wrasse sp. then hopefully as well as some nice rock pool ones.

Megas

So with being surplus to requirements on the Peninsula with so much coverage by far better birders there now (so I'm told) I thought I would twitch a few things while off on holiday, also managed to see the Long-tailed Shrike in Gloucestershire. There's been a healthy debate re: AI altering photos not necessarily for the better with plumage being added etc...so here are three with the originals. The LTS and Hudwit ones aren't too bad I think but the BWK is...odd!

Long-tailed Shrike, showed really well, top pic is AI "enhanced" version, can you tell 😂 

 

Hudsonian Godwit in Suffolk, also showed nicely:

AI version:

Award winning Black-winged Kite picture from Norfolk, superb bird (in the scope!):

AI version, pretty bad!:

Zitting Cisticola to follow...

Wildfire

A trip to Southwold has turned out well in some respects with both the Hudsonian Godwit and the Black-winged Kite successfully twitched, the down side was a terrible wildfire at Dunwich Heath which has caused some serious environmental damage here. 

It seemed to have started about 1530hrs on the 29th, we saw the smoke billowing up while playing cricket on Southwold Common, and apparently the fire service were on scene by 1730hrs. It was still burning fiercely on Thursday morning and doesn't look to be dying down any time soon. A disaster for insects and reptiles but let's hope the birds have managed to avoid the worst with most fledglings on the wing by now. Grim.

The fire viewed from Castle Keep at Southwold:

Mullet & Moths & more

Not much birding to be done or anything really going on but mothing has been OK and it was good to see Thin-lipped Mullet back at the sluice at the North Wall. Pagham Harbour.

Thin-lipped Mullet, you can just about see the diagnostic dark spot above the pectoral fin:

Red-crested Pochard on New Lake while watching Norfolk Hawkers & Lesser Emperors:

Painted Lady, shame about the twine!:

Moth-wise we have had Dewick's Plusia, Light Crimson Underwing, Straw Dot & Rusty Dot Pearl amongst others...I did, however, fail to find a Starry Pearl on Viper's Bugloss at Pagham Spit, surely there somewhere though! Purple Hairstreaks still on the east side oaks and a Yellow-legged Gull, sub-adult type, out on the mud on the rising tide.

Ebernoe

A morning out at Ebernoe found 41 bird sp., best being breeding Tree-creepers, Nightingales and two Hawfinch. I couldn't find any Purple Emperors but there were zillions of Purple Hairstreaks, Gatekeppers, Marbled Whites and Small Skippers plus a singles of Small Copper and Painted Lady. The Red Sussex cattle are also excellent company following around the meadow in leisurely fashion. Very nice.

Silver-washed Fritillary:

 

Painted Lady:

Small Copper:

Small Skipper:

Marbled White, striking a rather odd pose:

Red Sussex bull, a youngster & very friendly, I love cattle!

In the moth trap we had a Dewick's Plusia but I only managed one rushed picture, a good one for us though:

Streakier

Purple Hairstreaks in the large oak at the end of the path to the harbour at Church Norton and at Yeoman's Field Saturday morning, otherwise dire out. The colony on the oaks at Church Norton by the bench/ramp to the beach seems to have died out.

A couple of Privet hawk-moths were nice in the trap early on. 

The weather has made it hard work this week especially with the "guaranteed" thunderstorms not developing either Thursday or Saturday for us. 

Some hilarious weather "forecasting" on X over the heatwave (ended Friday morning btw in case you were wondering 😂) great technical detail and temperature guess work turning out nowhere near the reality! C'est la vie...

Pine Hawk-moth:

escaping Privet Hawk-moth:

smallest female Ghost Moth ever:

In other news the Pallid Swift over the Bill at Selsey has been rejected by the BBRC. Apparently they don't give feedback as to why & don't say what it actually might be?? 

Time to hand over rarity assessment to the local comittees? We're still waiting (3 years plus!!) on the Iberian Wagtail and the Least Sandpiper, the latter of which should surely be fast-tracked...

Anyway knocked my year list for 2025, Bill list, Peninsula list & Sussex list down by one, will others follow suit?🤣