Saturday 6 October 2012

Great Spotted Woodies and a Squirrel

Great spotted Woodpecker, Dendrocopos major

Yesterday the coast was cloud covered but Mark advised there were clear skies to the north so we met at Pulborough Brooks RSPB reserve. There had been a Brown Hairstreak sighting on Thursday and a Pectoral  Sandpiper was on vacation from America. We scoured the Brown Hairstreak area - very precise directions had been posted on the Sussex BC sightings page – “within a matter of feet of the sign telling me where to look”. I think it was a bit too cool for the butterfly to fly – 19°C. We walked to Nettley’s Hide from where the Pectoral  Sandpiper had been sighted during the past few days. One watcher had been there for 4 hours and had seen the bird for one minute before it was frightened off by a raptor. It has been seen with a Ruff. There were Red Admirals and Commas on the brambles and an amazing number of hornets and other insects nectaring on the ivy flowers. A tame squirrel gave us a close-up show on the path. Over cake and cappuccino we enjoyed the comings and goings on the bird feeders, including Great  Spotted Woodpecker, Nuthatch, Marsh Tit, Greenfinch, Great Tit, Blue Tit, Robin, Dunnock.
two Commas, Polygonia c-album
Comma, Polygonia c-album
Comma, Polygonia c-album


Teal, Anas crecca
Pulborough Brooks from Nettley’s Hide
Canada Geese, Branta canadensis
Harvestman, Phalangium opilio
The Brown Hairstreak was seen near this sign
Red Admiral, Vanessa atalanta
Grey squirrel, Sciurus carolinensis





Great spotted Woodpecker, Dendrocopos major

Great spotted Woodpecker landing, Dendrocopos major
Great Tit landing, Parus major and
Greenfinch, Carduelis chloris
Great spotted Woodpecker, Dendrocopos major 
Great spotted Woodpecker, Dendrocopos major
Greenfinch landing, Carduelis chloris
Nuthatch landing, Sitta europaea
Nuthatch, Sitta europaea
Nuthatch feeding, Sitta europaea

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