Thursday 31 March 2016

Palmate Newts, Goldcrest and Brimstones

juvenile Palmate Newt, Lissotriton helveticus
Yesterday I attended our last Heyshott work party of this season. We start again in October. Afterwards I visited Heyshott Common and saw a Marsh Tit. I then wandered into woodland at another site and found hibernating juvenile Palmate Newts. One rotten log had 4 inside it plus a hibernating Median WaspI first thought it was a hornet, but my friend Mark, who knows wasps, corrected my id. I found another larger newt under another log.
This afternoon we visited Angmering Estate woods and a Goldcrest suddenly appeared in a leafless tree beside the path. While I was watching it Sue spotted two male Brimstones fluttering through the wood 50 yards away. Bluebells are starting to show together with wood anemones, lesser celandines, primroses and daisies. Chiffchaffs and firecrests were calling.
view from Heyshott Escarpment


the lumberjacks: Nigel, Paul, Andy, Greg, John, Mike
Blackfoot Polypore, Polyporus leptocephalus
underside of Blackfoot Polypore
a woodland site:
Black Slug, Arion ater agg.
Common Jellyspot fungus, Dacrymyces stillatus
Flat-backed Millipedes, Polydesmus species
Leopard Slug, Limax maximus
Palmate Newt juvenile hibernating, Lissotriton helveticus




Queen Median Wasp, Dolichovespula media in its 'hibernaculum' inside a rotting log
hibernating Queen Median Wasp
Rounded Snail, Discus rotundatus
10mm unidentified mushroom
spider's egg sac
Leopard Slug, Limax maximus
White-lipped Snail, Cepaea hortensis
Angmering Estate woods:


Daisy, Bellis perennis
Lesser Celandines, Ranunculus ficaria
Wood Anemone, Anemone nemorosa
Wood Anemones

Tuesday 29 March 2016

Goldfinches, Reed Bunting & Oyster Mushrooms

Goldfinch, Carduelis carduelis
Yesterday morning the sun shone so we walked along the sea front to the river. After lunch I looked for Marsh Tits at Rewell Wood again, heard Firecrests and found Oyster Mushrooms. I then walked round Arundel WWT, except for the reed bed walk which was closed due to flooding. The kingfisher room gave me an excellent view of a Reed Bunting and the Goldfinches were at the feeder by the garden area near the Sand Martin hide. A double rainbow appeared late in the day.
River Arun
Oyster Mushrooms, Pleurotus ostreatus
Oyster Mushrooms
Jelly Ear Fungus, Auricularia auricula-judae
Arundel WWT:
Reed Bunting, Emberiza schoeniclus
Reed Bunting, Emberiza schoeniclus
African White-backed Duck ♂, Thalassornis leuconotus
view from Sand Martin hide
Bewick's Swan, Cygnus columbianus
Great Tit, Parus major
Harlequin Duck ♀, Histrionicus histrionicus
Harlequin Duck ♂
Herring Gull, Larus argentatus
Herring Gull
Hooded Merganser ♀, Lophodytes cucullatus
Hooded Merganser ♂, Lophodytes cucullatus
Jackdaw, Corvus monedula
There is a huge flock of Jackdaws on The Burgh



Mandarin Duck, Aix galericulata
Tufted Ducks, Aythya fuligula
Tufted Ducks
Littlehampton rainbows