BUTTERFLIES
 DRAGONFLIES
 HOVERFLIES
 BUMBLEBEES

Bumblebees
Hoverflies
Butterflies
Solitary Bees
Adur Bees, Wasps & Sawflies
Flies
Ladybirds
Beetles
Moths
Grasshoppers & Crickets
Damselflies & Dragonflies
Bugs
Spiders

WILDLIFE REPORTS
 
 

8 December 2014

ATundra Bean Goose, Anser fabalis rossicus, made an unusual and surprise visit to the lower Adur Valley and was spotted on the river near Cuckoo's Corner on the Coombes Road, (which is on the western bank of the River Adur north of Lancing and a short trek along the towpath from Shoreham). The large bird was feeding on a high spring tide amongst the Sea Purslane before being disturbed and flying off. 
This Bean Goose is a very scarce visitor (Winter Visitor, Passage Migrant) to Sussex. It breeds in north Scandinavia, north Russia and north Asia, and visits East Anglia in small numbers in autumn and winter. 

5 October 2014
Throughout the year, gulls congregate on the mud flats of the River Adur at the middle to low tides, north of the Railway Viaduct. Amongst the throng of hundreds of gulls, one with a white head and long flapping wings, was positively identified as a visiting Caspian Gull, Larus cachinnans, a very scarce (or under-recorded) gull in Sussex and Britain. 

8 September 2014

Lesser Spotted Dogfish

28 August 2014

23 August 2014

5 August 2014
In the morning I watched the maiden flight of several Adonis Blue males at Mill Hill. They perched on the abundant stems of Yellow Wort while drying their wings, occasionally discharging meconium fluid before heading off to patrol the slopes in search of virgin females, the first few of which are now out. Amongst the many other species present I was pleased to see a Silver-spotted Skipper, this being only the second specimen recorded on the hill. The previous evening my father found a full-grown Privet Hawkmoth caterpillar here.

Nymphon "Sea Spider" (=Pycnogonid)	Common Toad

Seventy five young rockpoolers descended on to the Shoreham Fort outer River Adur estuary beach for the annual Friends of Shoreham Beach Rockpooling Day and scooped up the usual prawns and crabs into temporary aquaria provided. Pride of place of discovery went to an adult Rock Goby, Gobius paganellus, and a scarce miniature pycnogonid or sea spider to be identified. It was one of the slender Nymphonidae species that does not appear to have a body of any consequence. It might be one of the two Nymphon species found in British seas. Other notable finds included one young Rock Goby and some adult but small Common Gobies, Pomatoschistus microps, with a sandy coloured body to match the mud and sand shallow pools from where they were captured as the tide receded. But even the Common Gobies looked huge in comparison to the sea spider.

A Common Toad was discovered near Shoreham Fort.
Adur Coastal Reports 2014

31 July 2014

Hornet Robber Fly Asilus crabroniformis	Southern Hawker Dragonfly nymph

On a slightly cooler summer's day, a short detour to the outskirts of north Shoreham was rewarded with my first Brown Argus Butterfly of the year, two Small Blue Butterflies not seen the previous day, my first Hornet Robber Fly  of the year, a Southern Hawker (dragonfly), and a total of ten species of butterflies in as many minutes. The damaged Garden Tiger Moth found on my front path last night was released into my damp front garden. It crawled into the undergrowth rather than flying away. 
Adur Butterflies: First Dates
Butterfly & Moth Report
Difference between Brown Argus and female Common Blues
        
30 July 2014
 

Adonis Blue	Meadow Brown

An afternoon circular trip over Mill Hill produced 18 different species of butterfly, including a restless 69 male Chalkhill Blues, the first of the second brood Adonis Blues, at least three immigrant Clouded Yellows, a few vanessids visiting Hemp Agrimony, ubiquitous Meadow Browns, very frequent Gatekeepers, six Wall Browns, occasional Marbled Whites and other resident species expected on chalk downs in summer.
Full Butterfly Report

21 July 2014
After the thunder and rain deluges (a weather front from the south), I was curious to see what life was out on the downs and about in the humid sunshine on an overcast muggy afternoon. 

An amble up to Mill Hill produced upwards of 250 butterflies and included thirteen different species in as many minutes. The total personal species tally was 17 species including a first of the year Dark Green Fritillary, a fresh Wall Brown, my first two immigrant Clouded Yellows, a second brood Dingy Skipper, and about a hundred Chalkhill Blues (a week before they are due to peak). Gatekeepers, Meadow Browns. and Marbled Whites were all ubiquitous on the lower slopes of Mill Hill. Less than frequent (lower slopes only, recorded in single figures) were Speckled Woods, Large Whites, Small Heaths, Common Blues, Brimstones, Red Admirals, Small Tortoiseshells, Peacocks and Small Skippers. My first of year teneral Common Darter (dragonfly) landed in front of me. As I was about to go home I spotted a blue Southern Hawker patrolling the unruly hedge at the bottom of the lower slopes.
Adur Butterflies: First Dates
Full Butterfly & Moth Report

7 July 2014
Chalkhill Blue Butterflies were seen for the first time this year and eight were seen in the one acre transect on Mill Hill, which indicates the first one was probably in flight a few days ago. They were early this year. 

After the paucity of butterflies that often occurs in late June, there were fresh butterflies on the wing were very frequently seen on the downs with Marbled Whites leading the way with at least 71 seen, but there were as many of both Meadow Browns and Gatekeepers of the ten species seen in an hour. 
Adur Butterflies: First Dates
Full Butterfly & Moth Report

29 June 2014

Two Bar-tailed Godwits arrived on the muddy margins of the River Adur (opposite the Airport, near the Toll Bridge) just before midday as the tide came in. 

June 2014

5 May 2014
 

On a hazy slightly humid day, I was surprised by the fluttering of a pale blue butterfly. When it settled on the abundant Horseshoe Vetch, Hippocrepis comosa, on the lower slopes of Mill Hill, I was able to identify it as my first male Common Blue of the year. Less than a minute later another blue butterfly appeared at the northern end of the lower slopes and this settled as well and I could see it was my first male Adonis Blue of the year. Later I was to spot a female Common Blue and another male Adonis Blue. Other butterflies were only occasionally seen with about eight Dingy Skippers, four Brimstones, at least one Small White and a Wall Brown on the lower part of Mill Hill. 
The records show this was my earliest ever record for a Common Blue. These were probably the first records in England of the Adonis Blue for this year. 
Adur Butterflies: First Dates
Butterfly Report

10 April 2014
A trip to Mill Hill in the afternoon (3:30 pm) sunshine was rewarded with the sight of a Stoat slinking along a footpath, (north of the Reservoir) on the upper part of the hill, with a young Rabbit in its mouth. I only got a quick but clear look of about three seconds, but the Stoat looked like it had a white stripe down its length, but I think this was just its white underbelly. The small size of its prey made me think it was only a young Rabbit.
 

Red Admiral	Green-veined White

I recorded nine butterfly species in the afternoon including four first of the year species: Green-veined Whites, the expected Speckled Woods, an early Holly Blue and the magnificent Brimstones. 
Butterfly Report
Adur Butterflies: First Dates

13 March 2014

7 March 2014

A Harbour Porpoise, Phocoena phocoena, was washed ashore dead on Kingston Beach at the entrance to Shoreham Harbour. 

6 March 2014
In finally managed a positive sighting of two Purple Sandpipers on the southern wooden arm near Shoreham Fort. I positively identified the specks in the distance through a scope and they were clearly different from three Turnstones by their pale yellow legs and different bills. 

3 March 2014
A very large Cod from the shore of 4.36 kg (9 lb 10 oz) caught from Shoreham Harbour arm, West Sussex, was exceptional in itself, but what was even more surprising is that it had swallowed a plastic bottle. Angler Andy Sinclair discovered the bottle after gutting the fish at home.

13 February 2014
After the storms, the sun made a brief occurrence in the early afternoon, enough for a Small Tortoiseshell Butterfly to awake from its diapause and flutter around a white van at the eastern end of the High Street, Shoreham. 
This is my first butterfly in flight for 2014. 
Adur Butterfly Flight Times

10 -11 January 2014

3 January 2014

I was right in the middle of the new Adur Ferry Bridge when the the low flying clouds in mid-afternoon were illuminated by a flash of lightning followed immediately by one tremendous clap of thunder and a second clap a few seconds later. I was nearly blown from my bicycle by a gust of wind and battered by hailstones. Out at sea it was rough, the waves were foaming with white caps like just about a steady Gale Force 7 from the south-west, blowing diagonally on to the shore. Grey clouds reached down to the sea and the swirling gust conditions looked and it felt like a squall (or mini-tornado) might form. The Shoreham Beach Weather Station figures corresponded to my observations recording a steady wind speed of 34 mph (Force 7) gusting to 62 mph (Force 10). An earlier gust of 66.8 mph (Force 11) was recorded.

1 January 2014
The New Year was heralded in by overcast and damp weather. It was not until the early hours that the gales and heavy rain started mostly Gale Force 7 gusting to Storm Force 10, but on occasions reaching Gale Force 8 gusting to Hurricane Force 11 according to the Shoreham Beach Weather Station which recorded a gust of 66.4 mph (Force 11). The recorded wind speeds certainly corresponded with the large trees swaying constantly in the wind and battered by the rain. 
Shoreham Beach Weather Station
Shoreham Weather 2014
 
 
 
 
 

January 2014 Reports
Wild Flowers 2014
Shoreham Weather 2014

EasyTide (Shoreham)

Shoreham Beach Weather Station
 

Adur Nature Notes 2012