WILDLIFE
REPORTS
27
February 2011
The
first frog spawn
of the year was noted in my tiny garden pond in Corbyn Crescent, Shoreham.
 c.
23 February 2011
A
noisy flock of around 30 Linnets
made a brief visit to some small trees at the Halewick Lane carpark, Lancing
(west of Lancing Ring).
16
February 2011
On
the low-lying pasture to the west (below) Mill
Hill, two hundred or more Common Gulls
were resting. The Adur
Levels were as sodden as I had ever seen
them with pools of water underneath the hedgerows each side of the Downs
Link Cyclepath north of Old Shoreham. Mole
hills were frequently seen on the edge
of pastoral fields. Robin Redbreasts
and Blue Tits
were also frequent amongst the bare branches as I cycled along. The cyclepath
was so muddy that I returned by the country road by Botolphs where I noted
my first clumps of Snowdrops
in the churchyard. They were also in flower
by the road at Coombes.
12
February 2011
My
first Common Frog
of the year was a dead specimen squashed by a motor vehicle in Corbyn Crescent,
Shoreham.On Widewater Lagoon, two female
Scaups
attracted
the attention of a group of serious (with scopes) birdwatchers.
In
the early afternoon, a spell of weak sunshine for two hours was easily
the most so far this year. North of the Toll
Bridge in Old Shoreham, a thousand plus Common
Gulls (with green legs) mixed with hundreds
of Lapwings
and frequent Black-backed Gulls.
A single Redshank
probed the tideline. South of the Toll Bridge,
a few Black-headed Gulls
(with red legs) waded over the mud on the airport
side of the River Adur. Underneath
the Railway
Viaduct the first yellow flowers
of a Coltsfoot
plant were seen on the eastern side. Looking
over the exposed mussel beds from Ropetackle,
two Oystercatchers
waded
through the shallow water exposed by the receding tide.
My
first Common Frog
of the year was spotted in the lane by my house in Steyning.
The
pink masses are believed to be appendages to the reproductive organs.
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8 February
2011
Just
the first glimpse of sunshine, but the only wildlife of note were the common
hedgerow birds, gulls and waders.
From the Downs Link Cyclepath the cattle
on Mill Hill were grazing on the middle
slopes with one on the edge of the ridge.
February
2010
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