BUTTERFLIES
 DRAGONFLIES
 HOVERFLIES
 BUMBLEBEES

Valley and Flood Plain from of the River Adur

River Adur tidal reaches 

Sussex downland on both sides of the River Adur,
including Mill Hill Nature Reserve

Extensive urban area including the coastal towns of Shoreham, Southwick and Lancing, and the inland town of Steyning and countryside villages

Rich marine, seashore, shingle beach and lagoon habitats

31 January 2005
A Peregrine Falcon was seen flying around Shoreham Harbour Power Station chimney (where the nest box is) at 9:00 am.

A Magpie on the roof of a house in Corbyn Crescent, Shoreham, had more white than normal and it appeared that some of the wing feathers were white when they should have been black, but not so markedly an albino bird which has been seen three and more years before.
Shoreham-by-Sea (Town & Gardens) 2005

29-30 January 2005
Big Garden Birdwatch 2005
RSPB's Big Garden Birdwatch

All silent and empty for the first few minutes until a blodge of red of the Robin Redbreast in the Holly Tree at the bottom of the back garden of 40 The Drive (near Buckingham Park), (TQ  219 063) became the first bird to register on the hour long birdwatch. Altogether thirteen different species were recorded including the first appearance of three Chaffinches of the year. 

New Shoreham (Buckingham Ward) Garden Bird Database 2005
Garden Bird List 2004

26 January 2005
The Tamarisk shrubs/trees on Lancing Beach Green that have seen to be welcome shelter for migrating birds have now been removed by Adur Council.

25 January 2005
I saw a glimpse what what was either a Goldcrest or maybe less likely a
Firecrest in my Lancing Garden TQ 186 044. It was smaller and more elongated than a Wren, the light was poor and difficult to discern markings as it flitted in and out of the garden

There was a single flock of about five thousand or more Starlings over the houses south of Southlands Hospital, Shoreham, just before dusk. 
Shoreham-by-Sea (Town & Gardens) 2005

23 January 2005
The famous Holly Tree growing in another tree in the twitten to Buckingham Park from Ravensbourne Avenue, Shoreham seems to have been removed. Why do Adur District Council Parks and Gardens decide on such vandalism? 
Original Picture and Report
Shoreham Parks & Gardens 2005

The full moon rose at 3:15 pm and could be seen large in the eastern sky before dusk. The weather vane was pointing north. 
Shoreham Beach Weather History (New Millennium)

20 January 2005
The yellow flowers of Lesser Celandine opened near Lancing Manor roundabout, and a small juvenile Common Toad found was found in in my south Lancing garden at TQ 186 044.

16 January 2005
Originally I thought it was a juvenile Robin without its red breast was one of three Robins seen in the back garden of 40 The Drive (near Buckingham Park), (TQ  219 063) all at one time. Juvenile Robins are reported in the book as moulting into their new red breasts in autumn. This statement may be tricky to interpret as the bird can have up to three broods, and each juvenile-to-adult moult seems most likely to occur at different times. This young bird had just a very small mottled red patch on its left at the top of its breast. The young bird probably hatched in October 2004.
PS:  Because of the orange coloured legs of this bird, I now think it was a Dunnock.
Full Report

I was surprised to see what looked like a butterfly fluttering in the breeze. I dismissed it as a leaf dislodged in a gust until I saw it again and recognised it as a good condition Red Admiral Butterfly in the back garden of 40 The Drive (near Buckingham Park), (TQ  219 063), Shoreham-by-Sea. This was my first butterfly of the year and my first record of any butterfly in January. The last Red Admiral was seen on 19 November 2004.
Adur Butterflies 2004
Adur Butterflies
Link: Adur Butterflies Flight Times
Adur First Butterfly Dates 2003-2005

13 January 2005
The two Robins on the southern fence of the back garden of 40 The Drive (near Buckingham Park), (TQ  219 063), went through a brief territorial battle with a sudden flurry. 
Robins usually breed from late March in holes in dense scrub including gardens. They may breed twice or even thrice in one year. 
Robin Movies
Robin Nest Box
New Shoreham Garden Bird Database 2005
Shoreham-by-Sea (Town & Gardens) 2005

10 January 2005
We keep finding Smooth Newts, Triturus vulgaris, on the paths in the garden on the town side of Mill Hill. I found another six tonight. I tend to pick them up and put them in the small pond some 20 metres away. Smooth Newts are the commonest newt species in England.
NB: Palmate Newts with their webbed feet also occur in Shoreham.

Newts do not hibernate, they just enter a state of torpor when the overnight average temperature is below about 5° C. Newts are also seldom active on land during periods of hot and/or dry weather. Research has also shown that they seem to be less active on windy nights. The periods of mild weather we have experienced so far this winter have enabled newts to become active, this is why you have been finding them out foraging at night in January.

 4 January 2005
The wooden fence separating the shingle from the concrete promenade has probably been there for over fifty years. There are two common and distinctive lichens growing well above high tide limit (in air laden with salt spray in the breeze that was steady Force 6  gusting to gales, with white crests to the foamy sea waves breaking up to a metre in height) and these were the yellow and blue-green species. 
Adur Lichens

By the beach huts between Widewater Lagoon and the sea, a smallish brown pipit was feeding amongst the mosses on the shingle. It was very plump and healthy looking with strong dark brown breast, and pale legs which are diagnostic of the Meadow Pipit. This small can vary in appearance according to the state of its moult and winter visiting birds often appear a richer brown than the locals (my observations only). 
Adur Coastal 2005

3 January 2005
North of Old Shoreham Toll Bridge two Little Grebes spent most of the time diving repeatedly under the surface of the River Adur estuary on a rising neap tide at about 2.5 metres (two hours after low water). 
Adur Estuary 2005

On the Coastal Link Cyclepath north of Old Shoreham, there was a flock of between a dozen and thirty thrushes in the Hawthorn.They looked paler and slightly plumper than Song Thrushes, and there did not appear to be any red underwing, although they flew off at my approach. My educated guess are that these are Fieldfares. 
The only fungi observed were some bracket fungi on a rotten log. 
Adur Levels 2005

1 January 2005
The first birds seen this year were a flock of of more than a dozen House Sparrows at junction of Corbyn Crescent and Dolphin Road in the town of Shoreham. 
Shoreham-by-Sea (Town & Gardens) 2005
 

Adur Nature Notes 2005:   Index Page

31 December 2004
A large Peregrine Falcon was seen flying around Shoreham Harbour Power Station chimney (where the nest box is) at 10:00 am.

28 December 2004
21 different birds were spotted in the back garden of 40 The Drive (near Buckingham Park), (TQ  219 063), during the weekly visits in 2004. The most prevalent birds were Starlings with 143 recorded on 18 different occasions, the most often seen was the Blackbird on 26 occasions with 66 recorded birds. Other birds often seen included Greenfinches 115, Chaffinches 46, Blue Tits 44 and Collared Doves 35. Highlights included a Goldcrest and Goldfinches and the greatest surprise was the single appearance of a Rook.
Garden Bird List 2004
Garden Bird List 2004 Spreadsheet