Lancing
Beach 2004Lancing
Beach 2004Link
to Lancing Beach 2005 Reports
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There were not many birds either, just one Crow picking at the exposed rocks.
14
September 2004
After
the morning gales, but still with a strong
Breeze (Force 6)
three Crows
were dropping shellfish (molluscs, probably
mussels)
from a height on to On Lancing Beach Green beach below, one dropping their
prey on to the new rock sea defences in an attempt to break open the shells.
25
August 2004
It
seemed if the dragonfly flew in off the sea
as the flight was a rapid south to north over a narrow area of beach shingle
near Lancing sailing Club (between Beach Green, Lancing, and Widewater).
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The
Southern
Hawker, Aeshna cyanea, had caught
a Small White Butterfly
and flew around for about a minute until it chose the first place of rest
on the temporary fencing erected by the sea defence contractors. Mandibles
crunching away, it consumed its butterfly prey just like a hungry crab
and after two minutes the prey had been eaten and the dragonfly flew northwards.
Of course, the Southern Hawker
could have just visited the beach area to prey on the numerous Small
White Butterflies, with caterpillars that
feed on the Sea Kale.
Adur
Damselflies
and Dragonflies
An immigrant Painted Lady Butterfly was resting nearby.
6 May
2004
Squid
eggs washed up on Lancing beach seem to
occur occasionally every year and a clump stranded on the sand was no exception.
Uncovered by the low spring tide, the rocks were covered in green
Enteromorpha-type weed and there was hardly
any fauna of note, just one 5-Bearded Rockling,
Ciliata
mustela.
5 May
2004
The
high spring tides had pushed five Turnstones
on to the ridge of shingle on Lancing Beach
(near Brooklands) but they were even harder
to distinguish than the Ringed Plovers
in the same place on 21 April 2004. There
were dozens of whelk balls (disused egg cases
of the Common Whelk)
on the strandline where the Turnstones
dipped over the ridge to feed. One bird was actually observed turning over
a pebble as befits its common name. There were at least fifty Crows
on Lancing Beach Green and the adjacent shingle beach.
21
April 2004
The
high spring tides had pushed the Ringed
Plover on to the ridge of shingle on Lancing
Beach (near Brooklands) but you will have to look carefully at the photograph
on the left to distinguish the well camouflaged little bird.
7
April 2004
The
low spring tide uncovered the rocks amongst the
sand. There was nothing special of note, although the Snakelocks
Anemones, Anemonia
viridis, were still to be found, with hundreds of the sea
anemone Sagartia
troglodytes attached to rocks
beneath the sand, a single small Short-legged
Spider Crab, Eurynome
aspera, and
just one elongated Butterfish,
Pholis
gunnellus.
A
few shrimps were caught in
the shrimp push-net.
24
March 2004
There
were at least three large grebes, on the surface and diving under the water
off the coast of Shoreham and then
off Lancing, by Widewater. The first diving
bird was too far out and only its outline could be seen through binoculars.
Further west at Lancing the two birds were much closer inshore and frequently
diving under the sea and for at least 50% of the time they were under water.
It was then the white neck could be clearly seen as well as the length
of the beak. Unfortunately, I failed initially to make precise observations,
but I am still confident that these three birds were Great
Crested Grebes, in winter plumage but
both birds seemed to have the beginnings of a rudimentary crest. This is
my first observation of a bird I am unfamiliar with.
Marine
Life (Sussex)
Lancing Beach (by Ray Hamblett)
EMail
Address for sending in wildlife reports from the lower Adur valley
Only
a selection will be included and only reports with the name of the reporter
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