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

30 November 2005
Underneath the Footbridge, a Little Grebe dived under the water at low tide on the Adur estuary. 
A flock of at least half a dozen Teals were feeding in their characteristic way, all upturned and rear showing, on Widewater just west of the bridge and causeway. 
Widewater Report

21 November 2005
There was a Black Brant (black Brent Goose) amongst the Sea Purslane south of Old Shoreham the Toll Bridge on the River Adur estuary on a flood neap tide (5 metres) in the early afternoon. 

19 November 2005
A butterfly was seen amongst the railway track vegetation between Southwick and Shoreham railway station and this was probably a Red Admiral and may turn out to be the next to last one of the year? 

18 November 2005
 

Event: NATIONAL TREE WEEK                PRESENTATION Venue: Marlipins Museum            High Street, Shoreham-by-Sea Time: 12.30 pm to 1.30 pm Speaker: Jon Stokes (Tree Council)

  Tree Warden Scheme (Link)
  Adur Leaves and Trees
  Adur Council Tree Page
  Adur District Trees (a selection: this page will vary)
  Trees of the British Isles (Yahoo Group)

17 November 2005
A Siskin was a surprise and the first time I had seen this small bird (smaller than a Greenfinch) in my back garden that backs on the wasteland (Coastal Link Cyclepath) and River Adur estuary opposite Shoreham Airport. The garden also supported Goldcrests recently. 

16 November 2005
A Snow Bunting was seen at Shoreham Old Fort on the west side of the entrance to Shoreham Harbour. The Sussex Ornithological Society classifies this bunting as a scarce passage migrant or winter visitor. 

14 November 2005
A pair of Buzzards were spotted in Sompting over the open farm land north of the Eschmann's factory. 

A Robin was seen for the second time in a north Shoreham garden this autumn. It was extremely wary and it was probably wise as a Sparrowhawk had appeared from nowhere 30 minutes earlier, flying straight at a low trajectory and smoothly negotiating the northern fence like a hump back bridge before causing commotion amongst the Jackdaws in the tall trees.
Sussex Ornithological Society Birds of Prey

13 November 2005
A Grey Phalarope, Phalaropus fulicarius, swam around on the surface near the southern sluice gates of Brooklands Boating Lake. It appeared to be feeding on microscopic organisms near the surface of the water at one every second. Occasionally (once every five minutes) it made a short flight lasting about five seconds to another part of the lake all within easy view of the handful of birdwatchers. 
 

It was a quite active and although it seemed unwary and unperturbed in the vicinity of people, it was constantly on the move and it was not straightforward to get a clear photograph in the poor light on an overcast day. After about fifteen minutes it stopped feeding and began to preen.
Picture Page
Better Images on Birds of Sussex
 

Two Goldfinches paid a rare visit to a sunflower seed feeder in a Shoreham garden near Buckingham Park. They have been seen once before in the garden earlier in the year and in the vicinity on a handful of occasions.  Garden Bird Database 2005

A flock of about 250 Starlings flew in a south-easterly direction in a straight convential formation over Buckingham Park, Shoreham, when suddenly the flock verred off in a spiral cornscrewed formation. A dark bird seemed to drop like a Peregrine from a greater height and this is what probably caused the commotion. 
Adur Town & Gardens

12 November 2005
Another Grey Phalarope was seen and photographed at the western end of Widewater Lagoon, Lancing until early afternoon when it flew off. Also two Black Redstarts and a late Wheatear on the beach.

Two Grey Phalaropes were seen and photographed together on Brooklands Boating Lake.

Two spectacular male Ring Ouzels were seen on on Thundersbarrow Hill (TQ 227 091) at midday.

11 November 2005
On the lawn of a block of residential flats near Lancing railway station, the small Parrot Wax Caps (mushroom), Hygrocybe psittacina, were still seen. 

8 November 2005
The winter birds returned to Shoreham garden near Buckingham Park, a bit later than usual this year with Blackbirds, Greenfinches, a male Chaffinch, the first Robin, Blue Tits, a Great Tit and others.
Garden Bird Database 2005
Shoreham Fungi Report for the Day

7 - 15 November 2005
A Grey Phalarope, Phalaropus fulicarius, visited Brooklands Boating Lake, east Worthing (on the Lancing border) and this wading bird was showing very well. It was in its white and grey winter plumage. 

The Grey Phalarope winters at sea over the eastern coastal North Atlantic Ocean.
The Sussex Ornithological Society classifies this bird as a very scarce or rare autumn or winter visitor. It is usually found on the coast after a series of gales.
Reports of the The Grey Phalarope in the Adur lower valley area are very scarce, numbering about one a year and absent in some years. It is the first report on the Adur Nature Notes although they have been seen before since 2000.
Sussex Ornithological Society Records
Adur Weather 2005

4 November 2005

Seven Cormorants were perched on poles in Widewater Lagoon east of the bridge, but flew to the west of the bridge when disturbed. The immature birds had white bellies. 

3 November 2005
Silver Birch trees swayed in the south-westerly winds reached Gale Force 9 and only fell to Gale Force 7. 
Beaufort Scale
Adur Weather

From behind the clouds in the early evening, the planet Mars appeared large in the early eastern sky. Viewing required a telescope. 
Red Planet comes close to Earth (BBC Report)

2 November 2005
After the rain the designated footpath (between the Waterworks Road and the Steyning Road, Old Shoreham) produced a two species of mushrooms growing in the soil amongst the leaf litter of Field Maple: Sulphur Tuft, Hypholoma sublateritium, with gills with a blue tinge and Sulphur Tuft, Hypholoma fasciculare,a common species with a yellow tinge to its gills.
Shoreham Fungi 2005

1 November 2005
In the soft clay of Lancing Ring dewpond bank a group of fungi, identified as Pholiota gummosa, (confirmed) were seen. 
 

Pholiota gummosa	Hygrocybe quieta	Entoloma sericeum

In the short grass area around the Dewpond many small mushrooms sprouted in the turf, among them a distinctive Oily Waxcap, Hygrocybe quieta. A small red one just emerging may have been the Scarlet Waxcap Hygrocybe coccinea. Two mushrooms Entoloma sericeum were found in open grassland near Lancing Ring.

A gravid female Galeruca tanaceti beetle crawled over the soft muddy margins of Lancing Ring dewpond.
Image

Red Admiral Butterflies were still around seen on Lancing Ring, Shoreham town and Southwick. Two were also seen six miles up the Adur valley at Shermanbury.