Shoreham-by-Sea
TOWN
&
GARDENS
|
Overview
The
low lying town of Shoreham-by-Sea is built on level land almost entirely
below 7.7 metres (25 feet) above sea level (Ordnance
Datum, 3.05
metres above Chart Datum). Since World
War II houses have been built on slightly higher ground up to 15 metres
(50 feet) above sea level. The sea facing slope of the downs has been developed
with residential housing, but at a height of about 30 metres (100 feet)
the development has stopped and the downs in the north remain as farmland.
The town is therefore on the low lying plain.
Wildlife
Reports
Summer 2005
Link
to Town & Gardens 2006
May
to December 2005
31
December 2005
23
different birds were spotted in the back garden
of 40 The Drive (near Buckingham Park), (TQ
219 063), during the weekly plus visits in
2005. The numbers of birds are misleading because it is usually the same
birds visiting on different days. The most prevalent birds were Jackdawswith
284 recorded on 48 different occasions. Other birds often seen included
Greenfinches
157, Blackbirds
76, Blue Tits
75, Starlings
67, Collared Doves
52 and House Sparrows
51. New birds added were Fieldfares,
Blackcaps
and a Jay.
The absentee this year was the Goldcrest,
and both Chaffinches
and Song Thrushes
were down in numbers.
Garden
Bird Database 2005
Garden
Bird List 2004
Garden
Bird List 2004 Spreadsheet
25
December 2005
Christmas Day
Under
a clear blue sky the air temperature reached 7.7
ºC at 2:09
pm.
Shoreham
Weather Reports
The
first bird seen during the day was a Pied
Wagtail in Corbyn Crescent, Shoreham.
22
December 2005
A
new record 14 species of birds were seen in
a north Shoreham garden in one hour, a dozen
of them within the first twenty minutes. They were in order of first seen:
Jackdaws
(8),
Greenfinches (8), Blackbirds
(2),
Wood
Pigeon (1),
Collared
Doves (4),
Blue
Tits (5),
Robin
(1),
Wren
(1),
House
Sparrows (4),
Starling
(1),
Great
Tits (2),
Dunnocks
(3), Magpies
(2), and finally a Herring
Gull as I was just about to leave. Food
was there to attract the birds.
Garden
Bird Database 2005
17
December 2005
The
number of corvids
in the tall trees in the central reservation of The Drive, Shoreham, were
now counted over fifty and there were at least a dozen Crows
amongst the Jackdaws.
Also, at the same time in the late afternoon a dozen or so Rooks
perched at the top of a Fir Tree just a handful of houses north in The
Drive, Shoreham. Again, thirty minutes later before dusk, all these birds
had flown off elsewhere and none could be seen amongst the bare branches.
16
December 2005
The
number of corvids
in the tall trees in the central reservation of The Drive, Shoreham, were
counted up to 30 and all were probably Jackdaws
and there could have been more. This is twice as many as normal. Later
(3:50 pm) when
I went to count them just before dusk, they had all disappeared. A large
flock of approximately 2500 Starlings
flew over from west to east followed by another flock at the top of The
Drive of about 250 where two Crows
were seen on the grass road island.
5 December
2005
The
black
corvids in a Fir Tree in Ship Street, central
Shoreham are probably Crows,
but it was difficult to be sure in the murky light as dusk was approaching.
4 December
2005
The
noisy Rooks
are again congregating at the top of a Fir Tree in The Drive, Shoreham.
A Jay
landed
on the roof of a house on the south side of Upper Shoreham Road immediately
south of Buckingham Park.On the Sweet Chestnut
and the Oaks
in Buckingham Park, some brown leaves still remained, but most of the deciduous
trees were now bare.
2 December
2005
The
population of Jackdaws
that roost in the tall trees in the central reservation of The Drive, Shoreham,
are counted and established definitely at 13 birds.
30
November 2005
Elm Trees in Rosslyn Avenue, Shoreham
23
November 2005
A
Goldfinch
on the metal barriers by Furnitureland near the Hamm in Shoreham town seemed
to be on its own which seems unusual for this bird which is seen in small
chirms.
21
November 2005
One
Wren
was making a persistent and strident statement from a bush at the top of
The Drive, Shoreham. I first thought was the alarm
call of this small bird, but the call was too prolonged to make this
likely?
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.
Adur
Butterfly List 2005
It
was now the turn of the Dunnock
to be recorded for the first time in the garden this autumn. At young Magpie
visited the bird table for stale cheese.
Garden
Bird Database 2005
18
November 2004
 |
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
14
November 2005
A
Robin
was seen for the second time this autumn in a Shoreham garden
near Buckingham Park. It was extremely wary and it was probably wise
as a Sparrowhawk
had appeared from nowhere 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. The Sparrowhawk
was seen again later on a return flight over the gardens to the east. The
Goldfinches
were absent. I would think it doubtful whether they would have survived
with a Sparrowhawk
in the vicinity.
13
November 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.
 |
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. There
has also been reports of an autumn influx to Sussex of this attractive
finch. They stayed on the feeder for at least
fifteen minutes feeding on and off during this time. This continuous feeding
is not undertaken by other birds except for one Wood
Pigeon: Greenfinches
make prolonged visits and Blue Tits
making fleeting visits.
Garden
Bird Database 2005 |
3 November
2005
Sulphur
Tuft, Hypholoma fasciculare, is
such a common species of fungus that it only just about gets a mention.
In these photographs of a clump on a tree stump in Windlesham Gardens,
Shoreham,
the stem ring can be clearly seen.
Adur
Sulphur Tufts
1 November
2005
A
Red
Admiral Butterfly was seen a minute after
I left home in Dolphin Road, Shoreham. There were just two Goldfinches
seen in the children's playground on Middle Road Recreation Ground.
30
October 2005
On
the long grass verge island in The Drive, Shoreham, outside number 40,
there was a smallish Dryad's Saddle
(toadstool) amongst the grass with a large
(about 15 cm) cap that had become inverted. There was probably a root underneath
as this large fungus usually grows on wood, usually found on tree stumps
of felled trees or rotten logs.
28
October 2005
Grey
Squirrels were calling raucously from
both the evergreen and the deciduous trees in the twitten
from Ravensbourne Avenue to Buckingham Park in north Shoreham. At least
four them put on a show with a varied (about four) selection of calls which
were quite different from each other.
17
October 2005
Consternation
or was in conversation amongst a half a dozen the Crows
on the chimney tops in The Drive, Shoreham, which made them sound more
like raucous Rooks.
14
October 2005
There
were over a dozen large Agaricus mushrooms growing under
a ? tree in Southdown Road, Shoreham. They looked edible. The cap diameters
of two of the opened up mushrooms were measured at 60 mm and 70 mm. These
are probably the edible Field Mushroom, Agaricus campestris.
Shoreham
Fungi 2005
13
October 2005
A
Grey
Squirrel ran up a tree in the twitten
from Ravensbourne Avenue to Buckingham Park in north Shoreham with a mouth
full of leaves collected from the litter on the ground.
11
October 2005
The
Smooth
Newts,
Triturus
vulgaris, that hatched in my pond
near Mill Hill are now leaving the pond
in droves.
9
October 2005
A
half a dozen fresh Shaggy Parasol Mushrooms,
Macrolepiota
rhacodes, were growing amongst a pile of leaves in the twitten
between Corbyn Crescent and Adelaide Square, Shoreham, on the edge of the
Middle Road allotments.
Shoreham
Fungi 2005
3 October
2005
A
colourful Jay
flew out of the taller trees at the top of Buckingham Park and flew over
a large expanse of grass (over a football pitch) in the direction of the
copse and twitten to Ravensbourne Avenue.
Trees
in Buckingham Park
2 October
2005
A
Water
Shrew,
Neomys
fodiens, was seen underneath a large
piece of boarding on the path on the southern bank of the Slonk
Hill Cutting where it winds its way through vegetation at the western
end. I am not familiar with shrews:
this one was 50% larger than a House Mouse
and it had a white rim that appeared like the edge of a skirt around its
dark grey-black furry coat. It moved to and fro about five seconds before
disappearing.
This is a partially protected
species. It is found in area where Slow Worms
have been discovered before. This is the first
time I have identified this shrew.
The
photograph
was very poor but it does seem to indicate a white underside. This fits
the description for a Water Shrew.
Mammal
Society Factsheet on the Water Shrew
A small
eusocial
species of solitary bee, probably Lasioglossum
calceatum, was spotted on the
Slonk
Hill Cutting.
Adur
Solitary Bees
A
pristine and definite Brown
Argus Butterfly
that was spotted on a flower in a garden
near Buckingham Park, Shoreham was a surprise. It quickly fluttered a away
and disappeared.
Adur
Butterfly & Large Moth List 2005
29
September 2005
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Polypody
(?
not checked)
|
Navelwort
|
Greenery
in the flint wall of St. Julian's Church, Kington Buci
25
September 2005
 After
the morning (9:30 am)
rain squalls the weather cleared for an overcast afternoon but it always
looked like rain and I had already been soaked
earlier so I do not venture out of the urban area. There were a handful
of conspicuous Large White Butterflies
in the residential part of Shoreham, a Red
Admiral flying rapidly northwards over
Dolphin Road in Shoreham town. Fluttering
around the top of the pine trees in the twitten
from Ravensbourne Avenue to Buckingham Park in north Shoreham there was
a small (the size of a Small Heath) orange
or brown butterfly (possibly a moth?) that
was not identified. This was probably a male
2026
Vapourer Moth,
Orgyia
antiqua.
(ID not confirmed, just a
best guess.)
18
September 2005
At
least two Rooks
were positively seen on a roof top in The Drive, Shoreham, and they visited
the Rookery of earlier in the year.
Cypress
at Southlands Hospital (Eastern Entrance)
September
2005
The
Annual
Wall Rocket,
Diplotaxis
muralis, was been growing through a gap in the tarmac in Corbyn
Crescent, Shoreham. This is a frequent plant and there were clumps in Dolphin
Road as well.
11
September 2005
A
young Fox
ran across Gordon Road, about the midway point into the side passge of
a house at around 11:00 pm.
8 September
2005
The
Starling
flocks have returned for the colder months although the temperature rose
to 23.8 ºC.
On top of the houses in Dolphin Road that runs parallel with the railway
line in east Shoreham, there was about 20*
Starlings
per chimney stack on eleven stacks and about another 20 or so on the tiles,
which equals a flock of 20 x 12 = 240. Often two flocks of this size join
together in choosing roosting or resting places. (*counted
on one chimney stack)
7 September
2005
A
young Fox
ran across Middle Road, from the allotments at the eastern end into the
Kingston Buci (not in Kingston Buci) school grounds at around 11:00
pm.
6 September
2005
Renewal
Holly
growths
were
seen growing in another tree in the twitten
to Buckingham Park from Ravensbourne Avenue, Shoreham. Adur Council had
previously chopped the Holly tree
down. It does look like Adur Parks & Gardens
have rectified their original error.
Report
of the Holly Tree Removal
31
August 2005
There
was a flock of an estimated 350 to 400 Starlings
on the grassy area of Church Green, next to Kingston Buci, in the largely
residential area of east Shoreham.
28
August 2005
A
colourful Jay
flew into the trees in the twitten to
Buckingham Park from Ravensbourne Avenue, Shoreham. These trees contain
an Evergreen Oak and a Jay
has been seen there before, but I do not have record for this particular
area since March.
The
Garden
Orb Spiders, Araneus diadematus,
were spinning their deadly webs everywhere as they do in the autumn. Prey
included grasshoppers and moths.
Adur
Spiders
2 August
2005
The
hirundines
over the Southlands Hospital waste land included both Swallows
and House Martins.
31
July 2005
There
were adult Common Frogs and Froglets
in my very small pond in my front garden in Corbyn Crescent, Shoreham.
The Froglets could have hatched from about a dozen tadpoles introduced
in the last two years, or they could have migrated from other garden ponds?
29
July 2005
A
brown butterfly fluttering in the Gentle
Breeze (Force 3) in Williams Road, a residential
part of Shoreham, turned out to be a Wall
Brown Butterfly.
22
July 2005
The
Dryad's
Saddle, Polyporus
squamosus has grown again in the front
verge in Mill Hill Road. One large mushroom is already deteriorating, although
one of them seems intact.
Shoreham
Fungi Page
Common
Blue Butterflies were in flight on the
Slonk
Hill Cutting (southern bank).
Butterfly
List for the Day
17
July 2005
Thirty
to forty Swallows
(? possibly House Martins)
swooped around the trees in the Southlands Hospital wasteland.
Butterflies
were very common (500+ in an hour) but at least half of them were skippers
which appear a bit like moths to the casual rambler.
Fifteen
species of butterfly and skipper were
seen on the Slonk Hill Cutting (southern bank)
which is the largest variety of species seen in a single day this year
so far. The only point of note was all these species were actually seen
in the urban area of Shoreham, and no extra species were added to the list
by visiting the downs on a warm afternoon.
Butterfly
List for the Day
14
July 2005
In
the early evening the thirty Swallows
were now flying over Eastern Avenue, Shoreham, about 300 metres east of
St. Giles Close.
12
July 2005
Now
there were between 30 and 40 Swallows swooping
low over St. Giles Close, south of Southlands Hospital.
11
July 2005
Over
a dozen (probably nearer twenty) Swifts
swooped low and glided over the Hamm Road Allotments, Shoreham town.
The
air temperature attained 27.6 ºC.
10
July 2005
As
the temperature hit 27.2° C, five species
of butterfly visited a Shoreham garden,
all three species of whites, Large White,
Small
White and Green-veined White were
confirmed, plus a Meadow Brown
and a Red Admiral.
A
short walk to the top of the Drive and along the Slonk
Hill Cutting produced 23+ (counted) Small/Essex
Skippers, but no Large
Skippers, a partly counted and estimated 45+
Meadow
Browns, and partly counted and estimated 44+
Gatekeepers,
5+ whites, probably all Green-veined Whites
(as one was confirmed). a count of 7+ Marbled
Whites, plus an estimated 10+ Ringlet
Butterflies.
There
was at least 15, probably many more 6-spotted
Burnet Moths.
Nine
species of butterfly within the Shoreham town
boundaries without visiting the Adur Levels
or the Downs.
There
was a small black and yellow hoverfly Chrysotoxum
bicinctum on the Slonk Hill Cutting (south).
9 July
2005
A
female Broad-bodied
Chaser (dragonfly) is discovered emerging
from a garden pond south of Mill
Hill in Shoreham.
7
July 2005
Only
the second Ringlet Butterfly positively
recorded
on the Adur Nature Notes pages was discovered
on the Slonk Hill Cutting (southern bank) and
spotted amongst the long grass and faded Spotted
Orchids on a day that was too breezy (Force
5) for butterflies.
Previous
Record of a Ringlet
Adur
Butterfly & Large Moth List 2005
Adur
Butterfly Flight Times
Adur
Flies
22
June 2005
There
were a handful of Swifts performing
acrobatics over the disused grounds west of Southlands Hospital. (At least
they had forked tails, possibly Swallows?)
14
June 2005
The
black and white bird I did not recognise immediately in the twitten
between Ravensbourne Avenue and Buckingham Park, and it took me twenty
seconds or so to realise this was a juvenile Great
Spotted Woodpecker.
Another
bird on the roof of 15 Ravensbourne Avenue was making such a racket with
a variety of calls that it attracted my attention. Unfortunately, I left
my binoculars at home and I could not instantly identify it from a repertoire
of calls that is unequalled in my experience. The bird was light coloured
with a black head and was about the size of a Starling or smaller. Its
beak may have been longer than most garden birds. This may have been a
Blackcap.
The
calls were checked on the Collins Field Guide "Bird Songs & Calls"
CD-ROM. It seems possible that it was a Blackcap,
but it was not confirmed. The song seemed more distinct and clearer than
on the audio CD-ROM.
13
June 2005
Orchids
in Shoreham
Bee
Orchids were growing tall in the long
grass verges with Red Clover
at the junction of Mill Hill Road (leads to Mill Hill) and Mill Hill Close.
Original
Report by Betty Bishop
12
June 2005
There
were two adult Slow Worms
underneath a piece of cardboard on the wild ground, mostly Hawthorn, between
the A27 road
embankment and the houses north of Buckingham Park.
Full
Report
Bee
Orchids were flowering in Mill Hill Road
(leads to Mill Hill) on the east side verges.
Report
by Betty Bishop
10
June 2005
A
young Fox
scampered across the busy Ham Road in the centre of Shoreham town, mobbed
by two Herring Gulls
in broad daylight (5:45 pm)
and went into the gardens of the Guildborne House apartments, next to the
Old Schoolhouse (near the Surry Street junction).
8 June
2005
A
pair of Goldfinches
were a colourful addition to Gordon Road, Shoreham.
7 June
2005
Two
species of butterfly made their first appearance
as the sun came out: Small Blue Butterflies
(18+) and Large Skippers
(4+) were recorded firstly on the south bank of the Slonk
Hill Cutting.
This
area produced the first 24-spot Ladybird
on
these Nature Notes, but it has probably been
overlooked before because of its small size.
At
the top of The Drive, Shoreham, Marmalade
Flies and other hoverflies
were noticed in numbers in excess of twenty on one bush.
Adur
Butterflies: First Dates
Adur
Skippers
Adur
Butterfly & Large Moth List 2005
Adur
Ladybirds
2 June
2005
Looking
even more splendidly colourful than even the illustrations in the books,
it looks like there the two Bee-eaters
were
a pair as they flew around together and obliging settled in a tree near
the path at the back of the west side gardens of Ravens Road, central Shoreham,
(hereafter to be known as Bee-eater Twitten).
They perched on branches high up in the tree and could be seen very clearly,
but apparently not nearly close enough for a massive 600 mm camera lens.
not mine, but with the contingent of birders. The breast of the bird looked
like the "teal" colour on the Windows (computer program) menu. Through
the scope one bird was seen to be surrounded by a couple of dozen small
midges.
Birds
of Sussex
1 June
2005
From
11.30
am and certainly still in the area at 4.15
pm were two Bee-eaters,
Merops
apiaster, were seen in Shoreham in
the area of Buckingham Road/Windlesham Road.
The
Bee-eater
is a rare but annual visitor to Britain, mainly to southern counties. It
has even nested. A very difficult bird to see however, due to its habit
of not staying long in any one place. Occasionally groups of more than
one bird occur.
Birdguides
entry
The
Bee-eater
has
a limited communal breeding system, breeding as pairs, but helped out by
other Bee-eaters.
This
is the first known record for Shoreham.
Sussex
Ornithological Society Bee-eater records.
27
May 2005
The
Rooks
are gone from the Rookery in The Drive, Shoreham. They could have left
a week or more ago as I failed to make a note. A Holly
Blue Butterfly was noted in a front garden
on the opposite side (east) of the rod to the Rookery.
A
handful each of Speckled Wood Butterflies,
Large
Red Damselflies, Andrena bees
and the pretty hoverfly Leucozona
lucorum were seen in the shady area
at the top of The Drive, Shoreham.
The
most unexpected and surprising discovery of my day was a slightly faded,
but intact, Red Admiral Butterfly in the
twitten
between Adelaide Square and Corbyn Crescent, Shoreham.
An
Adonis
Blue Butterfly fluttered over the Dovecote
Bank.
Butterfly
& Moth Report
22
May 2005
Dove's-foot
Cranes-bill, Geranium molle, was
noted in a patch of over fifty flowers, possibly many more, on the verges
in Crown Road south of Southland's Hospital.
Shoreham
Garden Report
11
May 2005
A
pair of Goldfincheswere
seen in a front garden in Park Avenue, Shoreham on the western side half
way along the road. These house have medium-sized gardens.
1
May 2005
Common
Mouse-ear and Germander
Speedwell were noticed in the grass verges.
These small plants are usually thought of as weeds.
Dovecote
Bank
Slonk
Hill South
Coastal
Link Cyclepath
Shoreham
Town Wildlife Reports (January to May 2005)
Town
& Gardens 2004
Adur
Nature Notes 2005: Index Page
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