Urban Reports           2015 - 2016

Lancing, Shoreham-by-Sea, Southwick

25 October 2016

Oxford Ragwort, Senecio squalidus, is a alien hybrid ragwort first introduced to into the UK around 1690 via the Oxford Botanic Gardens. It escaped into the wild and spread rapidly along railway tracks from the late 19th century. In Shoreham it favours the gravel ballast of the railway track (near Eastern Avenue Railway Level Crossing) and areas of shingle on Shoreham Beach. Its flowers are a richer yellow than the native Common Ragwort and Hoary Ragwort. It is a more attractive plant with a longer flowering season.  It can be seen in flower from April until November. The small and weedy Groundsel was still flowering in Old Shoreham.

24 October 2016

9 October 2016

Adur Wild Flowers 2016

8 July 2016
Blown about in the Moderate Breeze (Force 4), with gusts, three Comma Butterflies showed, at least two by the Waterworks Road and another over the Footpath 3140 to The Street, Old Shoreham, followed by a Large White. Two Meadow Browns were blown into view between Old Shoreham and Ropetackle on the verges of the tarmac path.
Adur Butterfly List 2016

19 March 2016
Common Frog spawn reported by Helen Swyer to have been laid in excess abundance this year. A couple of pints were transferred to my close-by garden pond.

17 March 2016
In the dark of night just after a 70.1% Moon set below the horizon, a Fox awakened the neighbourhood (of Corbyn Crescent, Shoreham) as it screamed a harsh and repeated "Vixen Call" in the early hours (3:00 am).  It was cold night with a below freezing wind chill.

2 August 2015 A Large White Butterfly visited the two metres high Spear Thistle in my front garden.

7 July 2015
Within the Shoreham town boundaries the tally of butterflies were about ten Ringlets around Slonk Hill Farm Road (three north of the bridge, and seven on the southern bank), with a few Small Whites and a few Large Whites seen in Shoreham town. On Buckingham Cutting (south) I added a handful of Small Blues, a Small Skipper and half a dozen Meadow Browns all seen immediately and a Comma and Gatekeeper added after ten minutes. There was a Speckled Wood at the top of Buckingham Park.
Adur Butterfly List 2015

27 June 2015

The dark Froglets in my garden pond had four legs and a tail and were lively amongst the Duckweed.

19 June 2015
 

Stag Beetle

At the top of the Pixie Path (south side of the bridge to Mill Hill) a female Stag Beetle crawled across the narrow footpath.