Great Spotted Woodies and a Squirrel

Great spotted Woodpecker, Dendrocopos major

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Yesterday the coast was cloud covered but Mark advised there were clear skies to the north so we met at Pulborough Brooks RSPB reserve. There had been a Brown Hairstreak sighting on Thursday and a Pectoral  Sandpiper was on vacation from America. We scoured the Brown Hairstreak area - very precise directions had been posted on the Sussex BC sightings page – “within a matter of feet of the sign telling me where to look”. I think it was a bit too cool for the butterfly to fly – 19°C. We walked to Nettley’s Hide from where the Pectoral  Sandpiper had been sighted during the past few days. One watcher had been there for 4 hours and had seen the bird for one minute before it was frightened off by a raptor. It has been seen with a Ruff. There were Red Admirals and Commas on the brambles and an amazing number of hornets and other insects nectaring on the ivy flowers. A tame squirrel gave us a close-up show on the path. Over cake and cappuccino we enjoyed the comings and goings on the bird feeders, including Great  Spotted Woodpecker, Nuthatch, Marsh Tit, Greenfinch, Great Tit, Blue Tit, Robin, Dunnock.

two Commas, Polygonia c-album

Comma, Polygonia c-album

Comma, Polygonia c-album

Teal, Anas crecca

Pulborough Brooks from Nettley’s Hide

Canada Geese, Branta canadensis

Harvestman, Phalangium opilio

The Brown Hairstreak was seen near this sign

Red Admiral, Vanessa atalanta

Grey squirrel, Sciurus carolinensis

Great spotted Woodpecker, Dendrocopos major

Great spotted Woodpecker landing, Dendrocopos major

Great Tit landing, Parus major and
Greenfinch, Carduelis chloris

Great spotted Woodpecker, Dendrocopos major 

Great spotted Woodpecker, Dendrocopos major

Greenfinch landing, Carduelis chloris

Nuthatch landing, Sitta europaea

Nuthatch, Sitta europaea

Nuthatch feeding, Sitta europaea