Palmate Newts, Goldcrest and Brimstones

juvenile Palmate Newt, Lissotriton helveticus

to view a gallery with more photos, click here

Yesterday I attended our last Heyshott work party of this season. We start again in October. Afterwards I visited Heyshott Common and saw a Marsh Tit. I then wandered into woodland at another site and found hibernating juvenile Palmate Newts. One rotten log had 4 inside it plus a hibernating Median Wasp. I first thought it was a hornet, but my friend Mark, who knows wasps, corrected my id. I found another larger newt under another log.

This afternoon we visited Angmering Estate woods and a Goldcrest suddenly appeared in a leafless tree beside the path. While I was watching it Sue spotted two male Brimstones fluttering through the wood 50 yards away. Bluebells are starting to show together with wood anemones, lesser celandines, primroses and daisies. Chiffchaffs and firecrests were calling.

view from Heyshott Escarpment

the lumberjacks: Nigel, Paul, Andy, Greg, John, Mike

Blackfoot Polypore, Polyporus leptocephalus

underside of Blackfoot Polypore

a woodland site:

Black Slug, Arion ater agg.

Common Jellyspot fungus, Dacrymyces stillatus

Flat-backed Millipedes, Polydesmus species

Leopard Slug, Limax maximus

Palmate Newt juvenile hibernating, Lissotriton helveticus

Queen Median Wasp, Dolichovespula media in its 'hibernaculum' inside a rotting log

hibernating Queen Median Wasp

Rounded Snail, Discus rotundatus

10mm unidentified mushroom

spider's egg sac

Leopard Slug, Limax maximus

White-lipped Snail, Cepaea hortensis

Angmering Estate woods:

Daisy, Bellis perennis

Lesser Celandines, Ranunculus ficaria

Wood Anemone, Anemone nemorosa

Wood Anemones

Goldfinches, Reed Bunting & Oyster Mushrooms

Goldfinch, Carduelis carduelis

to view a gallery with more photos, click here

Yesterday morning the sun shone so we walked along the sea front to the river. After lunch I looked for Marsh Tits at Rewell Wood again, heard Firecrests and found Oyster Mushrooms. I then walked round Arundel WWT, except for the reed bed walk which was closed due to flooding. The kingfisher room gave me an excellent view of a Reed Bunting and the Goldfinches were at the feeder by the garden area near the Sand Martin hide. A double rainbow appeared late in the day.

River Arun

Oyster Mushrooms, Pleurotus ostreatus

Oyster Mushrooms

Jelly Ear Fungus, Auricularia auricula-judae

Arundel WWT:

Reed Bunting, Emberiza schoeniclus

Reed Bunting, Emberiza schoeniclus

African White-backed Duck ♂, Thalassornis leuconotus

view from Sand Martin hide

Bewick's Swan, Cygnus columbianus

Great Tit, Parus major

Harlequin Duck ♀, Histrionicus histrionicus

Harlequin Duck ♂

Herring Gull, Larus argentatus

Herring Gull

Hooded Merganser ♀, Lophodytes cucullatus

Hooded Merganser ♂, Lophodytes cucullatus

Jackdaw, Corvus monedula

There is a huge flock of Jackdaws on The Burgh

Mandarin Duck, Aix galericulata

Tufted Ducks, Aythya fuligula

Tufted Ducks

Littlehampton rainbows