For illustrated talks on natural history and history see www.peterlovetttalks.co.uk

For illustrated talks on natural history and history click here for www.peterlovetttalks.co.uk

Thursday 30 October 2014

Pagham Harbour, Sidlesham Quay to Selsey walk sighting Curlews, Moorhens, Avocets, Lapwings, Wigeon, Shelducks, Brent Geese, Egrets, Whimbrel, Cormorants, Redshanks and more!

The walk was on the 27th October 2014 from the Crab & Lobster pub (above, at Sidlesham Quay), where we stayed for two nights.  The above photo was on our return when the tide was high.

 The view towards the shingle bank on the far horizon.
 As we set out the tide was low and we ventured out to see some of the birds in the creeks.
Redshanks and Curlew were feeding.

A Moorhen and Little Egret near the Ferry pool.
 The Ferry pool looking across the busy Chichester to Selsey road.
 What a joy to see Avocets in West Sussex plus lots of Wigeon and Lapwings.

Lapwings and a few gulls.
Lots of Wigeon resting and in flight below.

A flock of Brent geese were feeding in a distant field and took off soon afterwards flying out to the harbour.


 Following the footpath towards Church Norton, Gloria spotted a Whimbrel well camouflaged in the reed bed before flying off.

A zoomed picture of the beautiful Chichester cathedral in the distance with the South Downs behind.
With its proximity to a car park, Church Norton is a popular spot for birders, who had seen a Goldcrest in the hedgerow.
From Pagham spit we headed to Selsey, which name originates from Seal Island in Old English.

 A solitary Cormorant.

 Lots of Turnstones at Selsey beach.
Above a Common gull and Turnstone which are quite tame here with so many people walking past on the sea wall.

The sea is very shallow here, hence the rather long pier to launch the lifeboat.  We arrived in time for a Selsey crab salad in the nearby Lifeboat pub.
On weekdays the number 51 bus runs every 15 minutes from here to Chichester.  We caught it to the RSPB center from where we walked back to the Crab and Lobster for our second night there.
The tide was now coming in fast, flooding the area where we were at the beginning of the day.  A Grey heron in this shot.
The high water brings the birds off the mudflats to nearer to the shoreline.
 A female and male Wigeon above.
A female and male Teal.
 In the brackish pool at Sidlesham Quay inland of the road was a Little Grebe.

 We walked straight past the inviting bar at the pub and carried on to the Pagham wall towards Pagham with a Heron above and flocks of Wigeon.
The path here is a bit muddy and worth it for sights of Shellducks. 


The following morning we returned to Pagham wall and were rewarded with a Bar-tailed Godwit photo' below reflected in the morning light.

A truly magical place and one worth spending a couple of days to explore.

Wednesday 1 October 2014

Some insects of the Sibillini hills in the Appenine Mountains of Italy


These pastures are higher than Ben Nevis with great views and insects.
A Clouded Yellow butterfly occasionally flew rapidly by, rarely posing like the one above.

Common Blue butterflies were just that -- common, if rather beaten up (above) and in better shape below.


A Wall butterfly.
Any ideas what this is?

This might be a Brown Mountain Grasshopper.
Above has blue flash colours when it flies.  Sphingonotus caerulans perhaps.
Could these be Aiolopus thalassinus?  The male on top is much smaller than the female.

 This Bush Cricket was very much larger than the grasshoppers.

A red flash colour grasshopper Oedipoda germanica ?


Might this Cricket be a Wart-Biter?  Or perhaps it is a Great Green Bush-cricket.

???
A great thing about an HF holiday is that the leader takes care of the route so I can spend time photographing the wildlife.  Perfetto.  
Great walking country from our base in Nocia in Umbria.


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