This summer has had its ups and downs with regard to the weather, as it has everywhere, but I think that here we are lucky to have less rain and a bit more sun than in Surrey. My breeding bird survey went well in the better weather early on, although in my own garden the blue tits didn't nest for the first time in several years. However, I did have two dunnocks and a blackbird nesting. On the reserve the little
terns were less successful than last year, partly due to a helicopter landing among them just as they were beginning to nest! Small birds seem to have done quite well, judging by the large mixed flocks of linnets, goldfinches and greenfinches on the big field near me, which is especially planted with sunflowers, other nectar plants and various seed crops to attract butterflies and seed-eating birds. I have also recently seen family parties of stonechats and reed buntings, while around 17 pairs of little egrets nested among the 11 heron's nests. We have now begun to have cattle egrets frequenting the fields among the cows. They seem to be starting to colonise the south coast, much as the little egrets did some years ago. Among rarities during this autumn's migration were three grey phalaropes, one of which was very close to the road on Ferry Pool. At about the same time there were several wrynecks in the area. The young from the peregrines which nested successfully in Chichester again this year have also been practising their skills around the harbour.
The field planted for nectar and seeds is where I do a butterfly survey during the summer. This year has been truly awful, with a reduction in both species and individual numbers. After a reasonable start in the late spring, the wet weather knocked out most of the meadow browns and gatekeepers, and during my first June visit I recorded no butterflies at all, and only a very few on my second visit. Numbers improved in September, mostly small whites which had apparently come in from the continent together with a number of red admirals. I have seen no clouded yellows or hummingbird hawk moths this year, both of which immigrants we normally see. Ivan Lang, our conservation warden who does a lot of moth trapping, tells me that the micromoths, which usually come over in large numbers, were also few this year. We did, however, have record numbers of southern marsh orchids in June, over 12,000 being recorded in one meadow together with bee, common spotted and pyramidal orchids in smaller numbers.
In September I spent a couple of days with Olive Boroughs, and really enjoyed meeting up with Kath and Chris Brading and Dick Alder to do a bit of survey work at Brooklands. Finding herald and button snout moths and several peacock butterflies hibernating in the brick shelters was a highlight, as was watching grey wagtails catching insects using the high tail of one of the aircraft as a lookout post. It was nice to feel that I was doing a (very small) bit for the ENHS again.
Brenda Chapman