Small is beautiful and the Migrant massive

Small Red-eyed Damselfly that is. Not recorded in the UK until 1999 this recent colonist has been thin on the ground in Sussex recently. My only sightings this year until last weekend were of a couple of males which had refused to pose for a pic so it was good to find 6 on the wing on Hankham Level on the 3rd comprising 2 males and 2 pairs in cop, which although not as close as I would have liked did provide some acceptable images. Also on the wing at Hankham on the 3rd were Brown Hawker (5+), Migrant Hawker, Ruddy Darter (13+), Common Darter (3), Black-tailed Skimmer (3), Red-eyed Damselfly (2+), and numerous Blue-tailed, Common Blue, and Azure Blue Damselfly.

 

Occassionally I forget things which have happened during the prior week (despite keeping notes) which some would say is a sign of advancing years - I may have to agree before long but all the time I have a spring in my step I shall resist! However last week I omitted to mention the vast numbers of Migrant Hawker which appeared around the 30th of July. It would have been difficult not to notice these medium sized hawkers in double figure swarms or flocks as I was taking my lunchtime stroll around the industrial estate, and they were still present in large numbers this week. It was nice therefore to be able to photograph the female pictured left on home turf this week which helped to jog my recalcitrant brain cells.
The Brown Hawker pictured below was ovipositing on Hankham Level.
Sunday this week (10th) was again WEBS count day and as is typical in August was pretty disappointing. The bird of the morning was a Whinchat keeping company with 2 Wheatear on Down Level and, with little in the way of water birds and no waders other than a solitary Lapwing on Spoonbill scrape (not even a Green Sand), it was a fairly wet and dismal affair which was only offset by the presence of 3 rather racy Brown Hare. In fact the only waders of the week on the patch were 2 Snipe out at Hankham on the 3rd so inevitably, I succumbed to temptation, and paid a visit to Pulborough Brooks on the afternoon of the 9th where I finally caught up with Sussex family Stilt in the form of the 2 adults that had bred at Medmerry in the company of their 3 offspring. By way of a support act there was also an adult Pectoral Sandpiper, as well as 2 LRP, 2 Green Sand, Greenshank, and Mandarin. Following my abysmal WEBS count on the 10th Mrs Levellers suggestion of a trip to Rye was greeted with some enthusiasm as it meant I could escape for a little to one of my favorite haunts from my youth - Dungeness. So an afternoon stroll around the ARC pits ensued which was all very pleasant providing noteworthy Black Tern, 6 Garganey, Ruff, and a Wood Sandpiper, as well as the more usual suspects.

As the moon heads towards fullness so the moth counts drop off, as exhibited by the past weeks rather poor numbers with maxima of 49 macro's of 21 species on the night of the 7th and 56 micro's of 15 species on the night of the 5th. Nonetheless there were new macro's for the year list and new micro's for the life list in the shape of macro's - Copper Underwing (3rd), Cypress Pug (5th), Flame Carpet & Vine's Rustic (7th), Orange Swift & Small Dusty Wave (9th), and micro's - Dichrorampha acuminatana (3rd), Oegoconia deauratella (probable) & Udea ferrugalis (Rusty Dot Pearl) (5th), & Clepsis consimilana & Pandemis corylana (Chequered Fruit-tree Tortrix) (7th).

And finally, for something completely different, the highlight of my week occurred on Thursday evening (6th) whilst at Langney Point and (unfortunately) cameraless when a Compass Jellyfish (Chrysaora hysoscella) drifted by about 5-6 metres offshore. About the diameter of a dinner plate with red brown lines radiating out from the bell centre, black scalloping around the rim of the bell, and long trailing tentacles made this a very impressive sight. Keep the faith.