Of Birds & Cake the Blog of Paul: Eagles, Newts and Dragonflies

Title sums up our mid-morning walk around RSPB Pulborough Brooks, the Newts were first, in the Pond just as you leave the Visitor Center, was watching several small Newts presumably Common Newts when an absolutely mahusive Great Crested Newt appeared from the depths hit the surface and promptly disappeared back where it came from!! This happened a few times and I never managed a picture of the GCN but cracking to see!!!! Lots of Pond Skater, Water Boatman, Diving Beetle type things about as well, watching stuff like this is always good fun!! Also good views of what I think is a Four-spotted Chaser!

The view across the Pond by Margie

View from the Pond by Margie

Red Admiral

House Sparrow

Water Boatman? Seemed to be a couple of different types?

Newt

Four-spotted Chaser

Water Lilly by Margie

We dragged ourselves away and walked around to the West Mead hide, could hear plenty of birds on the way, but they are pretty much all hiding away at this time of year, though a Greenfinch showed alright, surprising amounts of singing Chiffchaffs around the reserve as well!

Greenfinch

Chiffchaff

There was a nice Great White Egret showing well from the hide, a couple of Herons and a Little Egret as well. Nice to see a female Tufted Duck with a family of Ducklings maybe the first time they have bred here? Though how many will reach maturity with all the Herons and other predators remains to be seen. While we were in the hide a large flock of Hirundines and Swifts appeared distantly, loads of them, I scanned hard and the hoped for Hobby appeared and tore into them, it was all very distant so sadly no pics, but cracking action, though the Swallow that the Hobby caught may not have thought so!!

View from West Mead by Margie

Great White Egret

Grey Heron

We left the hide, has to be said at this point we realised that having dressed for the heatwave, the wind was blooming chilly!! We headed around towards Winpenny Hide, this area was good for Butterflies and we spent a while, with another couple trying to distinguish Essex Skippers from Small Skippers. Meadow Browns, Gatekeepers a Small Copper and I think a Painted Lady present as well as the Marbled Whites which were basically taking the mickey by refusing to land!!

Black-tailed Skimmer

Think the black antennae mean this is an Essex Skipper

Think the brown antennae make this a Small Skipper

Meadow Brown

Small Copper

Gatekeeper

Painted Lady ????

Some of the flowers in the meadows by Margie

Green Beetle on flowers by Margie

We continued on seeing another couple of Birders who were watching one of the White-tailed Eagles that frequent the area. It was blooming high and quite difficult to pick up, there were also a couple of Red Kites, several Buzzards, a Kestrel and a couple of Hobbies dotted about the sky!!

Kestrel

White-tailed Eagle

WTE

More fantastic action!!! We reached Winpenny Hide, several Little Egrets, more Grey Herons, and a family of Egyptian Geese the highlights, well the highlight until the White-tailed Eagle returned at any rate!

Little Egret

Grey Heron

White-tailed Eagle although it was lower and closer the bugger always seemed to be flying away from me!

The rest of the reserve proved to be a little disappointing, four Little Ringed Plovers, a couple of Avocets and a flock of Black-tailed Godwits from the Hangar was about the best of it!