Autumn is the time for migration and many a birdwatcher is eagerly rushing around the site looking for those species that breed further north. Hobby, Merlin and Osprey have all been reported recently around the harbour. These have been joined by more exotic arrivals with the herons prominently represented over the last month; spoonbills, cattle egret and more recently a short stay by a Great White Egret have all brightened up some of the dull autumn days.
Great White Egret
By it is not all about the birds, insects have their own migrations with many migrating in to the country from the continent if the wind direction is correct. Regular invertebrate visitors to these shores each year are migrant hawkers and the striking Clouded Yellow. These can be seen around the Visitor Centre and at Church Norton on warm autumn days dancing around the remaining flowering flowers or hawking over the new dipping pond in the discovery zone.
Clouded Yellow
Visitors will experience the delights of the dragonflies and butterflies during the day, but there are less known activities taking place a night. Moth are very active over the summer moths with a wide range of species recorded over these periods. Despite the weather change and the advance of winter, the autumn months can be an exciting time to set a moth trap. Resident beauties such as Merveille du Jour can brighten up any day and lives up to its English translation “Wonder of the Day”. As with birdwatching, migrant moths always ad to the interest of opening any trap from the commoner Dark Swordgrass to the rare and exotic. This autumn two rare moths have graced Pagham a Dewick’s Plusia not recorded here in ten years and a first record for the reserve the impressive Beautiful Marbled.
Beautiful Marbled
Dewick's Plusia
Dark Sword-grass
The Warden, RSPB Crook of Baldoon