Thanks to volunteer Graham for his wildlife sightings report and photos.
After missing two Sundays at Pulborough Brooks I was pleased to return to Hides and Trails duties on the first weekend of August. Soon after I arrived I saw a group of visitors whose attention was focused on something just behind the Welcome Hut. They pointed out the infant Common Lizard that has been seen regularly at this point, and I enjoyed a brief lie down to get the right angle for my first photo of the day.
Alongside the zigzag path the Common Fleabane was attracting a variety of insects including a Marsh Damsel Bug,
an Ant Damsel Bug nymph
and a Marmalade Hoverfly.
After a brief visit to West Mead Hide I continued on to Redstart Corner, where the flourishing Yellow Loosestrife was attracting a good number of Yellow Loosestrife Bees.
Nearby I spotted a moth land near the edge of the path, a Straw Dot.
Further along the path towards Winpenny Hide a Six-spot Burnet moth was on a head of Common Knapweed.
A joined a small number of visitors in Winpenny Hide. I had only been there a few minutes when my first scan over the treeline to the south revealed a White-tailed Eagle circling at some distance. As it gained height it was mobbed by a Common Buzzard, before eventually drifting off southwards. Following the eagle action I made my way towards the Ditch Dipping ponds, intending to look for damselflies and dragonflies. En route I spotted a Small Copper butterfly on a leaf.
At the dipping ponds I was disappointed to find only a single Brown Hawker, a female Banded Demoiselle and just a few specimens of Azure and Blue-tailed Damselfly. I was focusing my attention on these when a visitor suggested I look skywards, and I was pleased to get my second view of the day of a White-tailed Eagle, this time just within photographic range.
As I was about to leave the dipping ponds a Comma butterfly settled on a spike of Purple Loosestrife.
As I stepped back onto Adder Alley I spotted a hawker dragonfly circling over the path at head height. After a short while it landed, and having identified it as a Southern Hawker and taken a few photos I set up my scope to give a number of visitors a satisfying view.
After visiting Hanger View and Jupp’s View to see Green Sandpipers, a Dunlin and some Snipe on the North Brooks I headed back towards the Visitor Centre. On the way I stopped briefly on the path to Fattengates Courtyard where I had a good view of a Nuthatch.
On the zigzag path I again checked the Common Fleabane heads, and this time I found a Red-spotted Plant Bug for my final image of the day.