Noar Hill & Farlington Marshes - 12 May 2013

The wind was too strong, from the wrong direction and it was rather cold - but I had booked an overnight stay in Arundel so we decided to go anyway.

We started at Noar Hill hoping for Dusky Skippers and Green Hairstreak, as well as a chance of Duke of Burgundy butterflies. The wind was tearing up the hill and try as we might we could find no Hairstreaks or Skippers in the few sheltered areas. As the morning drew on, we listened to a Tree Pipit singing from the top of one of the scattered bushes and watched it perform the descending flight display.

 

Tree Pipit

We did manage to find some Duke of Burgundys and they were quite obliging - partly due to the low temperatures, even when the sun shone.

 Duke of Burgundy

The Cowslips were in bloom all over the hills.

Cowslips

We then moved on to Farlington Marshes and set off to do a circuit of the reserve. The wind was freshening and we had little hope of finding much in the way of migrants as the clouds bunched overhead. There were seventeen Black-tailed Godwits on the pools and sixteen Whimbrels high tide roosting on a single bar in the harbour. Cetti's and Whitethroat were heard, but they stayed well down in the vegetation. The Swifts were whizzing back and forth over the pathway and came quite close giving fantastic views.

 Farlington Marshes reserve

 Gorse

High tide at Langstone Harbour

The rain started before we got all the way round. In addtion we had a Cuckoo, some Little Egrets and a Raven, which bathed in the pools, as we returned to the car. As the rain was now quite heavy we decided to leave it at that and headed off for our hotel in Arundel, which despite being slightly tired, at £34.50 with breakfast through Hotel Bookings was without doubt still a very good deal.