A Surprise Dinner Guest

Whilst celebrating my good lady wife's birthday at the excellent Crescent Road Restaurant, Worthing, this little chap or chapess made a surprise appearance. I suspect he/she was looking for a little extra sustainance before it takes the long flight over the water and on to Africa! Whether or not Pan Roasted Silver Mullet with Haricot Beans, Roasted Beetroot, and Fennel was to its taste we shall never know.

This is the first Grasshopper Warbler I have seen in many, many years and follows hot on the heels of another unusual Warbler sighting this year, the long-staying Yellow-browed Warbler in my work car park.

The only way is Essex

Having previously believed I hadn't seen an Essex Skipper, the last on my Sussex list, I've just found out I've seen one after all. Looking back at some old photos I found this little fella (or lady). The black tips underneath the antennae very distinctive - though how I missed this I don't know! Makes you wonder how many Essex are mistankenly identified as Small Skippers? They are probably much more widespread than we think. So I have now seen all regularly breeding Butterflies in Sussex.