Smooth

 Thursday, September 3

 

The plan to do our north coast birding day was aborted when we rose to heavy rain. In the past, we have gone regardless, but not to-day. 

Lifting the rain sodden moth trap to bring indoors, Pam saw a tiny newt sheltering underneath. She potted it, where it curled up into a snail shape. It soon uncurled, a mere 3cms long. Probably a Smooth Newt as that is the only species we have ever found in our pond. Probably a product of the pair we saw mating, and then egg-laying, in the spring.

 

Another unwanted plenitude of Large Yellow Underwings in the traps, 43 out of a total 90 moths. Scarce Bordered Straw and a NFY Centre-barred Sallow the pick of the rest. 

We've been collecting  a large caddis fly species from the egg boxes for the last couple of weeks.This morning's  looked like a mini Hydra,  brown and two-headed. A copulating pair?

 

It's not possible for a lay person to identify individual species, as detailed below by the natural History Association.

''There are almost 200 species of caddisfly (order Trichoptera, also known as 'sedge flies') in the UK, the largest of which is more than 3cm long. Adults are moth-like insects with hairy wings. The most common caddisflies, particularly in garden ponds, are the Cinnamon Sedges - a group of around 30 species.

Caddisfly larvae live underwater, where they make cases by spinning together stones, sand, leaves and twigs with a silk they secrete from glands around the mouth. Most larvae live in these shelters, which can either be fixed or transportable, though a few species are free-swimming and only construct shelters when they’re ready to pupate.

Adults are often attracted to moth traps, or can be found during the day on vegetation near to the water's edge, or flying in swarms over the water. Caddisflies are an important food source for all kinds of predators, including Atlantic Salmon and Brown Trout, and birds such as the Dipper''.

As we had to go to Walcott Post Office - all my Australian based family have birthdays at the end of September and mid November and it's considerably cheaper to post all the cards in one package - we came back the pretty way, via Potter Heigham Marshes. Very few birds apart from a big flock of Canada and Greylag Geese, two Egyptian Geese, one Grey Heron, one Kestrel, Teal, Mallard, Shoveller and gulls.

An algae encrusted notice board, states future plans for the area.

 

We now have a much better idea of the area's lay-out, after conversing with Judy and Giles yesterday.

Would you believe it. For the first time ever, our sole Hazel tree has produced some nuts this year. I was not very successful with photography, as the branches were waving about - and a Hollyhock has been planted in front of the tree.