The Holy Grail

Tuesday September 19

As we parked at Natural Surroundings, an unknown man entered the gate. Another stranger at a supposedly invitation only moth group? Visitors should pay an entry fee, all regulars pay an annual membership fee.

Getting to the cabin, a small group surrounded the stranger and I was nodded in that direction.He had brought a Clifden Nonpareil, trapped in Surrey, for us to see. Waw. Never thought I'd see one. Big, blue underwing, rare immigrant to the south coast. He displayed it on the wooden bench for all to photograph. It wouldn't open its wings fully for me.....

What a splendid moth. That leaves Deathshead Hawkmoth now........ 

Then, we got on with opening the traps, an anticlimax to-day.

Three Short Outings

Wednesday September 13

It started off sunny and ended in rain. We haven't been to Winterton Beach for months - avoiding the summer crowds. As we entered the village a Common Swift zoomed past overhead, heading south. Small groups of Swallows and House Martins, mainly the latter, fed along the dunes, gathering fat resources for the journey ahead.

Thursday September 14

A raging north westerly tempted us to Sheringham east car park after moth-ing at Cley. No Greg to-day, he was sea-watching at West Runton.

We parked at the front of the clifftop car park and in half an hour from a wind-shaken car saw, 4 Gannets, 1 Red-throated Diver, two dozen Wigeon and 4 Arctic Skuas.

As Sue B had said at Cley cafe, no real quantity but good quality. She'd seen Grey Phalarope, Bonxie, Long-tailed Skua and Black Tern as well, having spent most of the morning in the western Sheringham car park. I had expected the first Brent Geese to-day in the favourable wind.

Friday September 15

It's even longer since we birded Buckenham Marsh, another winter birding spot. Scanning the Cantley end of the marsh on the drive down was fruitless apart  from 2 Mute Swans. The large pool was full of Greylag and Canada Geese with about a dozen Avocets, a scattering of Teal and probable Garganey. The latter was distant and disappeared into the reeds. It just looked right.

Stopping in the Fishermen's car park, along with one other birder in the sole car there. I continued to scan the gates for Peregrine. The birder in the other car came across to point out a bird perched on a distant gate which he couldn't ID for certain. His scope was of the extending tube variety......It was a lovely adult Hobby which later flew over the car park. We also had two Wheatears squabbling over a gate post perch, three Kestrels, a Chinese Water Deer and Pam saw a Roe Deer. 

All very enjoyable in pretty awful weather. Some sun with lots of heavy rain showers.

Even Longer.....

Sunday September 10

School holidays and August are not a good combo for enticing Pam out birding. She's still as keen but the motivation plummets. We did manage a day out on the 1st for a change, curtailed by my leaving my Leki stick in the hide at Abbey Farm. This meant a detour which missed out the coast on the return journey - it was the first time I've left my belongings anywhere....Very annoying.

Lowest of low tides at Snettisham with the usual waders on display, scattered widely across the mud flats. Good to see a flock of returning Golden Plovers and two Greenshanks. Grey Plovers are one of my favourites, especially in their summer plumage, jet black pinafores.

A group of this year's Grey Partridges dashed across a field entrance near Abbey Farm.

We continue to moth trap almost daily, always catching interesting moths in ever diminishing numbers. We put out two traps one promising night at the beginning of the month. The actinic near the Buddleias at the bottom of the garden was full of Large Yellow Underwings, the egg boxes festooned with these large nuisances. A very valuable, sturdy  bird and bat food, but, they move around the boxes disturbing everything. We call them Blunders.

Frosted Orange

Maidens Blush

Dusky Thorn

I've also given a presentation at Blakeney Village Hall, entitled ''A Taste of Thailand'', to the North Norfolk group of the Butterfly and Moth Conservation group. Disastrous start. I only had 5 minutes to try and acquaint myself with their aged laptop before Judy started. I depend on the names of the photos showing at the top and forward arrows at the bottom. All other laptops I've used did so. Especially at the beginning, before nerves settle, not having to remember names is a comfort. I ploughed on, with advice from non - tech novice Judy and better from Greg - in stereo, of no use whatsoever. I'd sorted it by the interval. No-one seemed to mind much, bless them. It was good to see so many friends supporting us. 

I'd taken my own laptop as a back-up but it doesn't have the appropriate socket for attaching their projector. Ah well. I have since received an email - via Judy - from the couple who spoke to me at the interval, saying how much they'd enjoyed it. Much appreciated, praise is seldom received and always welcome.