Three Ticks

Friday August 30

It's a long time since we had a new moth for the UK - nearly as long as the last bird tick. 

At Cley yesterday, one of the traps produced a Yellow Belle. Not an uncommon moth but new for us.

 

Norfolk status
Breckland and North coastal areas of heathland, dry grassland, sandy terrain, wasteground and coastal habitats.
Can be found on the wing on sunny days. (Norfolk Moths)

At the end of the trap opening - at break neck speed as there was a Marvellous Moths session for children at 10.30 - DN produced a potted Oak Lutestring. Brilliant. From the only known Norfolk site - unpublished.

Norfolk status
Scarce.
Easily recognised by two black edged brown cross bands. Only the subspecies hartwiegi occurring in Britain.

Overwinters as an egg attached to a twig from Pedunculate or Sessile Oak.
Larva April-May.
Broad-leaved woodland. Mature Oak.

Remains well established at only one known Norfolk site.(Norfolk Moths)

After trap opening, our group always gathers for a drink and a snack (some) in the Centre cafe. We were well settled when a Volunteer Receptionist came over to tell us that a man had brought in a rare moth. A gentleman from Stibbard had found a Beautiful Marbled in the vegetation around his trap, some time after collecting the trap. This is a moth we saw at Dungeness last year biut missed the one Andy W found in his Hempstead garden.

Norfolk status
Very rare immigrant.

First recorded in Dorset 2001, only identified from a set specimen during an influx of this previously unrecorded species in 2004.

Occurring in mainland Europe, the larvae feed on Creeping Thistle, no evidence of breeding in the UK.

New for Norfolk in August 2016, trapped at Filby (D. Hipperson, 25/08/16)

Five recorded in 2018 - Eccles-on-Sea (N. Bowman, 27/07/18) New for VC28 at Holme Dunes (G. Hibberd, 13/10/18) and two at Hempstead-by-Holt (A. Wallis, 13/10/18, 15/10/18) Lyng (R.Holt, 20/10/18)
Further records in 2019.

 In pot photo taken by David Norgate

 Easily the rarest moth but 'only' a Norfolk tick for us !!

Bank Holiday Weekend

Tuesday August 27

In my youth, the first weekend in August was the holiday, not the last as it is now. Always my birthday. One of the birthdays that I remember most vividly was in 1964. Another tradition was that this weekend coincided with the touring cricket side playing Glamorgan at the St Helen's ground in Swansea.

As a keen cricket fan, I chose to spend my birthday treat watching the West Indies.field on this lovely ground, where the whole of Swansea Bay could be seen from the grandstand. All I really remember about the cricket was the 6 hit which dropped straight into someone's half empty pint glass in front of the members' pavilion. Four years later, Sir Garfield Sobers hit the first 6 x 6 over against the talented spinner Malcolm Nash. I wish I'd been there......

Nowadays, the holiday means stay at home. North Norfolk's roads and car parks are jam packed. This one coincided with it being the hottest one on record. Temperatures of 28-31C across the south and into the Midlands. Even more reason to stay in with a fan on. Unfortunately, it also meant missing the Pied Flycatcher fall along the coast on Friday night.

We decided to have a barbecue. We still use a charcoal burning, old fashioned machine, as it gives the authentic taste of charred meat ! Gas barbecues are outdoor ovens (and much easier and more efficient).

No instant lighting bags of charcoal in Sainsbury's, back to firelighters it was. 

As I sat there, suffering first degree (nearly) burns to my face as the wind blew the out of control flames across the coals, birds fed heedlessly nearby. 

 

Mainly tits and Goldfinches but, a Nuthatch paid a short visit. They've recently returned to the feeders. A pair of Collared Doves fed on drop-out food a mere four feet away - before noticing and startling away across the garden, wings whistling.

Gradually, the flames died down and the briquettes turned grey. Lit, hurrah. 

First the raw Burgers and the sausages. Started over the main heat on the left, before moving to the lower heat on the right (fewer briquettes). 

Then the partially cooked and well marinaded chicken, no campilar bacter here.

Followed by the sticky marinaded pork ribs, again, partially cooked.

The whole barbecue in situ + singed wood  'shelf'.

Serve with home-made bean salad and tomato salad. Our lip service to diets is no garlic bread slices to-day ! Shame.

Still moth-ing daily with nothing outstanding. Two traps out every night, trapping fewer combined than we were getting with one. The MV Robinson on the patio and the actinic in the orchard near the dyke and deciduous wood.

Tawny-speckled Pug

Lime-speck Pug.

Two of the easier to identify pugs.

 

Another intruder. Much too active to take out of the pot. Oak Bush-cricket.

Pot Pourri

Monday August 19

A day of sunshine and showers with a thunderstorm thrown in. The garden needed the rain but I'm tired of it now as it curtails activity. 

Between showers

The weekend was spent harvesting the vegetables. Peas picked, podded and frozen, onions lifted and in the greenhouse to dry completely, French beans' final picking and uprooting. The tomatoes continue to proliferate but are slowing down.

I've managed to re-do the strawberry tubs. The initial aim was to remove the oxalis which had taken root all over one of them. It's a real swine to remove as it's very deep rooted and breaks off easily. That led to  all of the plants being removed, old stock thrown away, runners pinned down and a few potted runners planted. It always looks drastic when finished but I'm delighted to see new growth forming well. Always a relief. The rain has helped......

Runner Beans are enjoyed almost daily, the sweetcorn has tasselled well, promising a September crop. 

My last job was to plant the alpine trough I had emptied earlier this summer as the saxifrage was full of Bitter Cress. Another insidious weed. Despite careful removal of the plants in the spring, even more careful removal of the weed, it was wound through them again. I emptied the trough, waited patiently (not) for the remaining weeds to die and yesterday, planted some new saxifrage. I've learned the hard way not to plant too closely at the start.

Not a good photograph, but the best I could manage in  the planter's postion. None of this would have been possible without Pam's input and help. She did all the vegetable lifting.

The flocks of tits have returned to the garden after the moulting hiatus, when all becomes quiet as they become secretive whilst vulnerable. Marsh Tits and Long-tailed were the last to appear. Pam's kept busy filling the feeders. 

A Green Woodpecker has appeared early morning on the back lawn and a Tawny Owl was calling from somewhere in the near garden last night. Probably a young one. We've had them on the sun lounge roof and on top of the telegraph pole and weather vane in the past.

Moth-ing has also become quieter. The cold nights and strongly gusting wind has made the catch much smaller in both number and variety. Here are a few of the ones we have trapped in the garden.

Garden Tiger

Beautiful Plume  - its name not the description although it could be.

Maiden's Blush

Orange Swift

Six-striped Rustic. Who's counting ?

Two variations of Yellow Shell. Too frisky to remove from the pots.

Brown-veined Wainscot, new for the garden. A Fen and Broads moth.

This Comma butterfly was resting on the handle of Pam's Rollator in the utility room.

 Will Man U manage to beat Wolves away from home to-night............

Birding Day Out

Sunday August 4

Rather tired after a very hectic week, we were still away at 8.00 a.m To-morrow is due to be rainy so, west Norfolk it is - again. 

Apart from Tree Sparrows at Valley Farm lane and a Little Owl asleep in the bottom of the hollowed trunk of the Abbey Farm oak tree, we saw very little.of note.

To-day was due to be the last of the high tides, said to be at 8 a.m. We were very surprised, as we crested the slope up to the reserve, to find the Wash was still full of water. That meant no waders on the mud apart from flocks of Knot skimming the water far out 

and a group of loafing Oystercatchers, Ringed Plovers and a few Sanderling on the headland. 

We drove as far as the first hide, finding several cars already parked. We waited for the water to recede. 

One of the general public who seem to assume the right to pick Samphire here - and then sell it at their gate.

After twenty minutes or so, I could see a current appearing, the water drifting east along ther gullies. The far end near the entrance is usually a favourite roosting/feeding place. I played - unsuccessfully -with my new 100mm macro lens, whilst Pam walked along the bank of wildflowers, looking for anything living or flowering. I even had to read the instruction book !

Pauline sent me a text - she could see Pam through her scope. She and Peter had waited in vain for the White-rumped Sandpiper to appear amongst the roosting wader islands on the pit. They drove up alongside, we exchanged a few football nuggets and it wasn't long before we followed them out.

As I closed the entrance gate, I noticed some activity around a large Buddleja (that's how Garden News spells it ). Back in the car, I aimed my new lens and took the following photographs of Painted Lady and Red Admiral butterflies. 

The Painted Lady were very reluctant to show me their upperwing........ 

We tried Holme again, then Brancaster Staithe. The parked cars had not moved to fill the parking gaps left by the receding tide so we had plenty of room to scan.........wading children, splashing dogs and no birds.

Neither was Holkham Park of any use.

North Point Pools, east of Wells, had at least 17 Little Egrets, 7 Spoonbills and one Wood Sandpiper in view. The latter a Norfolk tick for me and a year tick for Pam.

Not a very productive day for bird listing but very enjoyable and relaxing.

Birthday Treat

Saturday August 3

Holme NOA hold an Open Day cum exhibition at Drove Orchards every year. Two moth traps are opened during the day, one at 10.15 a.m., one at 1.00 p.m.

I mailed warden Sophie on Friday to ask whether or not she wanted our three Deaths Head Hawkmoths on show, in their breeding cage. The cage is made of muslin like material. All three moths emerged on Thursday night, leaving the one very late cocoon sitting in its earth box. 

Sophie was delighted as she'd never seen a live one.

We arrived early enough to allow Sophie to enthuse over the moths before adding them to the excellent display of bird skulls and other natural history exhibits.

We didn't add any new moths in the morning trap opening but were pleased to see Starwort and Twin-spotted Wainscot.

Between openings, we went to Hunstanton Tesco to buy lunch and then drove out to the NOA car park at Holme Dunes. Astonishing. Both the NOA and NWT car parks were full. That's never happened before. Apparently, the very high tide had flooded several other parking areas along the coast, forcing many to come here. A car left so that we could park in a corner to eat lunch, seeing no birds at all.

Back to Drove for the afternoon session.

We left soon after the second trap opening, which was not good - cool and windy overnight. We left one Death's Head moth with Sophie as they were proving to be a highlight, requesting that, if she released it. that it should be appropriately marked. Everyone was told very clearly that they were captive bred moths.

The remaining two moths were released in our garden, after being decorated with gold nail varnish !!  Both were dead by the morning as they find it difficult to feed. No beehives around here and captive feeding is too difficult. The moth needs to be held behind the wings, its antenna unfurled using a small paint brush, and the tip dipped in a 50% honey and water solution. Even then, it takes two or three or even more attempts before it feeds itself. Without a female it would be futile anyway.

Such a handsome and awe inspiring moth.

As one revved up on Pam's fingers, vibrating its wings to warm up ready for lift-off, it poo'd on Pam's hand - to thank her for feeding them so diligently.

Happenings

Tuesday July 30

We were going anyway.....

A Silvery Gem message from Mike H alerted the group to his fantastic catch of a Jersey Tiger in his trap yesterday. A few extra members turned up at the NS car park so that they could view this lovely moth - which was in pristine condition. £4.50 for one visit to the NS gardens is - I think - rather steep. Those of us who pay for membership have a much better deal. Non members  turn up at the car park, which is heavily shaded by ancient Oaks. I took a few photos of the moth in its pot whilst sitting in the dark car, lens up against the pot to try and exclude reflections.

Thursday August 1

 We drove home along the coast road as it was the first of the month. Very little to be seen from the car. The ice-cream van was parked at Salthouse duckpond so we stopped for a treat. From the vegetation edging an empty stretch of duckweed covered dyke, two adults and two young Moorhens suddenly burst into view. The babies are in the ''only a parent could love'' category. Both adults were feeding, occasionally giving some to the, not very hungry, young.