When you have the moody blues, knights look like this.
White Satin
Moth Quiz 30
A byproduct not allowed in the barn
Wednesday, July 1
Tuesday June 30. Where should we go? Lakenheath has a one-way system, a long way to go and then find out that we couldn't drive down to the disabled parking area to view the pool, woods and marsh. The website doesn't help. We quickly decided to visit the part of the north coast that we tend to omit when doing our long day out on the 1st of the month. Pam's usually had enough by the time we get to Stiffkey, so we turn inland.
Parking at Cley Centre, we walked to the picnic tables on the mound so that I could scope the marsh pools. Viewing was obscured by tall vegetation and bushes but I saw a small flock of Black-tailed Godwits, Avocets, Redshank, and the usual gulls and Greylag.
A noisy, agitated, Lapwing had hindered our entry along the entrance track. It was now obvious why. She was guiding three newly hatched chicks across the lower part of the car park, calling constantly, occasionally taking to flight.
Half-way across, she stopped to brood them.
All then disappeared into the thick undergrowth below us. It must have seemed like the Amazon jungle to those babies.
Friend Kath later saw an agitated adult Lapwing at the side of the coast road near the centre, she must have taken her babies across to the marsh. I hope they got there safely. Lapwing chicks are wayward from the moment they're mobile, dashing off independently all over the place.
Blakeney Harbour had a handsome Lesser Black-backed Gull to photograph for the folder.
We scoped North Point Pools distantly from near the roadside at first, as more of the water is viewable from here. A flock of over 50 Black-tailed Godwits, many of them in full red summer plumage delighted. With care, I found three Ruff and several well-grown Avocet chicks amongst the moulting ducks.
Driving down to the car park, Pam parked so that I could scope the western pools first. Starting from the right-hand side - I have trained myself to do this since I once read that Westerners read from left to right and scan. The scanning means that birds can be glossed over. Beginning on the right enables one to pay more attention to each bird seen. A similar principle says that editing is more efficiently done if one starts at the bottom of a page and therefore read each word on the way up instead of scanning.
I found a Whimbrel. What a surprise at this time of year in Norfolk. Unseen, it had flown by the time I was on my return scan.
This Weld brightened the car parking area.
Home to inspect the 66 beautifully planted leek plants, which had taken Adrian most of his two hour session. I prepared them yesterday. This job would have taken me much longer - especially when cat Noo-noo used to follow me, filling in all the holes.Leeks are always planted in place of the early potatoes - after fertilising the ground etc.
The best moth to-day was a Blackneck. Not our first for the garden but probably only the second. This is a moth of wet places such as Hickling, Dersingham, etc. Described as 'Local' on the website.
Large Emerald is always welcome, another less than annual trap.
I am fascinated by Ichneumon flies or wasps.
In the UK we have approximately 2,500 species of ichneumonid. Making up almost 10% of all British insects, Ichneumonidae are an important insect group and one of the most diverse. I found one in the moth trap yesterday.
I sent my photo to friend Kath who suggested that it's probably an Enicospilus ramidulus.
''Nocturnal and sometimes attracted to light. The males can sometimes be found flying by day June to September. Parasitic on the caterpillars of noctuid moths.Widespread but not well recorded in Britain.''
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