Snettisham - Mainly

Moth Quiz 33
Two Piazza sightings
Double Square-spot

Moth Quiz 34
A country bumpkin in the summer

Wednesday, July 15

Pam loves looking at, and photographing, wildflowers. I am very happy to do so too. There is a lane that we use which is not used for regular traffic any longer, just the occasional farm machinery. The farmer is very good at leaving wide swathes along the hedgerows and fields, full of flowers and other plants. The area is good for Brown Hares and warblers too.

Not in any hurry, we spent some time there yesterday, trying to do justice to the mass of colour. The results are not as good as we would have liked, the experience was very enjoyable.

The only butterflies around were Large Whites, a few Red Admirals, and one male Orangetip.

Often affecting wild roses or species roses, robin's pincushion is a harmless, abnormal growth on the stems of roses.

It's the result of the cynipid gall wasp, Diplolepis rosae or something closely related. The wasp lays eggs in the leaves, and when the larvae feed on the leaves the plant forms the gall you are seeing. The pupa overwinter in the gall and emerge in the spring.

Dragging ourselves away, via a fluffy baby Little Owl, hardly discernible in the root base of the Abbey Farm oak tree, we drove to Snettisham RSPB reserve pits.

High tide time was due shortly before one o'clock. Not a high one so there was still a lot of exposed silt when we arrived at a quarter to twelve. The familiar raucous calls of terns alerted us to the two mixed flocks of Black-headed Gulls, Sandwich and Common Terns on the distant mud.

I love all terns but the large, erect, black-crested, Sandwich Terns, strutting their stuff, are striking. Some of them had already begun their moult into winter plumage, showing a large band of white above their yellow-tipped black beaks. In comparison, the Common Terns looked tiny, their dove-grey wings contrasting with the Sandwich's gleaming white.

Three Grey Plovers, a few Curlew and a mass of Oystercatchers huddled in their groups, most beaks tucked under their wings.

Driving on to the first hide and the last pit, we found a police car parked at the causeway entry, a group of luminous lycra wearing cyclists nearby. Were they being told off for cycling on the reserve when they were not members? Never mind the disturbance. No, they cycled on and the police left. It will remain a mystery.

I'd intended walking as far as the second hide to-day, bringing us nearer to the waders roosting on the islands. My Rollator was in the boot in preparation. The hides were still closed. Luckily we discovered that at the first hide, which is still windowless and open to the elements, a narrow plank of wood nailed across the door. Subtle.

Back to viewing from the causeway then.......

All the islands were covered with a mass of waders, terns, and gulls. The distant ones a dense covering of grey-backed Red Knot.

 The nearest one Common Terns, and a couple of Little Terns, yellow beaks showing clearly - looking through my scope. 

The very distant bank near the new hide was highlighted by at least a hundred brick red summer plumaged Black-tailed Godwits. I should have photographed them but they were largely hidden by the nearby foliage.

Always lovely to see a Greenshank, preening beside a Little Egret.

There was now much more water at almost its zenith of 5.1 metres. Low. As we drank a welcome coffee, thirty Dunlin flew over our heads and into the pits. What other waders were there?

A warden arrived and he took no notice at all of the cyclist who dismounted, wound a plastic carrier bag around his wrist, and proceeded to walk the mud, occasionally stopping to pick something up and place it in his bag. Shells? Why should we be concerned? More cyclists and ramblers also passed.

The grouped terns were a little nearer on the way out.

Again, Hunstanton was heaving, no room to park on the clifftop. Holme NOA was open to-day for the first time. It was tempting to drive out. The thought of moth traps at home waiting to be opened with a couple of stops still to make drove us to pass by. 

Brancaster Staithe was full of water, boats and boat people, cars, and meandering pedestrians. We stayed long enough to find no birds at all and to eat an icecream cone.

Seven Spoonbills asleep on the shore, one Preening Green Sandpiper and a family of Reed Buntings at North Point Pools. Owing to the tall, verdant weeds and shrubs which surround the water, there is virtually no visibility from the car park. We scoped from the road before parking for a short while.

Yet another diversion inland after Burnham Norton, Stiffkey is driveable again though.

A very lively couple of moth traps, despite being stored in the cool with the ice packs on top. Carpets, Waves, Silver Y, Small Magpie, and a lot of micros just being a  nuisance in the trap and then flying off. Very frustrating. They bomb about, knocking into the moths sitting peaceably in the egg boxes. Normal at this time of year.

My favourite was a Purple Thorn, the only Thorn species which sits with its wings open.

 Finding an enormous, (40mm) and very magnificent, female Oak Eggar under the last egg box in the second trap this morning was as exciting as it comes. Listed as common, but new for our garden. She's been around for a while as there are signs of wear on her head and wings.