Late afteroon at Gunton

 Friday October 30

In ever worsening mid afternoon light, we drove to Gunton Park, north of North Walsham. We have always driven into the estate via the archway, several warning signs stating that the road is private have appeared. Our original entry was via the fisherman's gate, that is now heavily padlocked and only open to those who have a key. Yet another spot that has become unavailable.

One Great Crested Grebe on the lake, several Mallard and Coot is all I saw before we quickly left.  Along the minor road leading back to the main N Walsham road, we stopped to view the stream outlet from the lake, reminiscing about Kingfishers and Grey Wagtails seen here. A deer herd was also mentioned, previously seen by us in an adjoining field to the fishing lake and 19C thatch and wood sawmill. The field is visible from the road - through a hedge and a wire fence. When I used my binoculars, I could see a few deer showing at the back of an apparently empty field. Typical of estates, the pasture is dotted by large well-shaped trees. A concentrated search revealed more deer. A small group of hinds, and this young stag, chewing the cud under a conifer.

The beast had Red Deer like antlers with dappled hindquarters. Strange.

 

Trying to focus on this deer, we noticed a male Red Deer sporting the largest antlers of any deer I have seen in the wild - or estate. 

 

Immensely cropped, this is the best I could manage in the circumstances. With his head held high, sniffing the air, one doesn't get the most impressive view of the antlers. Count the points.

 

Three Fallow deer stags photo-bombed, passing pedestrians must have startled them into flight. 

 

I received the results of my Covid test earlier this week. Free from.... as I suspected. I must have done it right. This test does not pick up antibodies.

Of interest

 Wednesday, October 29

 

Feeling bird deprived, we drove to Ludham Marshes. Not expecting much, still disappointed to see very little. A Kestrel, 1 Fieldfare, a Marsh Harrier, Lapwing, Rooks and Carruion Crows. We have learnt from previous visits that Cormorants fly over in numbers from late afternoon onwards. To-day, we saw several hundreds, the largest group being over 80 in number. Only early afternoon, but a dull, stormy sky, day, darkness comes early in winter time.

They are very random flyers, mostly spread about, sometimes an almost straight line.

As we left the marsh approach road, a Peregrine on a mission flew through.

Yesterday, because we could, we drove out on a short fungus foray. Short because we only found one lot, on a dead tree trunk beside the road at Crostwight Common. Fungi are notoriously difficult to identify by amateurs and the ignorant, such as I. I have books, but remain ultimately puzzled. I believe that the main photo is a bracket fungus species, the other species not yet even named to a family. If anyone can help, I'd be grateful.

 

At Pam's siuggestion, we ended up at Honing Station, opened in 1882, reclaimed from a total takeover by plants and trees by a dedicated group of workers. Before they started, all one could see here was a footpath, part of Weavers Way, which runs from Great Yarmouth to Cromer. The old gate remains. Not a lot of point in shutting it !

 

 

Honing Station was on the Midland and Great Northern Joint Railway ( widely known as the Muddle and Go Nowhere railway), between Melton Constable and Great Yarmouth.  The track through Honing was opened on 13 June 1881 and Honing station was inaugurated the following year in 1882 with just one platform.

Much more information on the Honing village website:

https://www.google.com/search?client=firefox-b-d&q=honing+station

A short section of railway existed between Kings Lynn and Melton Constable, another from Great Yarmout to Stalham. They were co-owned, and the board decided that the lines should converge from west to east via meanderings and loops through farming country. 

 

There is a link to a spring 2020 Channel 5 programme on 'Britain's Lost Railways' by Bob Bell on the village website. The fifth programme was all about this railway. I found it fascinating, maybe because I am familiar with the route. The adverts have to be endured.

CLICK HERE to watch the NORFOLK episode on free catch-up tv: My5

Intended as a line to transport goods to the docks in Great Yarmouth and to the Midlands, the line quickly became a tourist line, bringing huge numbers of holiday makers from the Midlands.to Norfolk.  80 trains a day passed through Honing at the height of summer, 82 the record.

Yesterday, the only visitors were a family group exploring the station before setting out for a walk - and us.

 

 

Intruders

 Sunday, October 25

Wintertime is being celebrated by a lovely sunny day. The clocks went back last night. Please, please can we stay the same all year round. The lore is that the change is for Scotland's benefit. Scotland can have their own time zone - the US manages with four different time zones, even with Trump at the helm. Queensland stays the same year round, whilst neighbouring New South Wales change theirs. That plays havoc with TV shows when winners are announced as NSW gets it first. I can't quite work that out, but it happened whilst we were there last time. Upside down!

I had my first 2020 view of a Hummingbird Hawkmoth in the garden on Friday. I saw one at Beeston in July. Pam's seen several previously, they were fleeting visits, too quick for me. This one stayed several minutes, prospecting the flowers in the wall border near the house. Mainly interested in the alpine Daphne flowers.  Adrian saw it too.

Another, different, Ichneumon wasp in yesterday's trap. They do not have pleasant habits but I love to look at them.

The ichneumon wasp is a parasitoid: Its parasitic larvae feed on or inside another insect host species until it dies. (By definition, parasitoids kill their hosts when advancing from the parasitic to the free-living portions of their life cycles, whereas true parasites typically thrive in or on their hosts without directly killing them.) Because many of the hosts of the ichneumon larvae are insect pests of both agricultural and forest crops, ichneumons can be effective biological control agents and provide an economic and environmental benefit to humans.

 

So, they're not all bad. I believe that this one is Pimpla Rufipes, its orange legs and black body are diagnostic. Probably a female from the length of its ovipositor.

This very attractive beetle, it had us in raptures over its brilliant and glittering colours in the sun, is also a pest. Number 4 on the RHS list of harmful garden insects.  A Rosemary Beetle.

 

We've never seen one before, and Pam is very observant of living creatures. I didn't find a single insect when I was planting out alpine plants this afternoon. The raised bed is usually very active as there are always flowers out.

Randomly Selected.

Thursday, October 22 

Before leaving for Kent, I received a letter telling me that I had been 'randomly selected' for a DIY Covid test. I agreed and forgot about it.

I came home from Kent to find a package containing a kit. Lots of stuff to read, links to an online video, a long swab in a package, a sealed phial, stickers and a postage box to construct. I got round to looking at it yesterday, discovering that the first job was to contact the courier service as the test had to be done on the day of collection. I logged on, TO-DAY! The courier could arrive any time between 8 a.m. and 6 p.m. and the test had to be completed that morning, ready and waiting, labelled, packaged and in the fridge.

I got up soon after 6. Easy enough to do but not pleasant. Each tonsil had to be roll swabbed for at least 10 secs. If I didn't heave, I wasn't doing it properly. The same swab then had to be inserted into both nostrils - not at the same time - 1 inch inside and roll swabbed for 5 seconds. I succeeded pretty well, with lots of sneezing on completion.

The courier arrived at 3.30.

We've still been trapping moths, despite the long periods of rain. We had 29 moths of 16 species this morning. Feathered Thorn was new for the year. 

 

We also had a new Ichneumon wasp. Not sure as to exact species, they're difficult. Definitely an Ophion but is it a luteus or an obscuratus - or something else.Both named species come to moth traps.

 

One of my favourite moths is the Herald. Another new for the year and a super specimen. 

 

The adults overwinter in caves, barns or outbuildings.Old pillboxes are a favourite hiding place.

There are  a few November moth species which are difficult to tell apart unless genitalia detted.

This is a November agg. (the approved nomenclature). Very attractive in an understated way.

After High Tide

 Sunday, October 19

Longing to see the Rufous Bush-chat present at Stiffkey since Friday, but put off by the stories and photographs of the crowds, flooded marsh, falling over in mud, horrendous parking etc .we drove to Snettisham. Another very high tide this morning, still plenty of water in the Wash, with thousands of birds spread in thick rows from east to west. This morning's count added 140.000 Knot, a new record for the site.

Unusually, an assistant warden asked to see our permit, even chacking the date. Too many people have been driving in without permission.She turned one car back as we waited. A chance to tackle her about the number of dog walkers, joggers, cycling etc. All are allowed . Astonishing. The only check is dogs off the lead - and even then they are allowed across the causeway between pits 2 and 3 which is part of the reserve. 

We enjoyed the spectacle as always, Pam is particularly fond of this reserve, it's the best chance for us to view waders from the car. I caught a glimpse of a Curlew Sandpiper in my scope before it disappeared down one of the many gulleys.

Hunstanton clifftop was full of parked cars, we drove through to Holme beach car park, hoping to find somewhere to park. There was room on the muddy field, buit the constant to-ing and fro-ing of cars encouraged Pam to drive straight out, without having a chance of seeing one of the four Red-flanked Bluetails frequenting the area. Very disappointing. Not a new bird. We saw the very first for the UK at Winspit, and have seen four more in Norfolk. The first was a very early visit to Yarmouth cemetery before work. The gates were shut and I got increasingly agitated, as I was due to arrange staff cover for the day and to take Assembly. I climbed over the tall metal gates, ripping my tights. Saw the bird. Yes!!! Five minutes later, the gate was opened and Pam strolled through to see the bird , now tied down in front of me. Luckily, I had a spare pair of tights in my desk drawer and had time to do all my chores.

I gazed down the approach road to Stiffkey campsite, we drove straight past. 

Most of the boats are out of the water for the winter at Brancaster Staithe, it's still the mussell season.

 

Not Happy

 Saturday, October 17th

I was not at all happy with the photo of the Red-backed Shrike from the back, which my editing programme had made look like a different bird from the photo below. I have now done my own editing and changed the photo to this one.

 

 Also agonising over the Rufous-tailed Scrub-robin reported at Stiffkey this morning. The parking there is limited, the approach road narrow and its a bit of a marsh walk out. Just not possible for us. Friend Pauline, whose birthday it is to-day, decided to escape the mayhem, although her partner saw it.

54 moths of 16 species this morning, Black Rustic the most in number. Everyone loves Merveille de Jour, I am no exception, some are brighter than others.

 

Satellites are exceptionally bright at the moment too.

 

My camera can never seem to capture accurately the shades of a Red-green Carpet , this one leaned to the green side. Some are really red.

 Maybe next year I'll try and pose them on a natural background, rather than egg boxes or green felt. Some Facebook posters do so beautifully.

Home Time

Photos now added to two previous posts

 Thursday October 15

Three new moths for the trip amongst the 42 of 13 species trapped overnight. Feathered Ranunculus is the first we have ever trapped ourselves. Not the best photo, the only one possible.

 

A total of 26 species trapped at our cottage, when it rained every night, and there was a northerly wind for most of the week. 

After doing all the Covid required stripping and bagging required, moth trap emptying, and car packing - the latter down a narrow path through sodden flowers - it was 11.46 before we left. It was so tempting to drive to Beachy Head again for the Lammergeier, it would have been too much. It was a horrid drive through coastal conurbations.

No traffic problems on the journey home, buying my daily papers became one. The first garage/shop didn't even stock them, a big surprise.

Always good to be home, however good the trip.

Right Place, Right Time.

 Wednesday, October 14

Famous date for the Battle of Hastings. Cliff Richard's and Pam's birthday. So it was Pam's choice as to what we did to-day.

Dungeness was the chosen destination. A compulsory stop at Cook's Pool brought us our first view of one of the Glossy Ibis on the ground, feeding at the far reedy edge of the pool. It then flew out of sight.

 

As we neared the power station, a Hobby dropped off a ledge, flying straight out to sea. We met warden David Walker driving the other way to look for it. He hadn't put the trap out last night, but the assistant warden had saved a Feathered Brindle for us. Not a new moth, we saw one at Portland last year, a very desirable one though as it's an NB speciality of the south coast.

Occurring sporadically along the southern coastline of England from Suffolk to Cornwall, and also south Wales, the species inhabits a range of coastal habitats such as sandhills and shingle beaches.

 

Finished with the moth, the assistant warden appeared telling us that there was a Short-toed Treecreeper in the Lighthouse garden. Off we drove, parking within sight of the garden and the five birders, including David, staring at the shrubbery. Pam and I both saw the Treecreeper plus, Goldcrest, Willow Warblers and Chiffchaff. Three Velvet Scoter flew by. 

The Assistant Warden (wish I knew his name), had wandered off into the distance.  My pager screamed at me. Mega. The first time I'd actually seen a mega before the birding services announced it.

David clapped his phone to his ear, called Red-flanked Bluetail, and all present went as fast as they could into the distant shingle and scrub. We parked at the central parking area, in view of the birders, but not the bird, which was deep in a gorse bush. No year tick of this delightful bird to-day.

Our final visit to the RSPB Dungeness reserve for a hot drink and a postcard. We drove to the only hide open, adding Pintail to the week's list. Then, a drive down a track labelled 'Authorised Vehicles Only', with permission of course. We didn't find the Bearded Tits but we did find three Ring Ousels feeding avidly on top of  berried tree. The only possible photos were through the horrible windscreen. It will do for my year folder!

We missed so many birds this spring, because of both lockdown and the Scottish month denial.

We've had a good week with some good birds. We intend emptying the moth trap, stripping beds etc, packing, and driving home to-morrow. Pam, understandably, finds this preferable to getting up at sparrows and doing all that to be out before 9 a.m. on Friday. I absolutely agree.

Dip Rectified and Beachy Head

Tuesday, October 13 

Heavy rain all night, yet we still had a hundred and forty three moths of seventeen species in the trap. Best were : 2  Mallow,  Brick, Delicate, 2 Pink-barred Sallow, 8 Barred Sallow, 2 Satellite, Large Wainscot and Yellow-line Quaker.

News came through that the first winter Red-backed Shrike was still at St Margaret's Bay, that was our first port of call. We parked, scanned unsuccessfully, and Pam walked up onto the sea wall where she was joined by three other birders. One of them spotted the Shrike, low down in a Hawthorn bush behind a fence. All of them hurried back down, they walked and we drove (at their suggestion), to within 50 metres of the bird, which gave us pretty poor but tickable views. Driving on slowly for better views, the rain eased and the bird hopped up onto the top of the bush, its back to us the whole time. By now, the other three had driven up behind us, taking phone photos. The photo I took of the bird beside a concrete post was just about sharp enough when I edited it out.

 

Thank you to three very pleasant and helpful birders and an obliging bird. 

Neither of us had ever visited Beach Head, that became our next destination. I spent the August of my 11th birthday, before entering Grammar School, staying with my sister and her husband in a school camp at Itchingfield near Horsham. London school children came out for a month at a time. The best thing was a swimming pool where I taught myself to swim. That was my only Sussex experience.

We took the coastal road to East Sussex, passing through Rye and Eastbourne. It was all very built up and traffic congested. We'd had our first Swallows at St Margaret's, Eastbourne seafront had a flock of feeding birds, good to see. All short-tailed juveniles, I hope that they complete their hazardous  journey south safely.

Countryside at last as we drove out to Beachy Head. We parked in a pull-in with a good view - if it had been clear. We had a few glimpses of white cliff and foaming water before the rain clouds set in. We had a mid afternoon lunch watching Swallows and a few House Martins feeding up before their final departure. A very short lull in the rain encouraged a Buzzard to circle up on the thermals, a Sparrowhawk on a mission flew through. 

For the return journey, our SatNav gave three alternatives. Fast, short or alternative routes. Pam chose the alternative as it took us inland away from the conurbations. Good choice. Very attractive rolling, wooded countryside, many white clapboard houses, Oasthouses and vineyards. Rain all the way and nowhere to stop and photograph the Oasthouses in particular. Shades of Geography O level where I had to compare and contrast two photographs. One of them was of Oasthouses so my general knowledge paid off.

Pam says that the sculpture plaque in yeterday's Blog is unreadable on a laptop. I'll go back and attempt to enlarge it. 

I am unable to edit photos on my old laptop so will need to teach myself how to use a new cloud based programme on my new computer. Success = photos. Failure = not until I get home.

Pam's birthday to-morrow and I know that we are starting at Dungeness, the rest of the day is her choice.

Carvings and Dips

 Monday October, 12

A new - and unwanted - record. Ninety of this morning's moths were Lunar Underwings, and forty six, Beaded Chestnuts.. The best was a new for the year Autumnal Rustic, a smart, cleanly marked, moth.

 

An essential stop at Sainsbury's to buy a Daily Telegraph for the account of last night's football match between England and Belgium, 2-1, a very flattering result. I also enjoy Monday's Herculis General Knowledge crossword as well as the usual puzzles. Pam took these photos of a wooden sculpture outside the main doors, it wasn't even visible to me, sitting in the car.

We didn't think that Dungeness would have put their trap out last night, but thought that we'd better check as David had promised to keep anything decent for us. No moths, and no Mottled Shieldbug either. I was hoping for a better photograph. Last night's visible migration ( probably mainly auditory), was a flood of Redwing, Fieldfare and Mistle Thrushes.

Very few people around to-day, it all looked different. Anglers, Birders and Workers, none of the food shacks were open either.

Cook's Pool is at the entrance to the RSPB reserve which we pass on the way to and from Dungeness Obs. We stopped to view the area, looking for the Cattle Egrets and Ibis. The cattle were lying, chewing the cud, at some distance away, one Western Cattle Egret flew amongst them, no sign of any Ibis. The Great White Egret showed again,

 

and a male Marsh Harrier quartered the reeds.

 

Following Birdguides' excellent map directions, we drove to St Margaret's Bay, and Littlestone Golf Course. A Red-backed Shrike had been reported at its western end. A potholed lane led towards the sea where we could see a handful of birders and photographers waiting. Unfortunately, the area was heavily used for dog walking, they were everywhere and off the lead to boot. We looked for some time, without success, until it became very dark and it started to rain. Reluctantly, it was time to retreat. We did see a Stonechat.........

Insects, Trains, and Birds

 Sunday, October 11

We had moths, in and around the trap.. Ninety of them. Only 13 species, sixty five of them Lunar Underwings. We were happy as one of them was our first self caught L Album Wainscot. We saw our first at Sandwich Bay two years ago. Although they are spreading north, only a few have made it to Norfolk.

 

We aslo had a Delicate, Turnip, Chestnut, Barred Sallow, and  ten Beaded Chestnuts. The trap is placed on the small patio, its lead through the French Windows. A venetian blind keeps the draught out.

 

News of a White Stork at some coastal pits near Lydd sent us on a small detour. The two large areas of water were inland of the sea and the shingle bank. Greylag, Canada and Barnacle Geese, floating islands of Coot,  a Grey Heron fly past,  Marsh harrier, Little Egret and Mute Swans. No sign of the Stork. The message was later amended to 'flew over'. Nuff said.

The affable, and ever helpful, Dungeness warden, David Walker, did not put the moth trap out last night, after watching the weather forecast.  He did find a first for the garden which he took Pam to see. A Mottled Shieldbug. Pam then showed me its perching spot.

 

 Although they're quite common in mainland Europe, Mottled Shield Bugs are a fairly new species to the UK.  They were first recorded in London in 2010.

We lunched at the far reaches of the shingle desert which is Dungeness, beyond the power station and away from the numbers of people still present. A Stonechat was the highlight, plus a swooping Kestrel and a chattering Magpie. 

We heard the Romney, Hythe, and  Dymchurch miniature railway's muted whistle from far away. It wasn't running yesterday. We timed it perfectly for a chuff past as we left the coast.

 

Dungeness RSPB Centre was open to-day, so that it was possible for Pam to buy a birthday card for a friend, and a hot chocolate each for us. We parked in the area overlooking the cattle pasture in the hope of seeing the two Ibis said to be present. No sign of any Cattle Egrets to-day either. Just battalions of skeletal pylons marching away into the distance, regulation Covid distance apart, marked by swathes of wire.

Watching a Marsh Harrier patrolling a reed bed, Pam called, 'there they are'. Two Glossy Ibis had been startled  out of obscurity and  into flight. I saw them through the sunroof as they flew towards the Centre.

Ten minutes later, they flew back. I managed a quick flight shot before they dsappeared once more.

In the hope of seeing them on the ground, we crawled towards the gate, scanning all areas as they came into view. A Cetti's Warbler shouted nearby, Barnacle Geese grazed on the saltmarsh and three Cormorants decorated a small fence.

 

Patience did not pay off, we drove back to The Den after a very pleasant day.
 

 

 

Double D

Saturday, October 10

 

The Den and Dungeness

A straightforward journey down yesterday afternoon, marred by the inability to access the property until after 7 due to Covid cleaning rules. The instructions also said that the owner would  meet us on arrival and hand over the keys. As instructed, I phoned him - twice - to inform of arrival time, and had to leave a message on both occasions. Hm. No-one to meet us and it was pitch dark. I eventually phoned the letting agency and they gave us the number of a key safe. We were in, but too late to put the moth trap out.

I later received a text from the owner, saying that it had been a long day and he was just home. Information in the cottage brochure said that occupants would no longer be met as Covid distancing could not take place in the cottage. Fat lot of use when the letting agency's information is different.

 

The cottage is lovely, and very well and tastefully, furnished and equipped. But... it's tiny. The whole of the bedroom/living room/ kitchen area would fit into - with room left over - the lounge of the Yorkshire cottage. We soon got used to it, finding spots to stash belongings, bags etc.

A very leisurely start to the day. Dungeness is only a 25  minute drive away across Rhomney Marsh. The marsh is famous for its sheep grazing land, criss-crossed by rivers.  

I also noticed several impressive white-painted clapboard houses, reminiscent of the USA's east coast. No sign of any of the 14 quirky churches said to be around. Edith Nesbit, author of the Railway Children, is buried in one of the churchyards.

Dungeness is a place like no other. A wilderness of shingle, shrubs, stunted trees and houses, the Atomic Power station and a lighthouse dominating the view. The track out to the Observatory takes one past the very popular Fish Shack and the Britannia Inn. Both were crowded and the roadsides full of parked cars.

We left it all behind to take a small track around the power station to the end house of a terrace which look like old Lighthouse worker cottages. At the edge of the dunes and shingle, it's in a prime position for netting migrant birds and for trapping moths. 

 

 

An empty Robinson trap against the outside wall, one enters via the side gate. Pam went to investigate and was made very welcome by one of the Obs staff, who produced a potted Palpita Vitrealis, our first of the year, a very green Red/Green Carpet and a Yellow-line Quaker. Not a vintage catch, nor was to-day's netting catch. Siskin, Goldfinch and Redpoll. They were trapping Firecrests but not for two days. When told that we would probably visit most days, he volunteered to keep the best moths for us to see. Thank you.

On the drive back, we were able to pause so that I could snatch some photos of Prospect Cottage. It was the home of filmmaker Derek Jarman (1942-1994) who made a garden that fitted into the landscape. The garden is open to all who wish to wander through as its no longer a private home but publicly owned.

 

Driving onto the RSPB reserve through shingle banks and scattered vegetation, we came upon a mass of  Greater Black-backed Gulls loafing about, distantly. This gives one an idea of the terrain.

 

Dungeness RSPB Centre is still closed due to Covid restrictions. Voluntary staff are set up outside under a small awning, checking membership, dispensing advice etc. As Blue Badge holders we are allowed to drive round, but only one of the three hides is accessible as it's both big enough for distancing, and the many open windows  produced a whistling through draught to-day.Very little to see here, Mallard, Wigeon, Shoveller, Gadwall, Tufted ducks, Teal and Coot.

On to view the cows on a farmer's field near the entrance gate  where Cattle Egrets had been reported. We tried hard two years ago to see this species here and failed. To-day we succeeded. Five Cattle Egrets were feeding very actively amongst the cattle. Never still, always distant.

 

A Great White Egret flew in. 

The light became even worse, and it started to rain. We drove 'home'.