Bank Holiday?

 Monday August 30

When the bank holiday was on the first weekend in August, it often included my birthday.  It was also traditional that Glamorgan played the touring cricket team. In 1966, when Sara was due at the end of September, I chose to go to St Helen's in Swansea to watch Glamorgan play Australia. There was a splendid view of Swansea Bay from the top of the Stand. All I remember is that Mick was bored silly, and a 6-hit landed in someone's pint glass. He was sitting in front of the beer tent. It smashed the glass and a huge cheer went up.

These days, we stay at home, away from the hordes visiting the coast.

On Saturday, we trapped a moth new for the garden , a Coast Dart, often captured by Cley moth-ers I'm told.

 

The cool weather and a bright moon has kept catches low in both number and species, with a few attractive ones showing up.

Canary-shouldered Thorn

 

PurpleThorn

Treble Bar

I have now, with Pam's help - she mixed the planting medium - re-planted the Sempervivum trough. It looks a little raw but will soon grow to fill the space. It's essential that they have grit around the neck of the plant to avoid getting too wet, when they rot.

 

This delightful little Alpine daisy has been blooming summer long, in one of my sinks..

Rove

 Thursday August 26 

Said to be common, but it's the first time I've had a good look at one. This Devil's Coach Horse was in the bottom of a moth trap - and very active. I managed to get it into a pot, where it whizzed around the bottom. I hate to see any living thing distressed, after a quick few photos, it was released.

 

 The Devil’s Coach Horse is the largest of the rove beetles and can reach a length of around 28mm. Typical to this family, the Devil’s Coach Horse is a long-bodied, uniformly black beetle with an extended exposed powerful abdomen with shortened wing cases (elytra). Although able to fly its wings are rarely used.

The beetle is common in the UK and is found throughout Europe. It also inhabits parts of Australasia and the Americas but it is not native to these areas having been introduced.

The Devil’s Coach Horse occupies a wide range of habitats requiring damp conditions and is common in woods, hedgerows, meadows, parks and gardens, being seen between April and October. It is also known to make its way indoors now and then, particularly in older properties.  Bug Life

Some of our garden birds are becoming rather bold. We don't encourage them to do so. Yesterday, whilst sitting at my computer, I glanced into the sun lounge to see a Wren hunting moths along the latticed bamboo cane sides of an easy chair. I watched, spellbound, as it weaved its way through the sides of the chair before departing.One of the Blackbirds regularly has to be chased out of the utility room - where the bird food is stored. Maybe the same one helps himself when Pam is filling the feeders. We also have an audience which collects whilst we are opening the moth traps, when we have to be super vigilant that we are not the source of an easy meal.

We often find moth eggs layed on the cardboard egg boxes in the traps. Tracing the layee is beyond us. When layed in a pot, it becomes more obvious. At Cley this morning. we found some tiny caterpillars in the Heath trap. This had previously held Drinker Moth eggs. I have some photos on my phone but don't know how to transfer them as yet. Several people are on the identification task.

Time to Build an Ark?

 Sunday August 22

The forecast thundrstorms did not arrive, heavy rain showers did. Robinson moth traps are remarkably rainproof, the only wet egg box is usually the one on the bottom central wire grid. 

One trap is placed on a polystyrene box in order to prevent ants from swarming the trap.Not much use when they are flying..... 

Yesterday, it had a Leopard Slug draped on its side. The UK's second largest slug.

 I'm not generally squeamish - but I do dislike Slugs. Shades of the inside walls of an outside lavatory at night when I was a small child. In the days when having an inside loo was thought to be unhygienic, even if it was a modern flush variety.Thank goodness that it wasn't long before we had an inside loo.

We've had some nice moths in the last few days.

Bordered Beauty

The Leopard, side view and top view (below)

Peacock Moth

Magpie Moth

 

 

Treble Bar

Twin-spotted Wainscot - new for the garden

 

I spent some time weeding and emptying two of my alpine troughs yesterday. The soil mixture was as wet as I have ever known it to be. The mixture contains sand, so the drainage is good. They have now been left so that any lurking Bitter Cress and Creeping Oxalis can be removed. The tiny Cress shoots its seeds everywhere at the slightest touch, the Oxalis is very deep rooted, difficult to dig up whole - and it creeps. 

 

Hickling

Wednesday August 18

Hickling NWT reserve is a short distance from home. After a busy day, it was 4.15 by the time we arrived - to find that the Centre was shut. We should have known. Our main aim was to find out whether - or not - they had a public moth trap opening. I knew, from the warden's comments at the James Lowen talk at Cley Centre last week, that they are still trapping moths there. James was showing wonderful photos and answering Nick Acheson's questions, about his newly published, 'Much Ado About Mothing' book. I have the book on my Kindle and enjoyed it very much - as I did the presentation. Before Covid, our moth group attended some very worthwhile sessions at the reserve.

Next time.....

The reserve was still open, we drove, very slowly, to Whiteslea Lodge.  It was  dull and rather cool, expectations were not high. Just as well. We saw two birds, a high cruising Dragonfly, three  Red Admirals feeding on the banks of Hemp Agrimony.

 

And the hoverfly Eristalis Pertinax 

 

Wayside trees were loaded with - out of reach - ripening fruit.

 

Another Mish Mash

Sunday August 15 

We started the day by opening the two moth traps left out overnight. There has been one lovely Garden Tiger every day for the last week, to-day there were two. One very fresh, the other mid life.

Scorched Carpet

 

Two Limespeck Pugs

 

Currant Pug 

 

Webb's Wainscot, NB Nationally scarce 

 

and a male Four-spotted Footman amongst the best of this haul.

 

Pugs are notoriously difficult to identify, the two I've pictured here amongst the easier, especially the Lime-speck.

It did mean that our planned visit to Buckenham was at mid-day - again. Passing the entrance to Strumpshaw RSPB, three cars pulled out, leaving parking space. Pam's left hip replacement (2003) seems to be failing, she's walking with the aid of a crutch. No Strumpshaw for us. We await an x-ray date.

The narrow lane from the railway crossing to the next station. had a  head high, weedy verge. The track to the car park was lush too. Lovely to look at, but making viewing very difficult. The only birds visible on the marsh were Greylag Geese and a small flock of Canada. One Marsh Harrier prospected the Cantley skyline, a single Chinese Water deer braved the gaggle of beaks.

Peering through wind blown reeds, a lone duck appeared at the far end of the first channel after leaving the car park. An eclipse male Garganey, it's head stripe barely visible. This is where we saw a pair in the Spring.

 

The main pool, viewable from the path, is much smaller. Nearly half of it is either waterless, or mud covered in weed. Using my scope through a less dense reedy area, I found the long staying Wood Sandpiper amongst the Lapwings, Black-headed Gulls, and Lesser Black-backed Gulls. A truly record shot for my year folder.

 

We were happy with our two month ticks, the Sandpiper also a year tick. 

Otherwise, the garden's produce has kept us busy. The 6 pounds of Blckcurrants are now transformed into sauce, which has been frozen.

Runner Beans are now producing a reasonable crop - much worse than usual. Mike has kept us going. The Cobra French Beans are all but over too. As an experiment, I planted some more dwarf beans, which are almost ready to put into a growbag. It's the latest planting I've ever made. The second row of peas doesn't look as good either.

The first row of Hurst Greenshaft peas was taken up by Adrian on Friday - the roots left in the ground for their nitrogen nodules.. Pam then stripped the vines whilst I podded the peas.

 

Delicious for tea on Friday, most of them blanched and in the freezer.

I'm hoping for a good moth session at Natural Surroundings in the morning, before my six-weekly visit to the Eye Clinic at Cromer Hospital.

 

A Week Gone By

 Wednesday August 11

The planned visit to Titchwell was aborted when I did not wake until 9 a.m. - after five hours sleep. How about Strumpshaw and Buckenham instead? Maybe we should open the moth traps first, before it gets hot and the moths become very lively indeed. Despite the ice block topping, they are still active at this time of year. Gone are the days of opening the traps at dawn.

Weighing on my mind were the two mixing bowls full of blackcurrants, which I'd harvested on Sunday and Monday. We only have two bushes, one of them remains half picked, it was still over six pounds of cleaned fruit. I made jam last year, maybe coulis this year. 

There were seven, new for the garden year moths, in the traps to-day. 

Tree Lichen Beauty 

Our lovely, pearl-necklaced beauty, was constantly fluttering producing a less than sharp image. Perhaps we'll get another.

 

Norfolk status
Migrant species with only three recorded in the UK up until 1991. Subsequent records mainly from the south coast.
Increased records in the past few years indicate a resident population in Norfolk.

First Norfolk record July 2008 at Weybourne (M. Preston, 26/07/08).
First VC28 record at Holme NOA in 2013 (S. Barker, 13/08/13).
Third Norfolk record at Swanton Morley (J. & A. Stroud, 18/08/13).

Several records from across Norfolk in recent years.

Recorded in 58 (78%) of 74 10k Squares. First Recorded in 2008. Last Recorded in 2021. Norfolk Moths website

Crescent - poor photo, taken in egg box

 

Tawny Speckled Pug

 

Sallow Kitten

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Many-plumed

 

Catoptria falsella and

 

 Garden Rose Tortrix - Acleris variegana

 

 

 

 

That outing? It did not happen. Instead, we cleaned the blackcurrants, weighed and cooked them, pulped the fruit using a hand blender, then pushed it through a sieve. That took care of the afternoon. 

They take a horrifying amount of sugar..........

A Recce

 Wednesday August 4

We've never been to Carlton Marshes. Not even when the American Bittern was there for some time. Friends advised us that it was not suitable for me in that the distance was great, and the paths very muddy. This week, I read that a boardwalk had been installed. 

Our SatNav informed us that there was a 6 mile tailback queue on the A47, did we want to divert. Yes we did. The resulting diversion - not all of it the SarNav's fault -  led us to a tour of parts of Yarmouth and Lowestoft we'd never seen before. Interesting. 

Carlton marshes is a Suffolk nature reserve on the southern side of Lowestoft. The extensive car park was full, one space left in the disabled area for us. The air rang loud with the sound of children yelling, screaming and crying. Great. The play area was adjacent to the car park and the shortest trail. Pam went into the impressive centre to collect a map, and to do some research. I watched the wild flower filled verge in front of me. where several small white butterflies, hoverflies and bees fed. An unidentifiable Dragonfly made two passes.

After hearing what Pam had to say, I decided not to walk, but encouraged Pam to do so.  She returned happy, as she'd seen a Water Vole. We must return on a weekday when schools are open.

The return of cool and unsettled weather with frequent clear nights has seen moth numbers and species fall. We have still added some nice moths to the garden year list.

A neighbour had an Old Lady moth on Tuesday, we are pleased to get one a year as they are a local  only species. 

Oak Eggar. This is a female. Large and with non feathered antennae . She's a beauty. I was hoping that she'd lay some eggs for us to rear, she looked fecund. No luck.

 

The Herald. A moth which overwinters in numbers in caves, old bunkers, mines, anywhere dark. 

 

 

Yellow Shell. 

 

A Snettisham Spectacular

Sunday, August 1 

Holt was definitely far too late to consult the Met. Office for to-day's weather. Then, maybe if we had, we'd still be at home. The first heavy shower damped us down as we walked out to the car. The rain continued for the next two hours, accompanying our ongoing discussion re whether we should abort. We were promised only a 10% risk of showers by 10 a.m. 

Nearing Harpley,  a tatty Red Kite was the first flying bird as the rain eased. 

What! For the first time ever, there was a car parked in the gateway from which we view the Abbey Farm Oak. Pam drew up alongside the empty vehicle so that I could have a quick look. Yes, the Little Owl was showing above the cavernous roots. And..... an elderly man appeared from the overgrown hedge at the side of the gate. Sunhat pulled well down, camera in hand, he must have wondered what we were doing. After showing me a photo of the owl on the back of his camera, he then told us a tale of seeing a male Sparrowhawk in the road. Unable to stop because of traffic, he turned round as soon as possible, to find the bird still straddling its partially plucked Collared Dove. Despite passing traffic, it allowed him to take several photos and a video. A lifetime experience. He loved it.

House Sparrows have taken over the Tree Sparrow nesting boxes in Valley Farm lane. No sign of Barry, Pam went on to the barn as the Red Kite was showing. A shout from behind. Barry. He'd been waiting for us and we hadn't seen him. It was a tale of someone who'd  had his ankle bone removed under local anaesthetic and clay put in its place (sic). A four hour job. Somehow, I doubt that it was clay.

The rain had stopped and the roads were dry. Still a low cloud cover, with poor light in which to view the Snettisham part of the Wash. The chalet park was very busy, and heavily occupied. School holidays have begun. Just us to survey the apparently empty mud. Scoping brought hundreds of birds into definition.  High tide was almost two and a half hours away - not a high one either. Only 5.4 metres, the shore would not be covered - but the birds would be nearer. The expected enormous flock of Knot, many still the red of their full name, tortoiseshell Turnstones, black-bellied Dunlin, Sanderling, hundreds of Redshank, one Grey Plover, a line of Golden Plover, one Greenshank called as it flew in, a mere half a dozen Curlew, hundreds of Brick-red Black-tailed Godwit.

Mainly Knot

 

A guesstimate of the loafing flock of terns in front of the sailing club house, was three hundred. I spent a long time working my way through them, finding Little, Common and Sandwich Terns. The reported Roseate Tern(s) eluded me for what seemed like a frustrating lifetime. The flock was very mobile. Frequently spooked by dinghy launching, passing canoes, dogs, walkers and large gulls. Always returning to a similar spot. Eventually, my patience paid off and I found one Roseate Tern on the near side of the flock - quickly obscured by a preening Black-headed Gull. Paler than the Common Terns, very similar in size, with a black bill. It looked shorter legged to me, the jizz was different. 

We usually see hundreds of Shelduck here, Today, fewer than ten. Of course, the penny dropped. It's moulting time, when huge numbers congregate off the Netherlands coast, to moult in the comparative safety of numbers.

After two hours of intensive telescope use, I needed a respite. We drove on up the track to the far pit. Unselfish Pam, who had spent all that time peering across me,  had the first look at the pit, driving part of the way down the causeway. She then turned and reversed down the same area so that I could use my scope. It's a big pit, and the islands are mostly distant.

 

Common Terns are still nesting on one of the islands.

 

Greylag and Cormorants are numerous. One Moorhen and an Egyptian Goose for the day list. 

Pam saw a Painted Lady on the Buddleja (Garden News' preferred spelling) bush near the entry gate - as I was opening it.

Too many people about to visit many of our preferred stops, Holkham gateway next. At least five Spoonbills visible, little else, a combination of lush vegetation and a lack of water. 

North Point pools were the final destination for the day. Again, not much visible water, and tall growth, inhibited viewing. More scope wrork, finding a white male Ruff, a dozen Black-tailed Godwits - and more noisy, smelly Greylags. A male Marsh Harrier idled through, causing a disturbance. Maybe that is why Pam spotted a hitherto invisible, Common Crane, which appeared amongst the geese at the back of the east pool.

 

Hugely cropped. 

A satisfying end to our birding day.

Home to catch up on the Olympics news and to watch another 100 cricket match. Some of the qualirty has gone, with the departure of the England players to prepare for the first test against India, which begins on Wednesday.