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.