Anne's Journal

Wednesday August 31 We trapped our first one about five years ago. It was then worthy of display at Cley Centre, so that moth people could travel to view it. Many did. Also known as the Blue Underwing, not a splendid enough name in my opinion, I prefer its original name given by Linnaeus, Clifden Nonpareil. Without parallel indeed. In the British Isles, it was formerly resident in certain parts of Kent and Norfolk during the middle part of the 20th century, but it became extinct as a breeding species, and for many years was only recorded as an occasional immigrant. In recent years it has been increasing again and is now considered to be recolonising, and once again is a breeding species in some southern counties. We trapped one in Dorset three years ago, in an area where it is known to breed. With its 75-96 mm wingspan, it is the largest of the Underwings. The various Red Underwings are also spectacular in size and beauty, the Clifden is the most spectacular of them all. Our pr...

 Friday August 26 It has always been an ambition to trap one of the migrant Hawkmoths. We planted white Nicotiana a couple of years ago, in the hope of attracting more Convolvulus Hawkmoths, already annual for us. One turned up this morning, looking pretty spruce considering its channel crossing from who knows where. I wish I'd gently poked it to show its raspberry pink and grey striped body but didn't want to disturb it.   Now, the big hope is for a Striped Hawkmoth. Especially after three turned up in north east Norfolk during the last few days. Viewing the first, at Weybourne, was offered to our moth group, but we didn't go. The second was on display at Cley Centre for an hour, we were in the garden so found out too late. The third was in Cromer, and good friends Sue and Pauline both messaged us about it, Sue having already arranged that we could view it in Jane's driveway from our car, after moths at N S. We did so, thank you very much all concerned, especially our ...

Friday August 19  Having an unespected 'free' day is like being gifted a holiday. Adrian and family are camping in Suffolk, the garden's needs will have to wait.  There's been a fair number of early migrants around this week, Pied Flycatchers in particular. None of them really available for us, we might be lucky. The bird present at the Bee-eater nests'  quarry wasn't there for us. Two birds from one nest have fledged, the other nest's occupants still being fed. We decided to worship at the altar of waders, a favourite genus for both of us. A shame that it takes over an hour and a half to drive there, but it's worth it when car birdwatching is the only option. Our regular stops are useful too. We only made two to-day, both almost entirely lacking in life. I had assumed that the Snettisham Sailing Club's arena was the sea. The building is on the sea side of the track, as is the extensive boat storage area.. As we approached the first pit before the ch...

 Sunday August 14 This morning, we spent a very pleasant hour in a sun-baked field, ground like concrete, with rough, brown grass tufts, those present sun-tanned, and wearing shorts, flimsy tops and sunhats. The Mediterranean? No, Trimmingham, where a small group of Bee-eaters has nested in a Norfolk sand-quarry for the first time ever. There are two active nests, one of them has a ready to fledge youngster poking its head out of the hole regularly. Any day now, the adults are encouraging it.  A Kestrel has taken to perching near the nest, which is concerning. We were allowed to drive down to the viewing area. The RSPB has set up an awning under which there are scopes trained on the nest-holes. Two nesting pairs of birds, with three attendant helpers. All we could view was the birds landing on wires near the quarry. I had excellent scope views. One of the birds had a dragonfly in its beak for ages before flying off. Pam saw the youngster appear in the nest-hole entrance. The g...

 Wednesday August 10 Beetles are probably the most numerous moth trap invaders at our house. Some are the tiny 2/3 mm long swarm which took over the egg boxes last week  Thought by our beetle expert, A.Duff,  to be Bradycellus sp. prob verbasci .     I attempted to photograph the underside of a Dor Beetle on Monday. It's a large beetle up to 26 mm long and weakly lustrous, the legs in particular having a bluish tinge. The body shape is very compact and arched toward the top. It is commonly known a the Dor Beetle and also as the Dung Beetle. The latter are quite a large family. This one is Geotrupes stercorarius. When it gets itself onto its back, It obviously struggles, so its legs are constantly on the move. I can't bear to see it struggling, so only took a few shots before righting and releasing it.   Last for today, is the impressive Lesser Stag Beetle, the first we've seen in our garden, let alone the trap. We have trapped them at Natural Surrounding...

 Wednesday August 3 In all my years of teaching, meeting hundreds of young people, I never met anyone with the same birthday date. The only person I know of, is the long dead Terry Wogan, who even matched the year of birth.  My Alpines have taken a bit of a beating during this long, dry, and very hot spell. West Acre gardens and Nursery , near Castle Rising in West Norfolk prides itself on having 'different' herbaceous and Alpine plants compared with other garden centres. We haven't been for years, so when Pam mooted a birthday outing, it seemed like a good idea. There are no Blue Badge parking spaces, we were lucky that a car left as we arrived, leaving us very near the entrance to the large walled garden within which West Acre lies. Everything looks well tended with plenty of the Summer colour we were looking for.   We did not leave empty handed. The drink, and shared cheese scone, in the cafe, were good too. At the bottom of Tumbleyhill Lane which leads to the centre, ...

 Tuesday August 1 As an RSPB assistant warden at Snettisham, got out of his car, I searched for our permit. Last year's was an ordinary sheet of folded paper, not the laminated card of old. Therfore, I don't automatically display it, as it easily blows away. He nodded as he passed and I idly looked at the date before returning the permit to the shelf. It ran out in April.  Snettisham was heaving with birds. The last pit's islands looked like rocky hillsides - until one noticed that there was constant rippling movement. Knot, Dunlin and Black-tailed Godwit made up the most numbers, Redshank and Bar-tailed Godwit were scattered throughout. Nine Spoonbills slept on the bank beside the new hide on the far shore, the sloping bank in front of them another mass of waders. The Wash itself was a muddy expanse, many more waders clustered along the shoreline, out of focus in the heat haze. Notable was the lack of Shelduck, usually present in large numbers. Only about ten were viewable...