Anne's Journal

 Monday July 17. After a week when we had not been birding, we made a latish afternoon drive to Horsey. A Blackcap and a Chiffchaff were still singing in the car park area - as they had been on our moth-ing visit last Friday. After obtaining permission to drive to Whiteslea Lodge, we did so, idling our way down to the viewpoint overlooking Brendon's Marsh. A few Common Darters were patrolling the dyke, none of them landing. Then, I spotted some activity in the Cow Parsley the other side of the walkway. At least one Sedge Warbler obligingly stayed long enough for me to get a few photos. Before we could drive nearer, a car came from the Lodge area and we had to move on to a passing place.  We then spent half an hour or so in the turning area, where I napped and Pam saw Swallows, a Wren and a few Black-headed Gulls. Not a great miss. It was like Janus. Blue sky in one direction, navy blue clouds in the other. The navy won. There was a short ,but very sharp and intense, rain showe...

 Sunday July 2 Maybe not the best, still enjoyable. The countryside looked lovely as we drove west. Roadside verges overblown with seeding Alexanders, Cow Parsley, Wild Carrot and Willow Herb.Trees in full leaf met above the road, producing .dense patches of shade and blinding sunlight.  The first stop was at Sculthorpe Mill, its fairly full car park, redolent with the smell of breakfast bacon, witness to the late departure of overnight guests. It wasn't long before a pair of Grey Wagtails appeared on the roof, beaks full of insects, looking watchfully around before entering their nest. Both Spotted Flycatchers are now busy flying into and out of the creeper, feeding hatched young.We left them in peace. No Little Owl nor Tree Sparrow at Flitcham, next stop the desert of Snettisham. Miles of exposed mud, dotted with pied Shelduck and some well grown young. A few scattered Oystercatchers and a couple of Avocets were all we saw. The last pit had masses of Greylag, there were over...

  Saturday July 1 The 'field' was a roughly mown, marshy meadow, part of Whitwell Common.  An area full of rare flora and fauna, designated a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI. It was their annual Open Day and being allowed to trap moths there was part of the attraction. Mike Gasson (Butterfly Conservation, Norfolk branch) set three traps out on Friday night, collecting them ready for us to open at 10.00 - an hour before Open Day officially began. The table was set up in the shelter of a large Oak tree, finding sufficiently flat ground for its frame - and for folding chairs - not easy. It was not well enough advertised, the only moth-ers there were members of our group, thirteen of us. There were plenty of moths in the traps, many of them micros. Some uncommon enough to be potted and taken away by Andrew for further identification.  The most interesting macros were the uncommon Silver Hook (library photo)   and Blackneck. This photograph is mine ,taken of a m...