An Early Autumn

 Thursday August 3

My 85th birthday. 

Finding a Rosy Rustic in this morning's moth trap was a harbinger of Autumn. Like all wildlife, moths haven't read the books, so do make extra early or laste appearances every year. There was a Rosy Rustic in the NS moth traps a couple of weeks ago.

Apart from a requested doctor's visit, I have not been out for a week, suffering from an infection and extreme shortage of breath. Half way through a second course of antibiotics and an increasae in fluid retention tablets, I was feeling well enough to take a birding ride. I might even have called in at the Cley Moth Group session if the Pale Scarlet Underwing had been retained. It was accidentally released by someone who should have known better, opening the dirty container to take a better look.  I hope that he was suitable penitent to all those present who had not yet seen the moth.

Although enjoyable, as always, the day's birding was not good in either species seen or experienced. A distant group of loafing terns on the beach at Snettisham contained all three expected species. Anything different was too far to identifty. The mojority were Common, followed in number by the strutting Sandwich, their punk hairdo made even more obvious by the receding hairline of Autumn. A small number of Little Terns were dwarfed by their cousins, only viewable when the flock shifted.

Snettisham really does seem to be a play park for holiday makers.  Four women strollers crammed the bench and we had to wait ages for a family of gran, mum and three children to get themselves and their bikes up the causeway between the pits. Is it any wonder that the birds keep their distance.

The reserve pit still had a few pairs of nesting Common Terns.

 


The Yellow Horned poppies are also in their later stages with very few flowers and many of the long green seed pods which gave them their name. 

North Point Pools held at least 138 Black-tailed Godwits, feeding in a large flock ,with others amongst the gulls huddled at the edge of the water. A white male Ruff picked about amongst them.

Home to open the moth trap cooled by several ice blocks on the lid whilst we were out. Not the teeming mass we had earlier in the week, the Rosy Rustic the only new one for the year.


a Scarce Silver-lines always pleases my eye.








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