Few Birds.Many Moths

 Wednesday June 26

We've had a couple of birding sessions during the last week, with little success. An hour looking over Brendan's Marsh at Hickling produced a poor view of a moulting drake Garganey, asleep on an island. 

On Sunday, we spent a very enjoyable couple of hours at Buckenham Marshes. Just sitting, looking up a wide dyke and across at the main hide pool, hoping for a view of one of the two Caspian Terns in the area. The other is keeping to the historic Breydon/Hickling/ Potter feeding places. We didn't see the tern but enjoyed the warm sunshine and searching for it.

The moth excitement started last Thursday with a Marbled Coronet, trapped by Giles and brought to Cley for the group by Greg. Thank you Giles.

 

Saturday, we were at Cley again. This time for a Red-belted Clearwing trapped in their garden and attracted to a lure by Sue and Ian. Brilliant, I love this species. Not my photo.

 

 

Titchwell have regular moth-ing sessions on Wednesday mornings. Some years ago, we used to go, that was before our two regular sessions of Tuesdays and Thursdays. David had tipped us that an additional trap was being put out in the reed bed and it might be worth a visit. We didn't get there until mid-dayish but the men were still at work, Pam said that the picnic table outside the cafe was covered in pots containing moths. I stayed in the car parked near the staff car park whilst Pam investigated. This car park was full of lorries and materials, the cafe is being extended. When Pam retuirned, she had David in tow, soon followed by Richard, with hands full of moth pots. Probably THE moth was a Scarce Pug. A lovely specimen too.

 

Others I saw included : Shore Wainscot

 


Dotted Fanfoot

 


Small Emerald

 


Orange-tailed Clearwing



All trapped at Titchwell, apart from the Orange-tailed Clearwing which was brought in by Gerv. The photos are mine except for the Scarce Pug. The crazed and dirty pot put paid to my effort.

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