A brisk south easterly today, which wasn’t very pleasant for birding or doing the moth traps (a few empty egg boxes attempted to fly away at several points..), and was unfortunately too windy for ringing.

We have some good news about the ringed White-tailed Eagle from the other day, the mystery has been solved! With many thanks to Mark Golley and Zoe at the Roy Dennis Foundation for their detective work, it was discovered that the bird is a 2^nd calendar year male from the Isle of Wight project. He fledged from a nest in Sussex last year – both of his parents were birds from the Isle of Wight project. His tracker came off a few months after fledging so it was great to be able to read the ring to track his movements. I got very close with Black ‘G632’, the ring was actually ‘G637’! Great to be able to know more about this amazing bird.

The White-tailed Eagle that visited Holme on Monday 14th April

There were 4 Great White Egret over the grazing marsh together in the afternoon, all flushed at once by something. A Spoonbill was on the island from car park hide with a Great White Egret. There was a very vocal Lesser Whitethroat singing from the scrub next to the NOA car park, but despite lots of waiting it didn’t make an appearance from the middle of the bush… There were also 3 Common Whitethroat in the dunes along with 1 Willow Warbler. There were two Whimbrel in a field at Thornham Harbour. Two Ring Ouzel, a male and a female, were in the paddock opposite the caravan site on Beach Road.

There was a decent amount on the sea today including 7 Gannet, 6 Cormorant, 2 Great Crested Grebe, 3 Fulmar, 2 Red-breasted Merganser, 28 Sandwich Tern, 4 Common Scoter, 1 Shoveler and 1 Red-throated Diver. With thanks to Steve and Ray for their sightings.

There were still very low numbers in the two moth traps today, with only 6 individuals of 3 species with 4 Muslin, 1 Hebrew Character and 1 Dark Sword-grass. The Dark Sword-grass was a new species for me, they are regular migrant moths in Norfolk and have never been proven to breed in Norfolk.

Dark Sword-grass

We also had two Cinnabar moths, and for butterflies, 2 Peacock, 1 Small Copper, 1 Red Admiral and 2 Green Hairstreak, all battling to fly in the windy conditions. The Green Hairstreak love landing in the Gorse at the start of East Bank next to the Observatory building at the moment (here and the East Bank path is one of the best places to see them), and it provides a fantastic contrast of colours!

Green Hairstreak on Gorse

Shannon Clifford – Assistant Warden

NORFOLK BIRD NEWS FROM RARE BIRD ALERT

Norfolk 3+Garganey (2.drks) Hickling Broad NWT still 1/3ml ESE of visitor centre at Brendan’s Marsh from mound 52.7393,1.5981. Park at c52.7422,1.5949

Norfolk 3.Ring Ouzels Cawston Heath c52.7689,1.2094

Norfolk Osprey flew over Sheringham early a’noon c52.9449,1.2139

Norfolk 2.Ring Ouzels Cawston Heath c52.7689,1.2094

Norfolk American Wigeon drk Cley NWT still 11.32am east of north end of East Bank at east end of Arnold’s Marsh 52.9601,1.0700

Norfolk no sign of ad.Roseate Tern Welney WWT from Main Observatory c52.5281,0.2770. Viewed from c52.5278,0.2774. Park at c52.5269,0.2787

Norfolk 5.Ring Ouzels (4.males) Salthouse at Salthouse Heath c52.9403,1.0772

Norfolk Glaucous Gull Horsey still 10.35am by groyne.26 c52.7587,1.6501

Norfolk American Wigeon drk Cley NWT east of north end of East Bank on Arnold’s Marsh 52.9601,1.0700