Another beautiful warm spring day here at the Observatory. A quieter day for birds generally with the hotter temperatures, but many of our common summer migrants were making the most of the nice conditions to sing all day with 7 Lesser Whitethroat, 14 Whitethroat, 4 Reed Warbler and 15 Sedge Warbler, and still, lots of Chiffchaff and Blackcap and at least 1 Willow Warbler around. The Cuckoo has been doing the rounds again most of the day, and the Tawny Owl done its usual afternoon hooting for 10 minutes.

A fantastic day for insects and the busiest day in our moth traps so far this year. We had 2 Small Waved Umber, 14 Muslin, 10 Cinnabar (plus 10+ day flying, they’re really increasing in number now), 2 Large Waved Umber, 1 Chamomile Straw, 1 Hebrew Character, 1 Knot Grass, 1 Chinese Character, 4 Northern Drab, 1 Large Yellow Underwing, 1 Common Wainscot, 1 Treble Lines, 1 Nut Tree Tussock and 1 Brindled Beauty. The Chamomile Straw is a locally distributed micro moth in Norfolk and a first for me, it has a characteristic weak pink flush to the wings which helps to separate it from other species.

Knot Grass, Chamomile Straw (a micro), Brindled Beauty & Treble Lines

Chinese Character, or bird poo? The Chinese Character wing pattern and resting posture gives the appearance of a bird-dropping, thus avoiding the attention of hungry birds…

Chinese Character, surviving by being camouflaged as a bird dropping

Greater number of butterflies today too with 4 Small Copper, 6+ Green Hairstreak, 3 Wall Brown, 3 Orange Tip, 4 Brown Argus, 2 Speckled Wood, 2 Small Heath, 1 Common Blue, 1 Green-veined White and 3 Peacock. Many visitors managed to see Green Hairstreak and Brown Argus around the Observatory today which was nice.

Shannon Clifford – Assistant Warden

NORFOLK BIRD NEWS FROM RARE BIRD ALERT

Norfolk Temminck’s Stint Cley NWT from Teal Hide c52.9577,1.0545 Park at c52.9544,1.0567

Norfolk no sign of Wryneck Cley in gardens by 1.30pm. View only from road c52.9559,1.0497

Norfolk 1+Garganey Hockwold Washes still +Grey Plover c52.4504,0.5245. Park at 52.4481,0.5287

Norfolk Wood Sand Denver Sluice at Tallymore Farm NR c52.5910,0.3454

Norfolk Temminck’s Stint Cley NWT still 1.58pm east of East Bank at north end of The Serpentine then flew to Pat’s Pool c52.9578,1.0558. Park at 52.9544,1.0567

Norfolk Temminck’s Stint Cley NWT still 1.52pm east of East Bank at north end of The Serpentine c52.9584,1.0665. Park at 52.9549,1.0647

Norfolk Temminck’s Stint Cley NWT still 12.30pm on Whitwell Scrape c52.9586,1.0537. Park at 52.9544,1.0567

Norfolk 2.Wood Sands Cley NWT till early a’noon from Babcock Hide then flew west towards East Bank c52.9552,1.0758. Park at 52.9549,1.0646

Norfolk Ring Ouzel Weybourne at Weybourne Camp c52.9495,1.1293. Park at 52.9485,1.1398

Norfolk Blue-headed Wagtail y’day Cley NWT in evng c52.9544,1.0567

Norfolk Wood Sand Titchwell RSPB c52.9667,0.6060. Park at c52.9629,0.6063

Norfolk Temminck’s Stint Cley NWT from Daukes’ Hide at 11.30am 52.9579,1.0544. Park at 52.9544,1.0567

Norfolk 2.Wood Sands Cley NWT from Babcock Hide c52.9552,1.0758. Park at 52.9549,1.0646

Norfolk 1+Wood Sand y’day Buckenham Marshes RSPB still on flood midway between hide +windpump c52.5890,1.4690. Park at 52.5981,1.4698

Norfolk Ring Ouzel male flew west over Beeston Bump 52.9435,1.2244 Park at 52.9381,1.2305