Another very windy day at the Observatory, after I done a census in the morning, I spent the afternoon catching up on data entry. A Spoonbill was busy feeding in front of the car park hide in the morning, and a Grey Heron on one of the islands was proving to be a very unwanted visitor…

Avocet attempting to see off the Grey Heron – Seamus Griffin

The Dog Rose bushes have started to flower in recent days providing a nice bit of colour (mainly pink and white flowers) around the reserve.

Dog Rose

I had another Garden Tiger caterpillar on the path near the NOA car park, also known as “Woolly Bears” which I think is a very fitting name! Well worth looking out for these at the moment.

Moth traps were pretty busy today and a few new species for the year! We had 12 Cinnabar, 1 Brimstone, 5 White Ermine, 4 Flame Shoulder, 3 Mottled Rustic, 6 Vine’s Rustic, 2 Small Elephant Hawk, 2 Heart and Dart. 4 Small Square Spot, 1 Brown-spot Grey, 3 Common Wainscot, 1 Green Carpet, 1 Dog’s Tooth, 2 Treble Lines, 1 Garden Mompha, 1 Blood Vein, 1 Pebble Prominent, 1 Large Pale Masoner, 1 Scrobipalpa sp., 1 Pine Nut Moth and 1 Meadow Grass Moth.

Pebble Prominent

It was nice to get another Dog’s Tooth – the one I had the other day was very worn and identification was difficult. They are a locally distributed moth in Norfolk but well recorded in coastal areas. They have a characteristic dark “tooth” mark in the centre of the forewing and are most likely to be confused with Pale-shouldered Brocade.

Dog’s Tooth

I only had a few species of butterfly today with Wall Brown, Speckled Wood and Common Blue, flying very flow to the ground in sheltered spots. There were a few Large Red Damselflies around the pond and a 4-Spot Chaser Dragonfly near the Broad Water.

Shannon Clifford – Assistant Warden

NORFOLK BIRD NEWS FROM RARE BIRD ALERT

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

Norfolk no further sign of Booted Eagle Bayfield over Bayfield Lake early a’noon c52.9219,1.0451

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

Norfolk BOOTED EAGLE juv pale morph Bayfield again late morning over north end of Bayfield Lake near church c52.9219,1.0451

Norfolk Snow Bunting flew west over West Runton c52.9412,1.2504

Norfolk BOOTED EAGLE juv pale morph Egmere flew east over RAF North Creake Memorial mid morning c52.9107,0.8312