A really windy day at the Observatory, and much cooler in the morning than it’s been recently (though the sunshine returned in the afternoon). There were four Spoonbill on the Broad Water from the hide outside the Observatory in the morning. I later had one on the beach, which seemed very out of place! The Green Sandpiper was seen well from the second NWT hide. On a seawatch, good numbers of Common Scoter were recorded (400), and a single Kittiwake.

Spoonbills! 

We had 53 individuals of 31 species in the moth traps today including 1 Brown Tail, 1 Ermine agg., 1 Common Marble, 1 Buff Tip, 3 Heart and Club, 2 Striped Wainscot, 1 Mottled Rustic, 10 Large Yellow Underwing, 4 Garden Grass Moths, 3 Small Elephant Hawk, 1 Sand Dart, 1 Scarce Footman, 1 Uncertain/rustic agg., 1 Bird Cherry, 2 Common Footman, 1 Grey Dagger agg, 3 Pine Marble, 2 Ruby Tiger, 1 Lyme Grass, 2 Large Pale Masoner, 1 Eucosma cana, 1 Straw Dot, 1 Elephant Hawk, 1 Brown Rustic, 1 Buff Ermine, 1 Dwarf Cream Wave, 1 Barred Straw, 1 Spectacle, 1 Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing and a Lappet! Lappet are on the Red List as Endangered and have been very scarce in recent years (only 4 records in the whole of Norfolk in 2024) with the majority of records coming from Scolt Head NNR. They are completely bizarre looking moths and to me look like a perfect blend of a dried leaf and a Shrew!

Lappet

Shannon Clifford – Assistant Warden

NORFOLK BIRD NEWS FROM RARE BIRD ALERT

Norfolk 9.Spotted Redshanks Hickling Broad NWT still 1/3ml ESE of visitor centre at Brendan’s Marsh at 9.50am c52.7395,1.6016 Park at c52.7422,1.5949

Norfolk Wood Sand Welney WWT still 8.53am from Nelson-Lyle Hide c52.5312,0.2813

Norfolk 2.Garganey (both drks) on Sunday Cantley beet factory still c52.5692,1.5281. Sign in at security NR13 3SH then follow footpath SE along River Yare. Stay on permitted path, no other access