An early start this morning, hopeful that conditions would be good for ringing – however, heavy rain showers lingered into the late morning. So instead, we spent the morning seawatching and had a successful few hours. We had 13 Wigeon, 16 Teal, 309 Common Scoter, 15 Fulmar, 1 Manx Shearwater, 67 Gannet, 64 Cormorant, 8 Great Crested Grebe, 1 Whimbrel, 10 Curlew, 25 Bar-tailed Godwit, 2 Knot, 1 Dunlin, 3 Little Tern, 116 Sandwich Tern, 30 Common Tern, 1 Arctic Tern and 2 Black Tern! A good morning indeed.

After the showers finally passed over, we opened some nets, the wind had swung to due northerly meaning many of the nets were sheltered. It was a quiet few hours ringing with 19 birds caught including quite a few new birds: 2 Wren, 1 Long-tailed Tit, 5 Blue Tit, 1 Reed Warbler, 1 Goldfinch, 1 Coal Tit and 1 Great Tit. For retraps we had 1 Chiffchaff, 1 Dunnock and 5 Blue Tit.

A good haul of moths today in the two traps including 9 Scarce Footman, 2 Dingy Footman, 7 Common Wainscot, 2 Southern Wainscot, 4 Garden Tiger, 1 Ear sp., 11 Drinker, 1 Pearl Grass Moth, 3 Bryotropha sp., 1 Ruby Tiger, 1 A. tristella, 6 Single Dotted Wave, 3 Yellowtail, 1 Mother of Pearl, 3 Turnip, 1 Fern, 1 Scalloped Oak, 1 Orange Pine Tortrix, 1 Early Thorn, 3 Rosy Footman, 2 Large Yellow Underwing, 1 Sharp Angled Peacock, 1 Small Umber, 1 Nutmeg, 1 Pale Prominent, 1 Common Masoner, 5 Flame Shoulder, 1 Setaceous Hebrew Character, 1 Uncertain agg., 1 Cloaked Minor, 1 Reed Veneer, 1 Shuttle Shaped Dart, 1 Least Yellow Underwing, 1 Shaded Broad Bar and 1 day flying Yellowshell. There was a lovely Hummingbird Hawk Moth around the Buddleia next to the Obs today.

Pale Prominent 

We also occasionally catch beetles drawn to the light of the moth traps, and we caught this one below this morning, I believe it to be a Great Silver Water Beetle – it was absolutely massive and is one of the UK’s largest beetles. They are classed as Near Threatened on the GB Red List and are mainly found in the Somerset Levels and southeast England.

Great Silver Water Beetle

Shannon Clifford – Assistant Warden

NORFOLK BIRDS NEWS FROM RARE BIRD ALERT

Norfolk Little Stint Snettisham RSPB still 52.8502,0.4458

Norfolk Wood Sand Cley NWT still +Caspian Gull 52.9577,1.0545. Park at 52.9544,1.0566

Norfolk 2.Turtle Doves Cley NWT flew east over East Bank +landed south of Pope’s Pool. c52.9569,1.0651 Park at c52.9544,1.0566

Norfolk Sooty S’water Sheringham flew west past shelter 9am-12.45pm c52.9469,1.2070. Park at 52.9450,1.2067. Viewed from 52.9459,1.2069

Norfolk Caspian Gull juv Sheringham again from shelter at 12.35pm c52.9469,1.2070. Park at 52.9450,1.2067. Viewed from 52.9459,1.2069

Norfolk Pec Sand ad Snettisham RSPB still early a’noon at Pit.4 from Rotary Hide (+9.Spotted Redshanks 3.Curlew Sands on Wash) c52.8537,0.4467. Park at 52.8685,0.4526. Viewed from 52.8538,0.4463

Norfolk Curlew Sand Titchwell RSPB still c52.9692,0.6068. Park at 52.9629,0.6064

Norfolk Wood Sand Welney WWT still from Friends Hide c52.5355,0.2846. Park at 52.5268,0.2786. Viewed from c52.5350,0.2854

Norfolk Pec Sand ad Snettisham RSPB still at Pit.4 from Rotary Hide c52.8537,0.4467. Park at 52.8685,0.4526. Viewed from 52.8538,0.4463

Norfolk 2.Caspian Gulls y’day Titchwell RSPB in roost in evng c52.9692,0.6068. Park at 52.9629,0.6064

Norfolk Black Tern flew west past Holme at 8.09am c52.9749,0.5556

Norfolk 3.Caspian Gulls (all juvs) y’day Sheringham from shelter in morning c52.9469,1.2070. Park at 52.9450,1.2067. Viewed from 52.9459,1.2069

Norfolk Wood Sand y’day Cley NWT still on Pat’s Pool 52.9577,1.0545. Park at 52.9544,1.0566

Norfolk Cory’s S’water flew east past Scolt Head Island at 6.50am c52.9831,0.706