It was a lovely sunny day at the Obs turning quite warm in the afternoon, bringing out the Brimstone and Peacock butterflies! It was a nice day for our moth morning too with 7 species in the trap including 2 March Moth, 18 Hebrew Character, 2 Clouded Drab, 10 Small Quaker, 4 Dotted Border, 1 Shoulder Strip and the highlight of the morning, 2 Dotted Chestnut! Last year we only had 4 spring records and one in the autumn, so generally not a common moth here. Some of our members also brought moths along from their garden which is a nice chance to see a greater variety of moths that you might not otherwise encounter in your own garden, so we had Yellow Horned, Early Thorn, Tawny Pinion, Frosted Green, Water Carpet and Twin-spotted Quaker brought in, a nice bonus!

Birding wise it is still slow for migrants so far but it’s lovely to see birds starting to take up territories and display breeding behaviour. The Stock Dove, Tits, Linnet, Little Grebe, Skylark, Meadow Pipit, Wren and Dunnock have all been singing today around the Obs, and I heard a Tawny Owl for the first time this year yesterday! A Peregrine was showing well at Gore Point this morning and then later was seen a few times going back and forth over the dunes. Two Crossbill (a male and female) were showing well from the NWT VC. A Med Gull flew over the Obs late afternoon.

NORFOLK BIRD NEWS FROM RAREBIRD ALERT

Norfolk Hooded Crow Happisburgh flew north over church at 11.05am c52.8227,1.5376

Norfolk Hawfinch west of California at Ormesby St.Margaret in garden at 8.30am c52.6753,1.6889

Norfolk 3.Glossy Ibises just east of Stiffkey still on flood south of A149 at 9.50am c52.9541,0.9431

Norfolk 3.Little Gulls (all ads) Denver Sluice flew NE over Tallymore Farm NR at 7.10am c52.5910,0.3454

Norfolk Common Crane ad Rawhall still at Old Beetley at School Road Flash at 8.30am 52.7303,0.9076: Viewed from 52.7295,0.9054

Norfolk Caspian Gull near-ad Denver Sluice at Tallymore Farm NR at 6.40am c52.5910,0.3454

Norfolk Grey Plover y’day west of Norwich at Earlham Marsh at 10.04pm c52.6312,1.2325. Park at 52.6308,1.2341. Viewed from 52.6307,1.2312

Norfolk BLACK-WINGED KITE ad 1/3ml north of Ludham Bridge still in tree NE of River Ant at 7.30am tho distant c52.7066,1.5057: Viewed from 52.7054,1.5057. Use car park off A1062 then walk north along footpath NR29 5NX

Norfolk c200.Russian White-fronted Geese y’day Holkham Freshmarsh 52.9606,0.7909: Viewed from 52.9601,0.7905