It was a pretty mixed day weather wise at the Obs, with a strong westerly first thing with heavy rain showers (finally some proper rain!) but it turned out to be quite a sunny afternoon.

First thing this morning I checked the pool at Thornham. There were no waders when I looked apart from a single Redshank. There was a Shelduck pair with ducklings, the first I’ve seen this year! The saltmarsh was alive with the sound of singing Redshank. There were some fantastic breeding plumage Grey Plover in the Channel. There was a bit of Swift passage with 16 swirling over west in the brisk wind. Some were passing very very low right over the sea wall, some passing only a meter or so past me, so close I could hear their wings in the wind! Seeing these birds back is one of the highlights of the year for me.

Bee spotted the first Long-tailed Tit fledglings of the year by one of the hide, looking very fresh and fluffy! There was a lovely Whinchat in the dunes, just past the pill box in the rough grass where the Ring Ouzel like to hang out. It was feeding actively on the ground before being chased off by one of the local Stonechat.

There were a couple of Spoonbill on the grazing marsh. We don’t often see deer species other than Muntjac and Chinese Water Deer (and very occasionally Roe Deer), however there was a Red Deer stag today.

The moths were much better than expected for our Wednesday moth morning after a disappointing few weeks! We had 2 Common Pug, 1 Muslin, 3 Turnip, 2 Vine’s Rustic, 5 Shuttle Shaped Dart, 1 Cinnabar, 1 Setaceous Hebrew Character, 2 Northern Drab, 1 Flame Shoulder, 1 Angle-barred Pug, 1 Nutmeg, 1 Spruce Carpet and 1 Treble Lines! All in all a lovely mix of species and a few new for the year.

We had our first Common Blue Damselfly of the year around the pond and also a Broad-bodied Chaser. 

Shannon & Bee

NORFOLK BIRD NEWS FROM RAREBIRD ALERT

Norfolk Temminck’s Stint Titchwell RSPB from Parrinder Hide +showing well 52.9689,0.6074: Viewed from 52.9693,0.6069

Norfolk Red-backed Shrike male Morston still 3.30pm on sea wall west of NT car park by steps just NW of campsite c52.9581,0.9814

Norfolk Red-backed Shrike male Morston still 2.44pm on sea wall west of NT car park by steps just NW of campsite c52.9581,0.9814

Norfolk Red-backed Shrike male Morston on sea wall west of NT car park by steps just NW of campsite at 2.11pm +showing well c52.9581,0.9814

Norfolk BLACK-WINGED KITE ad east of Lessingham still 1.56pm at Hempstead Marshes in tree north of Stalham Road/ Hickling Road junction viewed from Tin Yard Barn c52.7888,1.5847

Norfolk Little Stint Cley NWT from Babcock Hide c52.9552,1.0758

Norfolk BLACK-WINGED KITE ad east of Lessingham still at Hempstead Marshes north of Stalham Road/ Hickling Road junction viewed north from Tin Yard Barn at 10.37am c52.7888,1.5847

Norfolk Purple Heron 1s Thetford till 9.53am at Nunnery Lakes viewable from Barnhamcross Common screen then flew NE +no further sign by 10.40am c52.3958,0.7473

Norfolk Purple Heron 1s Thetford still 9.35am at Nunnery Lakes viewable from Barnhamcross Common screen c52.3958,0.7473

Norfolk 5.Wood Sands Cley NWT on North Scrape from Gillmor Discovery Hide 52.9617,1.0563: Viewed from 52.9625,1.0558

Norfolk Purple Heron 1s Thetford still 8.15am at Nunnery Lakes at flood viewable from Barnhamcross Common viewpoint tho mobile c52.3958,0.7473

Norfolk 3.Temminck’s Stints Cley NWT on west side of North Scrape from Gillmor Discovery Hide at 7.40am 52.9617,1.0563: Viewed from 52.9625,1.0558

Norfolk Purple Heron 1s Thetford at Nunnery Lakes at flood viewable from Barnhamcross Common viewpoint at 7.40am c52.3958,0.7473