It’s been a lovely spring day at the Obs with some good birds around. We were up early as the conditions were suitable for ringing with very little wind, but it was a chilly start with a frost on the van at home and on the ground at the Obs! It was quiet for migrants moving likely due to the northerly wind. We caught only 4 new birds across the morning with all the nets open including 1 Dunnock, 1 Reed Warbler, 1 Sedge Warbler and best of all, the first Lesser Whitethroat caught of the spring! For retraps we caught 3 Long-tailed Tit, 3 Cetti’s Warbler, 1 Robin, 1 Dunnock and 1 Stonechat, which we managed to catch in a spring trap. The Stonechat was a juvenile ringed last autumn and is now paired up with a female feeding chicks, lovely.

Male Stonechat

Otherwise around the recording area, there was one Spoonbill was feeding on the Broadwater and whilst at the car park hide a Little Ringed Plover flew east calling along the Broadwater. There were 3 Ruff from the car park pools and a Hobby was seen well in the afternoon and we were shared this fantastic picture!

Hobby – photo by Seamus Griffin

A Cuckoo was calling distantly over Holme grazing marsh toward Thornham. There were a few Whimbrel about with 7 at Thornham, 1 calling on the grazing marsh and 9 were also on the beach. There were 4 Lesser Whitethroat around the NWT dunes/obs. Also in the dunes there were 2 Ring Ouzel and 5 Wheatear.

In the moth traps numbers and diversity were better than expected with the cool overnight conditions (the moths at the Obs  seem to not mind a northerly so much as it’s quite sheltered), and we had 7 Muslin, 1 Pine Beauty, 1 Nutmeg, 1 Hebrew Character, 1 Northern Drab and 3 Shuttle Shaped Dart. There were 8 Green Hairstreak recorded, with 3 showing really well at the top of the Obs ramp on the coastal public footpath, they were twirling about together and landing on the vegetation sunning themselves. We also had Orange Tip, Peacock, Small White. Speckled Wood and Small Copper.

Green Hairstreak 

Shannon

NORFOLK BIRD NEWS FROM RAREBIRD ALERT

Norfolk 4.Black Terns Hickling Broad NWT still 1.30pm c52.7391,1.5787

Norfolk Wood Sand y’day Snettisham Coastal Park at Ken Hill Marshes c52.8876,0.4625

Norfolk 4.Black Terns Hickling Broad NWT at 12.20pm c52.7391,1.5787

Norfolk Wood Sand Buckenham Marshes RSPB still at east end at 12.30pm tho elusive c52.5974,1.4701

Norfolk Common Crane ad Rawhall still at Old Beetley at School Road Flash at 11.10am +showing well 52.731,0.9068

Norfolk 2.Curlew Sands Hickling Broad on Brendan’s Marsh at 10.30am 52.7391,1.6012: Viewed from 52.7403,1.6023

Norfolk 3.Ring Ouzels Holkham at East Park in corner between Ropes Course +sheep field at 10am c52.9672,0.8142

Norfolk Garganey drk y’day Cantley beet factory still on main lagoon c52.5692,1.5281. Sign in at security NR13 3SH then follow footpath SE along River Yare. Stay on permitted path, no other access

Norfolk Wood Sand y’day Buckenham Marshes RSPB c52.5974,1.4701