When I left home this morning it was 2°C but luckily it went up to 6°C by the time I reached the NOA. As it was a wind still and cloudy morning I opened the nets. There weren’t a lot of birds about and I ringed 2 Chiffchaff, 3 Sedge Warbler, 1 Whitethroat and 1 Blackcap. Retraps were: 2 Cetti Warblers, 3 Sedge Warblers and one Bluetit which had a well-developed brood patch which as interesting.

The best birds today were: 1 Great Egret and 1 Common Sandpiper on Broadwater, 1 Cuckoo calling and flying around the reserve and 1 Tawny Owl calling in the morning.

I also made an interesting observation: the chicks of a mallard which was nesting in a pine tree above our ringing hut hatched yesterday. And today at 6am they were still in the nest with the female present. At some point during my rounds to the nets the chicks must have jumped down because at 8am the nest was empty. I would have loved to see it happen, but I guess the female is clever enough not do make her chicks jump when there is a predator about.

In the moth trap were: 2 Pine Beauty, 7 Shuttle-shaped Dart, 3 Flame Shoulder, 1 Small Waved Umber, 2 Green Carpet, 1 White Ermine, 1 Northern Drab, 2 Cinnabar.

It was a good afternoon for butterflies: 6 Painted Ladys, 8 White sp, 15 Wall Brown, 1 Orange Tip, 1 Peacock, 5 Small Heath, 1 Small Copper and 1 Cinnabar.

Bee

 

NORFOLK BIRD NEWS FROM RAREBIRD ALERT

Norfolk 3.Wood Sands Cley NWT c52.9579,1.0688

Norfolk Black Tern Titchwell RSPB still 52.9686,0.6066: Viewed from 52.9693,0.6069

Norfolk Wood Sand Titchwell RSPB still c52.9633,0.6070

Norfolk 2.Temminck’s Stints Cley NWT still 11.30am on North Scrape from Gillmor Discovery Hide 07.00 52.9617,1.0563: Viewed from 52.9625,1.0558

Norfolk Hooded Crow reported Kelling at Kelling Water Meadow in cattle field on slope c52.9493,1.1170

Norfolk Wood Sand Cley NWT still on Pat’s Pool from Daukes’s Hide at 10am 52.9579,1.0544

Norfolk 2.Curlew Sands Denver Sluice still at Tallymore Farm NR c52.5910,0.3454

Norfolk 2.Temminck’s Stints Titchwell RSPB still on Freshmarsh at NE end at 9.25am 52.9689,0.6074: Viewed from 52.9693,0.6069

Norfolk Hoopoe male singing Weybourne on roof at Station Road at 7am c52.9402,1.1435

Norfolk 2.Temminck’s Stints on Sunday Breydon Water +White Stork c52.6148,1.7117

Norfolk Wryneck Cley NWT still in SE corner of visitor centre car park on verge behind ‘Deliveries only’ sign at 7.14am then flew east towards hedge by rapeseed field c52.9541,1.0568

Norfolk Little Stint y’day Breydon Water +Garganey c52.6148,1.7117

Norfolk 2.Garganey (1.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 White Stork y’day Berney Marshes RSPB c52.5855,1.6367

Norfolk 2.Temminck’s Stints Cley NWT still on North Scrape from Gillmor Hide 07.00 52.9617,1.0563: Viewed from 52.9625,1.0558