Another very early start to get on site for sunrise and it was a stunning morning with a thick blanket of fog over Holme grazing marsh with a beautiful sunrise. It ended up being a decent morning for ringing with 29 birds processed with good diversity of 13 species, so a good day for spring. Ringing totals for new birds included 4 Chiffchaff, 3 Reed Warbler, 6 Whitethroat, 1 Blackcap, 1 Chaffinch, 1 Goldfinch, 3 Sedge Warbler and 1 Dunnock. For retraps we had 1 Wren, 1 Reed Warbler, 1 Great Tit, 1 Sedge Warbler, 2 Cetti’s Warbler, 1 Chiffchaff, 1 Lesser Whitethroat and 1 Long-tailed Tit.

Fog over the grazing marsh

It was quiet in the moth traps again with the cool overnight temperatures; however, we did have a new species with 1 Clouded Border, and we also had 1 Shuttle Shaped Dart and 6 Muslin.  We had some day flying Cinnabar and Green Longhorn viewable from the path through the Obs.

Clouded Border

There was a male and female Broad-bodied Chaser around the pond, but I couldn’t spot any new ones emerging today!

We had Brown Argus, Green Hairstreak, Wall Brown, Common Blue, Small Heath, Red Admiral and Peacock butterflies on the wing.

I spotted a Ruby-tailed Wasp on the Heligoland trap. They are a solitary wasp and the females lay their eggs in the nests of other solitary bees and wasps. When the eggs hatch, the Ruby-tailed Wasp larvae eat the bee larvae giving the Ruby-tailed Wasp its other name of ‘cuckoo wasp’.

Ruby-tailed Wasp

Shannon

NORFOLK BIRD NEWS FROM RAREBIRD ALERT

Norfolk BLACK-WINGED KITE ad east of Lessingham still 12.01pm at Hempstead Marshes viewed from Tin Yard Barn on Sea Palling road 52.7875,1.5843

Norfolk BLACK-WINGED KITE ad east of Lessingham still at Hempstead Marshes viewed from Tin Yard Barn on Sea Palling road at 10.40am then flew off c52.7929,1.5766

Norfolk Wood Sand Thornham at Thornham Pools at 11.40am c52.9682,0.5665

Norfolk 3.Temminck’s Stints Cley Marshes NWT still 10.50am from Babcock Hide (+Wood Sand) c52.9552,1.0758

Norfolk 3.Temminck’s Stints Cley Marshes NWT still 9.58am from Babcock Hide c52.9552,1.0758

Norfolk 3.Wood Sand Hickling Broad NWT at Brendan’s Marsh from viewing platform +1.drk Garganey Caspian Gull 52.7397,1.6013: Viewed from 52.7402,1.6014

Norfolk 4.Temminck’s Stints Cley NWT still 8.27am on Pat’s Pool from Bishop’s Hide (+11.Wood Sand 1.Little Stint still) c52.9566,1.0576. Viewed from 52.9561,1.0582. Park at 52.9544,1.0567

Norfolk 6.Wood Sands Cley NWT still on Pat’s Pool at 7.58am c52.9563,1.0581 Viewed from c52.9561,1.0582 Park at c52.9544,1.0567

Norfolk Little Stint Cley NWT still on Pat’s Pool at 7.36am c52.9563,1.0581 Viewed from c52.9561,1.0582 Park at c52.9544,1.0567

Norfolk 4.Temminck’s Stints Cley NWT 3.on Whitwell Scrape +1.on Pats Pool (+1.Little Stint) c52.9578,1.0543