Skip to main content

Dune walking

washed out Small Copper

'Resting' Small Heath

Debs and I spent a couple of hours searching for Butterflies in the Dunes at Horsey today.
Our main target was Dark Green Fritillary, and we were lucky enough to have 2 individuals give us a fly past; these guys just would not settle! As I understand they are past their 'best' now, and I will return next year with hopefully some photos to share.
My good record with Wall Browns continued, 1/2 seen. Singles of Small Copper and Small Heath were well watched. The Small Heath was at first identified in flight; I later read that these butterflies never rest or feed with wings open. Lazy. 2 Holly Blues, 1 Small Tortoiseshell and plenty of both Large and Small Whites made up the rest of the Lepidoptera.
Ruddy Darter, Migrant Hawker and I believe a male Common Hawker gave us a right show, delaying the drink in the Nelson's Head.
Debs, it was her lucky day, saw 2 Common Lizards. One she claimed was significantly bigger than the other, perhaps a male? Or could it have been something else entirely, since it was but a fleeting view?
Apologies if you are reading for birds, the title of the blog could easily lead one to believe that the content of the writing should be avian-based. With that in mind, we watched a female Sparrowhawk materialise, cruise towards some Swallows, then thought better of it. Why can't I find a Wryneck? Yes, there was that one time on Fair Isle, but that is cheating, right?

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Everything is about edge

Hardley, where it is often confusing to define where the garden ends and the marsh begins. Tumble-down houses and rickety shacks, away from any bus route and Team Sky sorts wrapped in lycra, this is a village that by choice is cut off. The secret is out, and pre-storm Ciara as many as 10 large lenses littered the river bank firing at will. Their target- Winter ghosts. First, the classic Scooby-Doo type, as a Barn Owl responds to an ill-advised squeak in the grass and heads towards the onlookers. Another quickly joins the hunt, their formation a picture of double-edged stealth. But these year-round residents are not the key objective today, that honour is given to the Short-eared Owl. 3/4 of these can be seen from the staithe at the minute, floating like giant moths over the tussocks and edges.  In a recent article in The New Yorker, Jake Fiennes states "Everything is about edge". Hedges, ditches, scrub, forgotten tracts of land that link nothing and no-one. Fiennes, now ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Grey Phalarope- a new patch bird

The 7th of April was another bitterly cold Spring day, hats and gloves in prime position on pegs and in bags ready to be deployed. A few brave Garganey have been reported north of the river, but it was a bird from the north itself that had me rushing for the thermals and the telescope late in the day.  I was thankful for the local Whatsapp group who were quick to report that a Grey Phalarope had been seen on Rockland Broad. This tiny Wader would have come in on the northerlies over the last few days, although to grace one of the broads is a real surprise, since most stick pretty close to the coast before moving on. Indeed, my experience of the birds has usually been on a sea watch in the Autumn, waves crashing and foam flying, my eyes straining to pick them out as they fly low just above the surf. They are fantastic birds, and now one was here on the patch. I had a brief panic when I realised my scope was in my car at the garage (thankfully I do have a much older spare) but once th...
Post a Comment
Read more

Wood's End and Surlingham, 13/03/11

Decided it was time to search for a Lesser Pecker within and around the patch, ideal habitat alongside the Yare and plenty of deadwood. I should say now that the search was fruitless, but did throw up some good habo and a few decent birds for the area. Wood's End had a large flock of Siskin in a small conifer plantation, and a Nuthatch called from within. A Common Buzzard called overhead, and was seen again from the pub- I will keep an eye on this a potential breeding site. Great Spotted Pecker showed well, and my second Brimstone Butterfly in 2 days passed through- stealing a march, or so I thought! My first was seen from the staffroom yesterday, not all bad on the Western Front then. Surlingham was looking pristine in the sunshine, and approaching the lagoon I could hear Lapwing- usually across river at Wood's End- and then a familiar call which I almost ignored, but then realised where I was.....Redshank! Never actually saw it, but still a new bird for the patch. A pair of S...
3 comments
Read more