Monday, 31 March 2014

Extra plants at Holme

I didn't find the Rue-leaved Saxifrage or the Spring Vetch which Chris and Andy found (great photos, and of the longhorn moth) but did find Field Woodrush Luzula campestris in flower in the dunes (very small plants). I also found a few fertile spikes of Field Horsetail Equisetum arvense near The Firs.
On the way home I spotted Bulbous Buttercup and Charlock by the side of the road just out of our patch, south of the windmill on Holme Road, Ringstead.
Many of the road verges at present are smothered with very vigorous plants of Alexanders; hopefully this won't stop other species appearing later in the year.

Other Monday bits and pieces......

Further to Chris' post, I had 2 adult Mediterranean Gulls south over my garden early this morning and my moth trap held 4 Hebrew Characters, 6 Early Greys, a Chesnut, A Clouded Drab, 2 Coomon Quaker, 5 Small Quaker, 2 Common Plumes, 2 Common Flat body and the very minuscule Golden Lance-wing.

Chestnut, Hunstanton, 31st March 2014

Golden Lance-wing, Hunstanton, 31st March 2014

Bugs, Blackcap & other beauties!

After the Cliffs session had breakfast and then met up with Andy and went through some moths. My trap had around 20 moths, 6 Common Quaker, 1 Small Quaker, 1 Chestnut, 6 Hebrew Character, 4 Clouded Drab and the highlight 2 Early Thorn.

We then walked through the dunes and up to the Sallow in the plantation where I was able to watch around a dozen of the newly found Early Long-horned Moths, dancing around the tops and occasionally coming to rest.

We then spent a bit of time looking at plants, well actually Andy spent a bit of time pointing them out to me! My favourite was definitely the Rue-leaved Saxifrage, when we eventually found it a tiny plant but apparently a killer!! "The stem-leaves are covered, like many other xerophytes, with absorbent, stalked, sticky glands, which capture insects." The Spring vetch was also very pretty.

Bird wise it was pretty quiet, 23 Golden Plover in summer plumage flew over and at least 3 Black-tailed Godwit were on the NWT pools. A Blackcap was being ringed up at the NOA by Gary Elton and was my first of the year, also numerous Chiff-chaff around now.

Clouded Drab

Early Longhorn moth

Early Thorn

Rue-leaved Saxifrage

Spring Vetch