I emptied my moth trap shortly after dawn and was disappointed to find just a single Hebrew Character inside and a Beautiful Plume on the nearby fence. The NOA trap had about 8 of the former, plus a Small Quaker, 2 Red Chestnuts and a fine-looking Grey Shoulkder-knot. Moths were in evidence during the day, with seething masses of Browntail caterpillars newly active in their webs on the sea buckthorn and a small group of displaying Early Longhorns above the Sallows in the dunes. There was much birdsong today and amongst the usual species were Greenshank, Cetti's Warbler (at least 4), double-figures of Chiffchaffs, a fine male Bullfinch in the paddocks, 17 Brent Geese still on Lavender Marsh, several Siskins and Redpolls overhead, but unseen in the light mist and best of all, a superb Short-eared Owl which landed near me in the dunes. A male Blackcap in Holme Marsh is the first I've seen all year (and all winter come to that) so may well be newly-arrived. Plants newly in flower included Storksbill, Blackthorn and Hawthorn. The damp coast path held an large black
Arion ater slug as well as a fine
Helix aspersa snail. Seaweed highlight of the day was some Bladder Wrack
Fucus vesiculosus on the strandline. In my garden and in Holme Marsh were hordes of a
Scathphaga stercoraria, a medium-sized ginger fly amongst which I found the hoverfly
Eristalis pertinax (also seen in the dunes), another hover I've yet to identify, a smart black and grey Cranefly
Tipula lateralis, several wasps and my first Dark-edged Bee-fly of the year in my garden. Queen Buff-tailed Bumblebees thronged the Sallow flowers whilst a Red-tailed Queens were evident as they explored the dead grass in the meadows. A lone Common Carder Bee
Bombus pascuorum was on Alexanders on Holme Marsh. Butterflies were thin on the ground, with 3 Small Tortoiseshells and 2 Peacock all that was seen during the day. Maybe more tomorrow.......
Snowflake, entrance track Holme NWT, 29th March 2014
Storksbill, Holme NWT, 29th March 2014
Spring Beauty, Holme NWT, 29th March 2014
Arion ater, Holme NWT, 29th March 2014
Browntail moth caterpillars on Sea Buckthorn, Holme NWT, 29th March 2014
Helix aspersa, Holme NWT, 29th March 2014
Bladder Wrack,
Fucus vesiculosus, Holme NWT, 29th March 2014
Sallow flower, Holme NWT, 29th March 2014
Picture-winged Fly,
Chaetostoma curvinerve, Holme NWT, 29th March 2014
Red Chestnut, Holme NOA, 29th March 2014
Small Quaker, Holme NOA, 29th March 2014
Grey Shoulder-knot, Holme NOA, 29th March 2014
Dark-edged Bee-fly, Hunstanton, 29th March 2014
Scathphaga stercoraria, Holme Marsh, 29th March 2014
Tipula lateralis, Holme Marsh 29th March 2014
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