Dotted Chestnut - new for the patch

Dotted Chestnut, Holme NOA, March 29th 2018

Off Patch: 3 smart beetles from Swanton Novers Great Wood, 26th March 2018

Black-spotted Longhorn Rhagium mordax, Swanton Novers, 26th March 2018

Abax parallelepipedus, Swanton Novers, 26th March 2018

 Barynotus moerens, Swanton Novers, 26th March 2018

Red Sword-grass - the first since 2007

Red Sword-grass, Holme NOA, 25th March 2018 - the third for Holme but only the fifth record for VC28 (west Norfolk) since at least 1960.

Two new species for the blog

   These two lichens (on hawthorn) were confirmed by Peter Lambley. The sooty black apothicia of  Lecidella elaeochroma can be commonly found on smooth barked species like hawthorn and especially ash. The white creamy coloured fruiting-bodies above belong to Lecanora chlarotera, both are commonly found nowadays (per PL). There is also some out of focus Xanthoria parietina. 

and another snowy owl image

 

The bird of the year so far, what a difference a day makes. Half a mile away yesterday, 30m away this evening!

Snowy Owl - new for the patch

Snowy Owl, Thornham Beach, 10th March 2018

And some better shots, taken off-patch at Snettisham, 11th March 2018

Four dead fish

Ballan Wrasse, Labrus bergylta, Hunstanton, 3rd March 2018

Long-spined Sea-scorpion, Taurulus bubalis, Hunstanton, 4th March 2018

Lesse Weaver, Echiichthys vipera, Hunstanton, 4th March 2018

Plaice, Pleuronectes platessa, Hunstanton, 4th March 2018

Also stranded were several Dragonets Callionymus lyra and huge numbers of Dab Limanda limanda and Flounder Platichthys flesus.

Two new marine invertebrates for the patch

Painted Topshell, Calliostoma zizyphinum, Holme, 4th March 2018

Sea Cucumber Thyone fusus, Holme, 4th April 2018

Strand-line carnage

The patch strand-line has been a scene of carnage since the cold of last week and the storms of Friday 2nd March, with hundreds of thousands of large invertebrates and, presumably, many more smaller species washed ashore. Many were alive, but most were dead. Prominent amongst them were starfish and decapod crustaceans and we found three species of the former and twelve of the latter.

The beach from Old Hunstanton towards the cliffs, 3rd March 2018

Common Starfish, Asteria rubens, Holme, 3rd March 2018

Common Sun star, Crossaster papposus, Holme, 3rd March 2018

Serpent Brittle-star, Ophiura ophiura, Holme, 3rd March 2018

Underside

Upperside

Velvet Swimming-crab, Necora puber, Holme, 3rd March 2018

Harbour Crab, Liocarcinus depurator, Holme, 4th March 2018

Hairy Crab, Pilumnus hirtellus, Holme, 4th March 2018

Edible Crab, Cancer pagurus, Holme 4th March 2018

Pennant's Swimming-crab, Portumnus latipes, Holme, 5th March 2018

Masked Crab, Corystes cassivelaunus, Holme, 5th March 2018

Long-legged Spider Crab, Macropodia rostrata, Holme, 4th March 2018

Great Spider Crab, Hyas araneus, Holme, 4th March 2018

Lobster, Homarus gammarus, Holme, 4th March 2018

Squat Lobster, Galathea squamifera, Holme, 4th March 2018

Hermit Crab Pagurus bernhardus, Hunstanton, 3rd March 2018

Lobster

It's not just animals on land struggling with the recent weather conditions but ones offshore too.  Over the past few days a mass of sealife has washed ashore in the northwest of the county.  Today Andy and myself searched the beach from The Firs to Thornham Channel and were rewarded with five species of crab, three species of starfish, two species of spider-crab, Lobster and several Squat Lobsters with more yet to identify!

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Common Lobster (Homarus gammarus)