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.

Dead Fish of the Day

Dogfish, Holme NWT, 3rd April 2016

Iceland Gull eating Sunfish

First time the two have ever been photographed together?!?

North meets South: Iceland Gull and Ocean Sunfish

A lunchtime stroll today produced the goods at Holme. First I flushed an Iceland Gull from high on the shore at Gore Point - my first here in many, many years and then, on going to check whether there was anything of interest near where the gull had been standing, I found a dead Ocean Sunfish - long dead, in tatters and rather smelly. Its rather worrying that at least two Sunfish should be so far north in our waters and more worrying still that they died. Interestingly, there cant be many occasions when a bird from the far north gets to feed on something from the far south. I hope Robert can post better pictures than I.

Iceland (and Great Black-backed) Gull, Gore Point, 17th December 2015

Ocean Sunfish, Gore Point, 17th December 2015

Starry Smooth Hound: the dead fish star of 2015 (so far)

Starry Smooth Hound Mustelus asterias, Holme NWT, 16th May 2015

Floundering about.......

Flounder Platichthys flesus, River Hun, 3rd May 2015



....trying to hide itself in mud

Monday 23rd March

Today's highlights included a patch 'first' (for several of us) in the form of a Nine-spined Stickleback Pungitius pungitius as well as another Polychaete Hediste diversicolor from the mussel scalps at Hunstanton and several still-to-be identified millipedes, woodlice and beetles, mainly form the base of Hunstanton Cliffs.

Nine-spined Stickleback Pungitius pungitius, Holme NWT, 23rd March 2015

As yet to be identified millipede, Hunstanton Cliffs, 23rd March 2015

Blonde Ray egg case on Hunstanton Beach

Blonde Ray (Raja brachyura) egg case, Old Hunstanton, 21st March 2015

This egg case is much larger than the far more abundant Spotted and Thornback ray cases - including the 'handles' it spans a hand.

Pretty Polly !

The Hunstanton and Holme shore today was littered with razor shells, dead crabs and vast amounts of hornwrack following the strong onshore winds of the weekend. Unsuprisingly, it was frequented by a large number of gulls, including an adult Mediterranean Gull wearing a lime green darvic. Amongst the flotsam and jetsam were hundreds of conical sand tubes, made by the Polychaete Pectinaria koreni. 

Tubes of Pectinaria koreni, Holme NWT, 2nd February 2015

Tubes of Pectinaria koreni, Holme NWT, 2nd February 2015

This photograph shows a live Pectinaria koreni, taken on the shore at Hunstanton on 6th April 2012

A productive weekend...considering the relentless wind

After a late start on Saturday, I spent some time watching the grazing marshes from various vantages but saw rather little other than a lone male Marsh Harrier, quartering the marshes. I hadn't been in the hide long at all in the early afternoon though when a Bittern flew slowly across the pond at Holme Marsh and was to be seen briefly foraging at the edge of the reed island. On Sunday, the 20 or so Snow Buntings on the beach at Holme looked fine indeed, whilst a superb Stoat on the north-facing slopes of Ringstead Downs was in its winter ermine, save for a black tail tip, brown ears and a pale brown smudge over its back. It was visiting the numerous rabbit burrows, no doubt in search of a tasty morsel. Two Tundra Bean Geese were with a flock of about 300 Pink-footed Geese in the field opposite the water tower at the south end of Hunstanton. Spring was just about in evidence with the first Winter Aconites of the year opening in Holme Village and a small number of Snowdrops in flower in Ringstead Downs. There was also an open Hazel catkin here with abundant Lords and Ladies pushing up through the leaf litter. Several Alexanders were in flower on the verge between Hunstanton Old and New Towns. The undoubted highlight though was an egg case of the Lesser Spotted Dogfish. Ive found them before but they are unusual !

Winter Aconite, Holme, 10th January 2015

Hazel, Ringstead Downs, 11th January 2015

Fungus (to be identified), Ringstead Downs, 11th January 2015

Egg-case of Lesser Spotted Dogfish, Holme, 11th January 2015

More beasts.......

Long-legged Spider Crab, Macropodia rostrata, Holme NWT, 3rd November 2014

Whiting, patiently humouring Robert 'Captain Birdseye' Smith

Herring, Holme NWT, 3rd November 2014

Beasts of the salty depths

Greater Pipefish, Holme NWT, 3rd November 2014

Whiting, Holme NWT, 3rd November 2014

Turbot, Holme NWT, 3rd November 2014

Psammechinus miliaris, Holme NWT, 3rd November 2014

Sea-dipping session number 2

A superb sea-dipping session over the turn of the spring tide today produced some great finds as well as thousands of Brown Shrimps........

Brown Shrimp, Crangon vulgaris, Holme NWT, 8th September 2014

Herring, Holme NWT, 8th September 2014

Idotea linearis, Holme NWT, 8th September 2014

Lesser Pipefish, Holme NWT, 8th September 2014

Lesser Pipefish, Holme NWT, 8th September 2014

Dover Sole, Holme NWT, 8th September 2014

Brill, Holme NWT, 8th September 2014

Spider Crab, Holme NWT, 8th September 2014



Little Cuttlefish, Sepiola atlantica,  Holme NWT, 8th September 2014

Chameleon Shrimp, Praunus flexuosus, Holme NWT, 8th September 2014

Friday 30th May

A superb sunny day. Plants new in flower today included Common Sea Lavender, Water Figwort, (Fragrant or Large-flowered) Evening Primrose, Hemlock, Scented Mayweed, Foxglove, Tufted Forget-me-not and, for me, Spurge Laurel and Common Mallow. Butterflies were numerous with Common Blue, Holly Blue, Brown Argus, Small Copper, Small Heath, Speckled Wood, Small White, Green-veined White, Peacock, Red Admiral, Small Tortoisehell, Wall, Green Hairstreak and the first Large Skipper on the wing, as well as Blue-tailed and Azure Damselflies and Four-spotted Chaser. Migration was little in evidence with fly-over Tree Pipit and Yellow Wagtail and a Greenshank on Lavender Marsh. I found a Common Groundhopper associating with more numerous Slender Groundhoppers and myriads of assorted grassshopper nymphs in the forestry, where a string of fresh Natterjack spawn was neatly woven around the stems of waterweeds in one of the scrapes. A huge eel was lurking in the river below the Hun bridge, alongside numerous Three-spined Sticklebacks. Moth highlights included Saltmarsh Plume, Large Yellow Underwing and 5 Small Elephant Hawkmoths in the NOA traps, 60 Diamondbacks (migranta), Pebble Prominent, White Point, Cabbage, Small Sqaure Spot and Campion in my Hunstanton garden ttrap and at least 3 Yellow-banded Longhorns Nemophora degeerella and several Cinnabars in Ringstead Downs. Also in the Downs were several Volucella bombylans hoverflies, all of the red-tailed morph and several patches of the liverwort Marchantia polymorpha at the foot of the east end quarry face.

White Point, Hunstanton, 30th May 2014

Wasp Beetle, Holme NWT, 30th May 2014

Natterjack Toad spawn, Holme NWT, 30th May 2014

Downlooker Snipefly, Holme NWT, 30th May 2014

Saltmarsh Plume, Holme NOA, 30th May 2014

Small Heath, Holme NWT, 30th May 2014

Yellow-banded Longhorn, Ringstead Downs, 30th May 2014

Volucella bombylans , Ringstead Downs, 30th May 2014

Cinnabar, Ringstead Downs, 30th May 2014

Water Figwort, Ringstead Downs, 30th May 2014

Common Liverwort Marchantia polymorpha, Ringstead Downs, 30th May 2014

Foxglove, Ringstead Downs, 30th May 2014