Three more early-season moths

 Dotted Border, Holme NOA, 21st March 2015

March Moth, Holme NOA, 21st March 2015

Oak Beauty, Holme NOA, 21st March 2015

Three early-season moths

Grey Shoulder-knot, Holme NOA, 15th March 2015

Mottled Grey, Holme NOA, 15th March 2015

Common Quaker, Holme NOA, 17th March 2015

The first lacewing of the year

Chrysoperla carnea, Holme NOA, 16th March 2015 - apparently the only British species to hibernate through the winter

Congratulations!!!

If you're reading this you've survived the end of the world, again!

As well as the eclipse birding this morning turned up two Slavonian Grebes, 3 Greenshanks, Red Kite, male Hen Harrier and three Tundra Bean Geese.

A view of the March 2015 eclipse from Hunstanton.........

The first spring migrant arrives on the patch....

...a Wheatear this morning by the Lighthouse !

A butterfly, a fly and two bees!

While working in the Community Orchard in Hunstanton this morning I spotted my first butterfly of the year, a Small Tortoiseshell.  It was busy feeding on the early flowers of the White Comfrey plants.  This sighting, together with the beautiful sunny weather, prompted me to go and walk my butterfly transect at Ringstead Downs for the first time this year.  Unfortunately I didn't see any butterflies there, although there were a few flies and bees around the floriferous Gorse.  Sweet Violets were flowering well and a few flowers were beginning to appear on the Ground-ivy plants.  Later, back home and doing a bit of gardening, a Tree Bumblebee was busy in the crocus flowers and a Honey Bee was also busy at work.  I disturbed some Black Garden Ants and also, while repairing a water butt, found some Netted Slugs which proceeded to cover my hand with copious clear mucus!

Small Tortoiseshell on White Comfrey (Hunstanton Community Orchard)

Greenbottle Lucilla Caesar on Daisy (Hunstanton Community Orchard)

Tree Bumblebee Bombus hypnorum on Crocus (Hunstanton)

Honey Bee Apis mellifera on Ipheion uniflorum (Hunstanton)

Pale Pinion opens the new nothing year in style

The first moth in the NOAs moth traps this year was a Pale Pinion.......

Dicyphus pallicornis - a new myrid plant bug for the patch

Dicyphus pallicornis on Foxglove, Hunstanton 10th March 2015

Tundra Bean Geese