Norfolk visit 30th July

A visit to North Norfolk yesterday gave up 80 species of birds. Terrible weather throughout the morning (thunder and lightning overhead and torrential rain) meant I was drenched on more than one occasion. Starting at Cley reserve I was lucky to catch a glimpse of a summer plumaged curlew sandpiper as well as common and green sandpiper along with expected waders. Gannets fed out to sea as sandwich terns headed out on fishing missions. Upon leaving here the total species recorded was 56. Along to Stiffkey marshes, where it poured. I added several more regular woodland sp as well as little egret before leaving for a long stop at Titchwell. Here eiders, spotted redshanks, whimbrel (a distant photo of this small curlew above) and more sandpipers took the list to 78, with great spotted woodpecker and jay being seen on the drive home. Other birds of note for the day were 13 westerly manx shearwaters seen from Titchwell beach, plenty of reed and sedge warblers and numerous avocets. A super day, where the photography was hampered by the severe conditions, with more shots of clouds than birds. The weather limited butterfly sightings and no dragonflies were recorded. Shown here, another painted lady and a common blue.

Tescos to home 27th July

A walk in rather damp underfoot conditions gave views of all the resdent birds without offering anything unusual. A kestrel performed well overhead as an immature wren posed for the camera. The recently recorded little egret was again at Hadham Hall lake, as were 5 mallards, numerous swallows, swifts and house martins as well as the resident grey heron. However, the highlight was managing to get some pleasing photos of insects, especially of a southern hawker dragonfly which was intent on staying put whilst I managed some good close up shots. Also shown here are a bright, newly emerged peacock butterfly as well as a comma, feeding on the local knapweed. Note, too the tiny black pollen beetles feeding on the plant. Also worthy of note was my first recording of a common darter dragonfly for 2009.

The southern hawker dragonfly can be identified to species when observed closely. On the second segment of the abdomen, below the thorax that has the wing attachments, you can see a yellow triangle. This is diagnostic of southern hawker, whereas the similar migrant hawker has a golf tee shape here.

Bury Green, Green Street and Hadham Ford 24th July

A wander to the east of the parish this morning gave up 21 species of birds, with highlights being a male bullfinch on Brick Kiln Hill and several chiffchaffs calling in Millennium Wood. The butterflies were again very evident with all usual suspects being recorded, 11 species in all. However, an orchid type plant was the highlight, as yet unidentified. Both the flower and leaf are shown here and I shall await confirmation of the exact species.
Other photos attached show a small skipper butterfly (above) and a good shot of a ringlet (below) feeding on knapweed. Finally, the berries of a plant known as lords and ladies.

Plant now identified as Betony: a good local find with only small colonies known locally (Harlow and Hertford Heath) I have forwarded details to the county plant recorder.

Tescos to Hadham Hall and on to Little Hadham

A super walk this morning, beginning in the parish at 9.30am. Exciting news was that I recorded 2 new bird species for the parish, even more amazingly that they both were in the same binocular view at the same time. Firstly, I mounted the slope to the man made lake east of Hadham Hall and immediately registered a little egret. As I peered through nmy binoculars a tufted duck (female or 1st year bird) swam into view. Other birds of note were grey heron, common buzzard and several linnets in the rape field. 2 broods of moorhen from the same parents were photographed at Hadham Hall. The larger brown birds being 2 - 3 months old whilst the smaller black ones are probably 2 - 3 days old.

Mainly however, it was a morning of dragonflies, damselflies and butterflies. All the usual buttereflies were recorded, some in large numbers, many shown here. The peacock butterflies looked to have recently emerged, as the phtos of both upper and underwings show bright colours, especially the black underwings as depicted here.Click to enlarge and run the cursor over the snap to see the species name. Another first for 2009 was a common darter dragonfly, along with 2 black tailed skimmers (female) and 1 emperor dragonfly. Both azure and common blue damsels were observed near the lake and in adjacent hedgerows. A new moth for the parish was found in hedgerow, namely a black and white species known as clouded border. A very distinct moth that is shown above.

Nature walk and picnic 18th July

7 adults and 3 children met at 10.30 at the village hall car park for a walk to Millennium Wood and a wander down Hoecroft Lane. A picnic was taken in the wood, where butterflies and insects were observed and identified. In all, 10 species of butterfly were discovered, with highlights being a splendid painted lady (shown above) on Brick Kiln Hill, a red admiral in Acremore Street and several speckled woods in Millennium Wood. Also seen were: meadow brown, gatekeeper, small and large white, green veined white, comma, and small skipper.
An oederma nobilis beetle was found feeding on pollen, as were thousands of pollen beetles. A hoverfly of the order xanthogramma pedissequum was found near the polo fields, a new species for the parish, whereas a common hoverfly, episyrphus balteatus (shown above) were seen abundantly.
A kestrel was seen over Brick Kiln Hill and a sparrow hawk was observed chasing a mistle thrush. Yellowhammers and goldfinches called and a chiffchaff sang in Millennium Wood.

Chapel Lane wander 14th July

An evening wander along Chapel Lane gave up 27 species of birds, with a family of long tailed tits observed near Westland Green. Pied wagtails were seen near the golf course and skylarks were heard in open fields west of the Ford.
Butterflies were seen on all plants, especially the flowering brambles found in the Chapel Lane verges. All the expected species were found, with a 6 spot burnet moth witnessed on the Green at Westland Green. In all, meadow brown (100’s), small white (20+), gatekeeper (20+), ringlet (5), large white (10), comma (3), small skipper (40+), essex skipper (6)
Click on the photo to enlarge and then run the cursor over to see the photo title giving the species.
Also of note: 2 red admirals and 1 marbled white were found near Bury Green on a walk back home from Tescos on the 9th and a new bird for my garden; a nuthatch, was watched in the apple tree on the 13th. I also received a report of a hummingbird hawkmoth in a garden in Ford Hill.

To Standon and back: 05.07.09

A long lunchtime walk offered the opportunity to use new paths within the parish boundary, before entering Standon parish and enjoying a pint at the Star in the High Street.
At Westland Green a new butterfly for my records was seen briefly: a purple hairstreak. This small and high flying creature is found around established oaks. One was witnessed near the road adjacent to the Green, where also, some 6 spot burnet moths were also recorded. These were the first for the year. The brambles along the verges of Chapel Lane were full of all the common species of butterfly, many shown here. Today's photos show: the br

ight black and red burnet moth, the underwing and upperwing of a gatekeeper (note the two white dots in the "eye spot" and a ringlet. Latter takes its name from the small rings on the hindwing.

05.07.09: Behind Hadham Hall and 1 new butterfly for 2009

Due to the increasingly hot weather, I thought a morning walk to the ponds behind and around Hadham Hall would be good for butterflies and dragonflies. However, it turned into a reasonable birding session. To start with a turtle dove was heard purring near the war memorial in the village before common buzzard was seen soaring over the hall. A whitethroat called from the undergrowth near a pond and plenty of martins and swallows were using the largest lake for drinking. An autumnal sight was a party of 50+ linnets perched on the wires east of the Hall. A little early for such a large group but perhaps they’d finished their first brood having enjoyed nesting in and near the rape.
As I arrived at the largest sand of water an emperor dragonfly was hawking over the water, shown here and numerous common blue, azure and blue tailed damselflies were evident. The latter being a new species for the parish records No sign of last week’s black tailed skimmers.
New butterfly for the year was noted in the shape of a gatekeeper along with all usual specimens as noted in the previous report.
Other interesting insects observed around the large lake were oedemera nobilis, a bright green beetle with swollen hind legs (male only) as shown here. Also a grasshopper, thought to be a field grasshopper, but in the process of being properly identified by an expert. Many soldier beetles were also seen, mostly feeding on pollen of the cow and hedge parsley

As I left an unusual sight were 3 green woodpeckers on one telegraph pole, shown here in rather poor light. other photos show the grasshopper, an immature azure damselfly, the oederma nobilis and the emperor dragonfly in flight.

Butterfly walk along the Ash Valley 01.07.09

A first walk of the month on a hot July evening. In all 24 species of birds were observed and, without anything being outstanding my attention turned to the numerous butterflies to be found on the wild majoram that is now flowering along the River Ash south of the Ford.
A total of 12 species were seen, including numerous meadow browns (shown here), along with ringlets, green veined whites, large and small whites, commas, small tortoiseshell, small skipper, essex skipper, large skipper, painted lady and peacock.. All these were within an hour between 5.30pm and 6.30pm. Certainly shaping up to be a good butterfly yea.
Of the birds, the highlights were a solitary herring gull returning to winter quarters, several skylarks and yellowhammers as well as numerous swallows and swifts overhead. Photos attached show a small tortoiseshell, green veined white

, essex skipper (here) and a large skipper (top photo) as well as the meadow brown. Latter identifiable by the "eye" and 2 small black dots.