NFG 07/03/2025

I suppose I should make an effort to update the garden moth list page on here sometime. Another NFG last night which (I think) brings it up to 766 species - not to shabby for a small suburban garden with no decent habitat close by, but a long time in the making.

Acleris literana last night was one I hoped would pop up, seems to have been scarcer in VC55 away from decent woodland than eg A. cristana and A. hastiana up until the last few years, but seems to be spreading well now like A. kochiella and A. logiana.

Acleris literana

The only other highlight as such was a NFY Twin-spotted Quaker, not annual here though a fair run of records 2018 - 2022.

Twin-spotted Quaker

Here's a cracking track from Fat Dog, you're welcome.

From the garden trap : 06/03/2025

I expected the garden trap to be a bit busier than it was, with decent min. temps after a few warm days. But the stiff breeze that came with dusk probably affected it. 25 of 6sp. with nothing exciting.

Acleris cristana

Small Quaker

Common Quaker

Whilst I'm at it, here's a few odd moths from the garden earlier in the year ....

Clouded Drab (24/02/2025)

Hebrew Character (24/02/2025)

Dotted Border (01/02/2025)

Early Moth (18/01/2025)

Here's a properly great track from The Shamen back in 1987, before more crappy stuff they did [ie Ebeneezer Goode].

Bradgate Park, 05/03/2025

We enjoyed a couple of sunny hours this afternoon at Bradgate Park. Ostensibly it was to get our granddaughter Ellie out for some sun and fresh air walking along, but I took along a MOL pheromone lure and the TG-6, because it would be mad not too. With so many ancient oaks, and a fourth consecutive day of sunshine, I fully expected a result with the lure and I was not wrong ....

Pammene giganteana, to MOL lure

What I wasn't expecting though was Tortricodes alternella also apparently coming to the lure. I was just exposing the lure in an open pot for ease, and at the first spot I had x2 fluttering about the trunk close to the pot. I could not exclude the possibility that I'd disturbed them whilst milling about the trunk. But at a second spot, another came to the pot but I watched this one fly in from some distance. So genuinely attracted to the lure, or just coincidentally day-flying.

Tortricodes alternella, to MOL lure?

I also found a fair few Luffia lapidella f. ferchaultella with the deep crevices of gnarly oaks, easier to find than get good photographs of. All on the shadier side of the trunks.

Luffia lapidella f. ferchaultella

Titchwell, 03/03/2025

Snaps from Titchwell on Monday 03/03/2025. This was a very regular site to visit on my annual birding calendar c30 years ago, and still feels like a special place despite the often big numbers of visitors. Even on Monday it was busy enough, and hide etiquette seems to have gone to shit with people babbling loudly about nothing to do with birds on view, no one asking for help or pointing anything out [despite clearly needing help!], and one couple loudly ferreting around to sort out their lunch in that they seemed to think was their private dining room.

Hunstanton, 02/03/2025

A few snaps from the chalk cliff end of the beach at Old Hunstanton on Sunday 02/03/2025.

North Norfolk Birds

Can barely remember how to post on here, having made zero effort to do so in over a year. I have been more active on my Bluesky account (@whetstoneskev.bsky.social) and have completely ditched my Twitter/X account. I should endeavour to post stuff on here for posterity too, though no idea if anyone really uses blogger so much these days.

Anyway, been getting some respite from yet more chemo with a trip to the sunny North Norfolk coast over the last couple of days, enjoying the sea air and watching some birds. We went to Hunstanton and Snettisham yesterday, and Titchwell today. I managed to point the camera at a few cracking birds, though numerous others were either too distant, too aerial or both. That includes many Marsh Harriers, and stunning swirling flocks of Knot. A partially hidden Tawny Owl was too shaded. I have a load of scenic shots on my phone that I haven't got time to sort now, but here's a selection of the better bird shots.

Gadwall, Titchwell 03/03/2025

Teal, Titchwell 03/03/2025

Pintail, Titchwell 03/03/2025

Bearded Tit, Titchwell 03/03/2025

Brent Goose, Titchwell 03/03/2025

Brent Goose, Titchwell 03/03/2025

Fulmar, Hunstanton 02/03/2025

Fulmar, Hunstanton 02/03/2025

And here's a selection of 'record shots' ....

Mediterranean Gull, Titchwell 03/03/2025

Curlew, Titchwell 03/03/2025

Sanderling, Titchwell 03/03/2025

Grey Plover, Titchwell 03/03/2025

Golden Plover, Titchwell 03/03/2025

Also saw more Muntjac in the two days than I think I've seen in my entirely life previously. Loads of them openly feeding on the roadside between Snettisham and Sandringham, and a couple feeding close to the main patch at Titchwell.

Muntjac, Titchwell 03/03/2025