A sunny day out in mid-Suffolk, 8 April 2017

I started today checking my moth trap which I'd out out for the first time this year. There were 6 species in the trap and because I don't usually trap this early 4 of them were new for the garden list. Early Grey, Muslin Moth, March Moth, Common Quaker, Hebrew Character and Herald was the whole list on a cold clear night.

Herald

Early Grey

Muslin Moth

We then ventured out into deepest Suffolk stopping at the SWT site of Mickfield Meadow near Debenham where there was a superb display of Snakeshead Fritillaries which are now restricted to just 4 sites in the county.

Snakeshead Fritillaries

Then we decided to twitch the White Stork which has been at Sackers Green just SE of Sudbury for a few days. Luckily I saw it in flight twice (the 2nd time right over the car) within the first 10 minutes because it then went missing and I left and hour and a quarter later without seeing it again. It's unringed and apparantly wary but is in serious wing moult making it look a real mess in flight! Also there were 2 Common Buzzards. We then spent the rest of the day at Hintlesham exploring some of Belinda's childhood haunts with nothing much to report apart from a 'False Oxlip' (Primrose x Cowslip hybrid) beside the track near Ramsey Wood. Other than that it was the same birds and butterflies that have been around a while now.

   White Stork

'False Oxlip'