Chris Lansdell's Birding & Nature Diary: August 2025

Kessingland Barred Warbler and a rare plant, 27 August 2025

After dropping Belinda off at Africa Alive for a day with the grandchildren I had a few hours to myself. In preparation I had done some homework on a rare plant I wanted to see at Southwold. Found there in 1994 Hogs Fennel is a rare plant with populations around the Thames Estuary in Essex and Kent. Simon Harrap’s new edition of his wildflower book makes mention of it in Southwold and luckily Lee Gregory was able to help me with a more precise location (cheers mate!). I was delighted to find it still present after more than 30 years - and a couple of plants were close enough to photograph which was a bonus.

Then it was back to Kessingland where I hoped to give the Barred Warbler near the sluice a bit of time. It certainly needed that time too as it was after much searching with the Fergusons that it eventually showed nicely after we’d all thought it must have departed. The searching also revealed 2 Lesser Whitethroats, c4 Common Whitethroats, 2 Sandwich Terns, several Stonechats, 1 Reed Bunting and c25 Greenfinches. The latter being the largest group I’ve seen for many a long year.

Dersingham Bog and Tydd Gote, 21 August 2025

During a 3 night motorhome trip ‘out west’ we did a long walk at Dersingham Bog on the 21st. The site was a wash of purple heather and also produced a few goodies. I was very surprised to see 2 Goshawks circling over the south end of the bog near the start of our walk before drifting off south. Stonechats were everywhere proving what a good year they seem to have had. Reaching the boggy pond area I found 2 Black Darters at, to my knowledge, the only Norfolk site for the species. The female hung about for a photo or two but the male was off! Also around the bog a single Crossbill flew over calling and Sphagnum Greyling fungus was found, funnily enough in sphagnum moss. That was a new fungi for me with only 7 previous county records.

Later that day as we headed over the border into Lincolnshire we popped in to Tydd Gote where I quickly found 3 Autumn Ladies Tresses plants. There may have been more but I didn’t hang around as I’d jumped a gate to get it that clearly said ‘private keep out’ on it!

Black Darter

Sphagnum Greyling

Autumn Ladies Tresses

A Twitchy Weekend! 16 & 17 August 2025

For some while I have been wanting to see the long-staying juvenile Black Stork at Boyton on the Suffolk coast. Last Saturday was when I finally dragged myself down there to take a look. The bird to’s and fro’s between a ditch by the sea wall and a small lake near Boyton Hall Farm. When we visited it was on the lake. After some to-ing and fro-ing of our own as access wasn’t obvious we eventually found the spot and the bird showing at very close quarters on a narrow arm of the lake. I filled my boots photographically this being only my second ever in the UK. Both have been in Suffolk. Almost at our feet was a Wasp Spider and a Wall Brown was seen while we were phaffing about looking for access.

After a walk at nearby Shingle Street Belinda agreed to a drive up to Aldeburgh for some more birding. The town itself was a nightmare due to the annual carnival but luckily we managed to park near where we stay in our motorhome at Slaughden and I hiked out to Town Marshes along the sea wall. There I eventually found the 4 Ruddy Shelduck but they were pretty rubbish being asleep and distant in the heat haze. A Wood Sandpiper, 2 Greenshank, 6 Snipe and many Black-tailed Godwits were rather more obliging.

Fast forward to Sunday and it was ‘twitch-on’ again. This time for a Greenish Warbler found the previous day at Ness Point, Lowestoft. Initially in buddleia in a fenced compound it went missing for a while before I re-found it in tamerisks near where it was originally found. With some patience it showed nicely a few times and I even managed a few shots through an annoying fence!

Another rare fungi find! 15 August 2025

The walk along the ancient byway of Cowpasture Lane from Mellis to Thornham Walks is one of our favourites. The area is famous for its connections with Roger Deakin the author, documentary-maker and environmentalist.

Our walk on a hot Friday wasn’t quite as shaded as we’d hoped but much better when we reached the woods at Thornham Walks and indulged in an ice cream at the cafe! On the walk back through the woods my attention was drawn to a tightly clustered group of distinctive agarics by the path so I examined them carefully and took some photos. Along the same path was the slime mould Stemonitis fusca and along the lane Hoary Ragwort was plentiful.

When I got home I did some research on the agarics and was pretty sure they were Agaricus bohusii, Medusa Mushroom. But this is a rare species not recorded in Suffolk or Norfolk before so I was hesitant. Luckily fellow members of the NFSG (Norfolk Fungus Study Group) came to my aid and I even got confirmation from Geoffrey Kibby that I was correct with my id. Chuffed was an understatement!

Medusa Mushroom, Agaricus bohusii

Stemonitis fusca

Hoary Ragwort

A melanistic Rabbit in Norwich, 11 August 2025

While walking to the pub (!) for a boys night out I cut through Chapelfield Gardens. To my surprise a small group of Rabbits along the southern edge contained a completely black melanistic individual - a first for me!

A mega rare fungus at Strumpshaw, 9 August 2025

With some great directions from James Emerson Belinda and I made a short evening visit to Strumpshaw Fen on Saturday. With the A140 closed all weekend it was a torturous route but we got there in the end!

The reason for our visit was the ultra rare fungus Crown-tipped Coral which has only a handful of British records. I found it easily thanks to James and although most of it was rather brown and crispy one bit was in reasonable condition still. Field Digger Wasps were around the sandy cliff in the woods.

While there we had a chill in the hide along the Sandy Wall watching Water Rails, Bearded Tits and Chinese Water Deer.

Crown-tipped Coral

Field Digger Wasp

Cranwich Heath, 7 August 2025

Last Thursday 8 of us met over at Cranwich in the Brecks to look for inverts. We concentrated on a ride leading south of the road onto Cranwich Heath. The wide ride had flower-filled edges and provided us with plenty of good finds.

The most exciting find was the very attractive Twist-winged Parasite Fly, Ectophasia crassipennis that gave us the run around before one eventually settled for photographs. Bees were excellent with 3 new ones for me - Red Bartsia Bee, Spined Mason Bee and Small Scabious Mining Bee plus several Pantaloon Bees around their nest holes. After much reading up I’m pretty satisfied that a cuckoo wasp I photographed is Glowing Cuckoo Wasp with another goodie being Gargara genistae, a treehopper that is tied to Broom. Both Lucerne Bug and Rose-spotted Plant Bug were also seen. Other goodies included Saxon Wasp, Small Black Tachnid, Ant Bug, Scabious Longhorn Moth, Shaded Broad-bar, Heath Brown Robberfly and Red-brown Longhorn Beetle.

Highlights from the butterfly world included 2 late Small Blues, part of a small late summer brood which must indicate the species has had a good year there and a fly-through Clouded Yellow.

Away from inverts we also recorded some good plants. Basil Thyme was a new one for me with Wild Marjoram, Red Bartsia, Dark Mullein, Eyebright, Common Centaury, Blue Fleabane and Long-headed Poppy also seen.

Just a single fungus species was recorded - Bovine Bolete.

Twist-winged Parasite Fly

Glowing Cuckoo Bee

Small Scabious Mining Bee

Spined Mason Bee

Red Bartsia Bee

Brown Heath Robberfly

Gargara genistae

Ant Bug

Small Blue

Saxon Wasp

Red-brown Longhorn Beetle

Basil Thyme

Blue Fleabane

Bovine Bolete

Zitting Cisticola twitch, Walberswick, 5 August 2025

I couldn’t resist a trip to see the Zitting Cisticola that has taken up residence on the seaward edge of Corporation Marshes at Walberswick.

Although it was found on Sunday today was the first opportunity I had to go so set my alarm for 5am and was on site by about 6.20. Luckily the bird was still present and with only a short wait it could be heard ‘zitting’ and then went on to show well perched and in song flight over the marsh. Although the scope views were great it wasn’t really within photographable range as the hasty phone-scoped image below shows! Also there were c15 Reed Buntings, Sedge Warbler, Yellow Wagtail and Bearded Tit on the walk back. Sea plants were also much in evidence with Sea Pea, Sea Mayweed, Sea Spurge, Sea Kale and Sea Campion.

Zitting Cisticola

Sea Pea

Sea Mayweed

Boletes everywhere! Tyrrel’s Wood, 3 August 2025

Recent rain really has encouraged fungi to pop up and in Tyrrel’s Wood near us this was very evident when we visited on Sunday.

I recorded no less than 5 species of boletes - Sepia Bolete, Matt Bolete, Suede Bolete, the numerous Bluefoot Bolete and best of all a striking new species for me in the form of Ruby Bolete. Into the bargain I also found Cinnamon Bracket, Charcoal Burner, Camembert Brittlegill, Common Earthballs, Cramp Balls, Earthy Webcap, Wood Mushroom, Whitelaced Shank, Yellow Stagshorn, Southern Bracket and Glistening Inkcap.

As ever Nuthatches were calling from at least 2 spots in the wood.