Chris Lansdell's Birding & Nature Diary

Earsham/Bath Hills/Outney Common walk, 2 July 2022

A walk we have done many times but one of our favourites.

It proved to be rather good in terms of wildlife too. Odonata included an obliging male Scarce Chaser at Bath Hills plus Brown Hawker, Norfolk Hawker, Southern Hawker, Emperor, hundreds of Banded Demoiselles, Red-eyed Damselfly and the first Emerald Damselflies of the year. Other insects were Bumblebee Hoverfly and Field Grasshopper. The latter on a shop window in Bungay!

Plantwise it was equally good with the Waveney having River Water-dropwort, Hoary Willowherb, Arrowhead, Flowering Rush, Water Figwort and Small Teasel with Common Club-rush and the scarce Tubular Water-dropwort on the marshes and False Brome in the woods. Best of all however were Dewberry at Bath Hills (a plant I've looked for in the past and never seen) and the strange sight of naturalised Eastern Larkspur near the sluice at Earsham. I also paid homage to the Cut-leaved Bramble on Outney Common as I was so close.

Scarce Chaser

Bumblebee Hoverfly

Field Grasshopper

Dewberry

Eastern Larkspur

False Brome

Water Figwort

Hoary Willowherb

Tubular Water-dropwort

Cut-leaved Bramble

Common Club-rush

River Water-dropwort

Small Teasel

Flowering Rush

A garden in Pulham St Mary, 1 July 2022

I've been working on a house in Pulham St Mary for the last fortnight and it's a place I always look forward to visiting. The owners are like-minded nature lovers and their garden is lovely. As well as 3 Hummingbird Hawkmoths (see my last post) I have had 2 Red Kites, 2 Turtle Doves, Common Buzzard, Sparrowhawk, nesting Swifts, Swallows and House Martins, Chiffchaff, Garden Warbler and then on my last day - a pair of Spotted Flycatchers. I dashed home for my camera so I could get some shots of these charming but increasingly rare breeders.

Hummingbird Hawkmoths, 28 June 2022

It seems to be a very good year for Hummingbird Hawkmoths if what I have seen on social media is anything to go by. After one in our garden over the weekend I saw one briefly yesterday where I am working in Pulham St Mary just down the road. Today, in the same garden I was treated to prolonged views of 2 together nectaring on a big patch of valerian. Even with my phone I managed to capture a couple of videos and this rather pleasing shot. A Red Kite also glided low over the garden in the early afternoon.

Four-leaved Allseed and other Suffolk goodies, 26 June 2022

With Stuart Read having found the mega rare Four-leaved Allseed growing in his road (!) in Great Cornard I duly popped down this morning to take a look. I found a few clumps of it growing in pavement cracks by the curb just 20 yards from his front door! Only really known from coastal sites in the SW it is a fantastic find albeit a rather insignificant looking 'micro-weed'.

While in the area I called in at a RNR near Long Melford to see Wild Liquorice and to my surprise I found a goodie of my own - Crested Cow-wheat. 3 or 4 plants were found at what looks like a new site for this very scarce and lovely plant. Along the same verge were Field Scabious, Common Restharrow, Agrimony and Wild Basil.

Four-leaved Allseed

Wild Liquorice

Crested Cow-wheat

Wild Basil

Field Scabious

Common Restharrow

More botany on the mean streets of Norwich! 24 June 2022

Having been tipped off about some Flowering Rush that is actually flowering (it often doesn't!) I headed into Norwich on a busy Friday evening to do some chores and also pop in to see it.

It was right where I expected but difficult to photograph as the river bank there is fenced off. Within a few yards of it was also a small patch of River Water Dropwort. Deciding to have a short walk along the riverbank heading towards the city centre I was surprised to find some naturalised garden escapes growing out of cracks in the pavement along the river wall - Garden Lobelia, Cape-jewels (aka Nemesia) and Passionflower. Best of all however was a plant that I initially thought was a spurge of some sort but actually turns out to be False Thorow-wax. Some people think it may be Thorow-wax so I await adjudication or possibly a return visit to examine the fruits in a few weeks time!

Whilst working in Pulham St Mary earlier in the day I'd also found Lesser Bulrush and Greater Spearwort making it an extremely productive botanical day. Not to mention 2 Turtle Doves on territory in Pulham St Mary too!

False Thorow-wax

Flowering Rush

Garden Lobelia

Cape-jewels

Lesser Bulrush

Greater Spearwort

A quick trip down to the Brecks, 18 June 2022

No spring/summer would be complete without at least one botany trip to the Brecks. Having been laid up with a bad back most of the week I relied on Belinda at chauffeur me around and luckily most of the plants were on or near to the roadside. One was barred by a 5-bar gate which was tricky to get over but I managed it! My 2 main targets were Flixweed and Twiggy Spurge and I found both nice and easily at 2 sites a couple of miles apart. Also seen between the 2 spots were the rare Small Alison and plenty of Sand Lucerne in a variety of colours. A stop while passing Ramparts Field resulted in loads of Maiden Pinks in great condition. I even managed a short walk in the Kings Forest clocking up the abundant Sand Sedge, Crested Hair-grass, a patch of gone-over Lily of the Valley plus Cuckoo and Willow Warbler.