Chris Lansdell's Birding & Nature Diary

Plant chasing and walk at Kessingland, 19 & 20 March 2022

Saturday saw me do some local plant-twitching. I've been wanting to track down the plant that goes by the strange name of Abraham-Isaac-Jacob (aka Oriental Borage) and a friend had found some at Brundall. I was waiting some details from him as I headed towards Norwich. Passing through Tasburgh on the A140 something caught my eye as I drove past so I stopped in a side road and walked back. And to my very pleasant surprise there was a big area on a steep bank covered in exactly the plant I wanted! I paused to take some photographs with the traffic whizzing past my lug-hole and moved on via loads of Danish Scurvygrass which is now lining our roads.

With no need to go to Brundall any more I stopped at Shotesham Ford where I very quickly found what I wanted to see - Almond Willow growing by the waters edge. Due to a barbed wire fence I was unable to get as close as I wanted so thank goodness I had my bigs lens with me.

Next stop was somewhere I have previously been at Bowthorpe but as it was a few years ago I wanted another look at the strange alien-like lifeform that is Purple Toothwort. I found it excatly where I remembered.

Finally I headed arund the southern bypass and out towards Loddon where unfortunately my luck ran out as I failed to find Butterbur. Possibly it's too early but I live to fight another day with that one.

Abraham-Isaac-Jacob

Almond Willow

Purple Toothwort

Fast forward to Sunday and Belinda joined me for a walk south from Kessingland to Benacre and back. The northerly breeze was cold and migrants almost non-existent. 5 Stonechats, a few Meadow Pipits and Linnets on the move was about it on the outward walk. Stopping in a sheltered spot by the sluice for lunch on the walk back was a good call though as we were graced by a Black Redstart around the buildings. Botany-wise I found Field Wood-rush, Climbing Corydalis and Spring Beauty with loads of Knotted Wrack washed up all along the beach.

Climbing Corydalis

Field Wood-rush

Knotted Wrack

Sweet Violet var. sulfurea - at last! 18 March 2020

Having received a tip-off a while ago about some Sweet Violets var. sulfurea in Norwich I have looked for them 4 times with no luck. Admitedly a couple of visits were just quick drive-bys. It seems I was just a bit too early for them because on Friday I pulled up at the spot and there they were in all their splendor! This butter-yellow variation still retains it's purple spur making the colouration unusual and very attractive. Belinda took great delight in seeing me laying on the pavement in a busy urban street photographing them!

Turner's Oak and a strange Comfrey sp

This weekend has been a quiet one but a walk around Mousehold from Mum and Dad's on Friday had me looking at a rather strange oak growing by the capark at Zaks opposite the Fountain Ground. What caught my eye was that it was in full leaf despite no other trees being any where near that advanced yet. It turns out to be a specimen of the rare Turner's Oak, a hybrid between Common Oak and Holm Oak which explains it's almost evergreen nature. Earlier in the day a singing Chiffchaff in the garden was early and a most welcome sign of spring.

A long walk around the Metfield area on Saturday revealed a flock of c250 Fieldfares with a few intermingled Redwings, singing Song Thrush and Bullfinch. Along the Fressingfield Road south of Metfield my eye was drawn to an attractive comfrey in flower on the verge. It was very low-growing with delicate long pale blue and white flowers. Closer examination revealed that it had 'runners' and was growing as a matt covering the ground. I also had hairy heart-shaped leaves. Being in full flower so early was also a good indicator that this was Creeping Comfrey, a new species for me!

Update - following some Twitter discussions however I have been informed that this comfrey is actually Hidcote Comfrey but my record of Creeping Comfrey has been accepted on iRecord by the county rcorder. I'm confused! Needless to say Creeping Comfrey will be staying off my list for the time being.

Turner's Oak

Hidcote Comfrey

Spring vibes in Norwich, 9 March 2022

A day getting things done in Norwich with the added bonus of some sun, a long walk and some nice plants.

Just outside Earlham Cemetery on Farrow Road there are some fabulous Netted Irises in lovely condition along the central reservation. In the cemetery itself, armed with Rex Hancy's 'Notable Trees of Norwich' book I tracked down the rather spectacular Weeping Beech and also a single Whitebeam. Some of the other trees he mentions will have to wait until the leaves are on the trees! Also seen there amongst the huge displays of Crocuses, Daffodils, Snowdrops and Primroses were a few Glory-of -the-Snow plants, a species closely related to the squills.

Jus had recently found a rather nice looking Silk Tassel tree just off Upper St Giles so I ventured there next to pay it homage, also finding a Small-flowered Gorse next to it. On the walk back through the back streets I found Garden Tree Mallow and Greater Celandine in flower too.

Netted Iris

Weeping Beech

Glory-of-the-Snow

Silk Tassel tree

Small-flowered Gorse

Garden Tree Mallow

Greater Celandine

Dunwich Forest and Westwood Marshes, 6 March 2022

A reasonably bright but cold day on Sunday saw us do a rather long walk taking in large parts of Dunwich Forest and the whole length of Westwood Marshes.

Parking at a site we are familiar with for camping - Frederick's Mount cp I was greeted to the sight of 8 Crossbills flying over as soon as I set foot out of the car. Around the walk I went on to notch up 2 Firecrests (1 singing), Bullfinch, Bearded Tits, Marsh Harrier and 2 Great White Egrets. The latter were on Westwood Marshes from the Dingle Hill track. Through the wet woodland at the western end of the marshes were a nice patch of Leafy Brain and several Blushing Brackets. My first Coltsfoot of the spring was also found.

After a stop at Blythburgh Church (of Black Shuck fame!) we then did a further walk in Reydon Wood where several Smooth Newts were in the pond, one even allowing a quick photo.

Leafy Brain

Blushing Bracket

Coltsfoot

Smooth Newt

A Variety of Violets, 4 March 2022

I've been keeping an eye out for a few variations of Sweet Violets in recent days. Despite the continued lack of var. sulfurea at a site in Norwich a local walk from home produced a rather nice range of varieties. Most pleasing was the reddish form var. rosea plus the expected white var. dumetorum, a blotchy pale pink form possibly var. subcarnea and also a dumetorum with pale purple on the petal tips.

Interestingly I only found a single Early Dog Violet in flower.

A variety of Sweet Violet forms

Early Dog Violet

A stroll 'up city', 3 March 2022

On Thursday I had a few things to do in Norwich so decided to make a day of it 'up city' as we locals say!

It was lovely to catch it just right by the cathedral as both male and female Peregrines were very active, flying around the spire and out over the Close. Nearby, hawking over the river from Fye Bridge in broad daylight was a large pale brown bat, most probably a Noctule that then disappeared under the bridge. I had to do a double-take as my first thought was Sand Martin!

On the walk back along Earlham Road I found Lesser Periwinkle in flower and then loads of Mind-your-own-Business growing along a pavement. In the cemetry a quick check of a few gravestones revealed Orange Ladybird and Cream-spotted Ladybird amongst the many Harlequins.

Peregrine over the cathedral

Lesser Periwinkle

Mind-your-own-Business

Orange, Cream-spot and Harlequin Ladybirds

Sea Radish - probably! California Cliffs, 27 February 2022

Of all the bizarre places Belinda and I had a walk at California on Sunday. I can't understand why anyone would want to spend a holiday there!

It was blowing up a bit of a sandstorm on the beach but the walk wasn't without a bit of interest. In flower I found some Wallflowers in a sheltered spot close to the bottom of the cliffs. Then, further north at the bottom of some steps leading back up I spotted a large bushy plant with a few early yellow flowers. It looked familiar yet strange at the same time. The flowers looked similar to Wild Radish but were bright yellow rather than the pale yellow, white or pale purple of that species. The plant was also tall and very bushy whereas Wild Radish is usually much shorter and rather 'straggly'.

Reading up when I got home it appears that this was very probably Sea Radish (a maritime ssp of Wild Radish and pretty rare locally). In order to be 100% sure I will return later in the year to examine the seed pods which are diagnostic.

Every day is a school day!