Chris Lansdell's Birding & Nature Diary

Local orchid excitement!

In the last few days there has been much local orchid excitement. Being just a 10 minute drive from home and with hospitable hosts it has been a real pleasure.

At the same location as the mystery Northern Marsh Orchids last month (which are still present) a small handful of the scarce 'alba' variation of Common Spotted Orchid have popped up amongst many of more standard colouration. It's a plant I have wanted to see for a long time and have lost count of the number of times I have bent down to look at one I thought was a pure alba only to find it had faint markings! Into the bargain, at the same spot was also a Bee Orchid var. flavescens alongside a 'normal' one.

Fast forward a couple of days and less than 100 yards away from there the rare Bee Orchid var. fulvofuscus with it's chocolate coloured unmarked lip was found so I just had to check that one out too. Again the landowners were most welcoming and with c100 Bee Orchids at the location I also found a Bee Orchid var. chlorantha. Amazing to think that 4 different variations of the species are present in such a small area!

While out and about I also checked Flordon Common with Keven - many Southern Marsh Orchids, including some 'schoenaphila' specimens, a few Common Spotted Orchids and the curious moth Dark-dotted Longhorn, Nematopogon metaxella

Buxton Heath and Broadland CP, 9 June 2024

A couple of fairly short visits after visiting my Mum in Norwich.

Buxton Heath was first and the weather closed in almost as soon as we arrived! Despite the gloomy conditions I did eventually manage to find a single male Silver-studded Blue and while looking a very welcome Heath Bumblebee which is a new species for me. A pity it didn't play ball for my camera as the shot below shows! In the valley a fantastic array of Heath Spotted Orchids and a few Southern Marsh Orchids brightened things up. Chinese Water Deer was also seen.

On to Broadland CP for a circular walk. Despite it being a walk where I hardly stopped to look at anything I did find the rather good looking sawfly Tenthredo baetica and the distinctive hoverfly Chrysogaster solstitialis on the same patch of umbellifers.

Silver-studded Blue

Heath Bumblebee

Heath Spotted Orchids

Tenthredo baetica

Chrysogaster solstitialis

Long Melford and Lineage Wood, 8 June 2024

Saturday saw us visiting Melford Hall and Lavenham Guildhall followed by a walk in nearby Lineage Wood.

The gardens at Melford Hall were in full bloom and I was pleased to find Marsh Snipefly, Green Soldier Fly and the caterpillar of Mullein Moth while the marsh section of the common over the road had Early Marsh Orchid, Southern Marsh Orchid, hybrid dacts and a couple of Bee Orchids. The pond had Water Horsetail and a very pleasing find of the locally rare Narrow-leaved Water-plantain.

Lineage Wood later in the day was quite disappointing for orchids with just half a dozen Fly Orchids, a single Greater Butterfly Orchid, Bee Orchid and Common Spotted Orchid. Brooklime was along the wet margins of the track with Pale Sedge and a Lackey Moth caterpillar on the walk back. Cuckoo, Garden Warbler and Willow Warbler were all singing.

Earlier in the day at home the attractive tiny fly Chrysotus blephroscles and Brassy Willow Beetle were in the front garden.

Mullein Moth caterpillar

Green Soldier Fly

Marsh Snipefly

Bee Orchid

Narrow-leaved Water-plantain

Water Horsetail

Southern Marsh Orchid

Early Marsh Orchid

Brooklime

Fly Orchid

Eyebright

Lackey Moth caterpillar

Greater Butterfly Orchid

Brassy Willow Beetle

Chrysotus blephroscles

Orfordness, Suffolk, 2 June 2024

I've long wanted to get out onto Orfordness so we used our NT membership to book cut-price boat tickets to do just that.

A Turtle Dove flushed fom the verge near Laxfield on the way was a good start to the day. Being close to the known site of Chippenhall Green I suspect it was a wanderer from there.

While loitering around Orford Quay drinking coffee and waiting for our boat Cuckoo and Cetti's Warbler were both singing. Once on the island it became obvious that Green Hairstreaks, Cream-spot Tiger Moths, Garden Tiger Moths and Brown-tail Moths (just caterpillars of the latter 2) were pretty common. Birdwise I year-ticked Wheatear (at last!) while Common Whitethroats were singing all over the place.

Around Orford Castle Wild Clary was aplenty as was Greater Sea Spurrey on the saltmarsh fragments.

A call in at Winks Meadow on the way home for Frog Orchid was a success!

Green Hairstreak

Cream-spot Tiger Moth

Garden Tiger Moth caterpillar

Brown-tail Moth caterpillar

Greater Sea Spurrey

Wild Clary

Frog Orchids

Insects on a walk around Pulham, 1 June 2024

A local walk straight from my front door around the lanes and field paths of Pulham Market.

It was a leisurely stroll with plenty of stopping to examine umbellifers etc for insects despite the rather breezy conditions. As it turned out I found plenty of interest - yet another Broad-faced Mining Bee not far from the church where I found the last one plus Wasp Beetle, Malachite Beetle, a gathering of c6 Yellow-barred Longhorm Moths in the copse along Station Road, Turnip Sawfly, the attractive small fly Anthomyia pluvialis, Poecilobothrus nobilitatus, Empis lividia (including one infected with the fungus Empidoidea muscae), the hoverflies Volucella bombylans and Volucella pelluscens plus the amazing looking and named Ferruginous Bee-grabber (Sicus ferruginous). Bumblebees included Tree, Early, Garden and Red-tailed.