WHITLINGHAM: May update

11th May 2024

A case of what might have been, with Black Terns present at Colney GPs and both Black and Arctic Terns at Rockland, but not at Whitlingham. A flock of 21 terns did drop in, but after lots of scanning I concluded that they were all Common Terns. I heard Reed Warbler, Garden Warbler, Blackcap, Chiffchaff, Willow Warbler but not Sedge Warbler or Whitethroat. One brood of Grey Herons had fledged, whilst there were more Cormorants on nests than on my April visit. A Muntjac ran across the field south of Whitlingham Lane, and I found a newly emerged Hairy Dragonfly.

NORWICH: Snakefly!

Mid May 2024

Until this year I had only seen three snakeflies, two that I had confirmed as Xanthostigma xanthostigma and one unidentified one. This spring I noticed two together and knowing which bits to look at caught one to photograph. I was delighted to find that it was a different species to my previous sightings (there are four UK snakefly species). This one was Phaeostigma notata, and there seemed to have been a nationwide emergence as there were quite a few other posts about them on social media a few days either side of my find.

NORWICH: Sweet Briar Marsh NWT/NNNS event

5th May 2024

Norfolk & Norwich Naturalists' Society have agreed to run a two-year recording project at the recently acquired Norfolk Wildlife Trust reserve at Sweet Briar Marshes. As this area is within comfortable walking distance of home I wanted to be involved, so I went to the site on 5th May to be shown around by the NWT team along with a group of other active wildlife recorders from NNNS. We had a good look round, the first of many hopefully. My wildlife highlight from Sweet Briar was probably a Weasel that run around the path shortly after we arrived, but I also found a new lacebug for me, Tachycixius pilosus. On the way home I cut across Mile Cross Marsh, the adjacent section of marsh owned by the council and found a new soldier beetle, Cantharis fusca, which was nice as I had only recently mentioned that I seem to find the same handful of species all of the time!

EAST NORFOLK: Spring Waxham walk

Mid April 2024

Over Easter, Adam & I went for a walk at Waxham. There was little in the way of migrant birds, although a random Brent Goose standing in a field, a couple of Swallows and my first singing Willow Warblers of the year were of note. Walking back along the beach we got good views of the seals and I saw my first Sea Gooseberry in many years. On the beach I noticed a groundbug that turned out to be Peritrechus geniculatus, a new one for me. Crossing back a sunny wooden set of steps turned out to be brilliant for insects, including Plane Tree Bug and the beetle Thanatophilus sinuatus. A Common Lizard was basking on one of the bits of fencing and allowed me to take my best ever photos of the species.

WHITLINGHAM: Early Cuckoo record & breeding Cormorants

7th April 2024

Highlight of this visit to Whitlingham was a very early Cuckoo. It wasn't calling, but I happened to see it in one of the willows on the main island. Once I was happy that I wasn't seeing things I put out news on the Norwich birding Whatsapp group, as it would have been the earliest ever site record. It then transpired that it had actually been first seen (and heard calling) the previous day, but the finder hadn't mentioned the site name! It was heard calling by several people in the next few days afterwards too. For the second year Cormorants are again breeding in the trees on the island.