NORTH NORFOLK: Bacton Woods June invertebrates

Mid June 2023

A family walk around Bacton Woods. Despite overcast conditions there were plenty of interesting invertebrates, including a new psyllid for me, Cacopsylla brunneipennis. Other things pictured here include Apteropeda orbiculata beetle mines in Wood Sage, Coleophora albicosta on Gorse, the hopper Ditropis pteridis, aphids Mindarus abietinus on Fir and Bronze Shieldbug.

YARE VALLEY: A sunny day at Wheatfen

Late July 2022

My annual summer visit to Wheatfen was pleasant as always, with lots of insects and a large emergence of harvestmen, with four species noted, three of them in quite large numbers. Highlights included a Sulphur Beetle (rare outside the Brecks and coast), a Bronze Shieldbug, a lacebug Derephysia foliacea, a Three-lined Soldierfly (Oxycera trilineata) and some Yellow Loosestrife Bees.

WHITLINGHAM: July visit summary

July 2021

I squeezed in three visits to Whitlingham during the month, hoping to hear or see a Ring-necked Parakeet that had been seen periodically around Thorpe Island. If they continue to colonise Norwich at a similar rate to the past few years then I'm sure it won't be long before I see one here, but for the time it eludes me. Not much else to report in the way of birds other than a few Swifts lingering and a pair of Linnet, although two Canada Geese had some extra white on the face (thought to be a pigment deficiency rather than signs of hybridism with Barnacle Goose).

Interesting non-avian sightings included several Brassica Bugs (aka Crucifer Shieldbug), a Lesser Stag Beetle, galls of Contatinia solani on Woody nightshade and Eucallipterus tiliae (an aphid on Lime trees)

BROADLAND: Few fungi but a rare case-bearing moth

17th April 2021

After more than a year's absence, Fungus Study Group events recommenced with a trip to a private Broadland location, with numbers restricted to groups of six. It was a beautiful sunny day in an unspoilt area, and although the dry conditions restricted us to a small number of mostly tiny plant fungi it was really nice to be out with the group again. We watched some hares chasing in a nearby field, a couple of Cranes flew over and some Bearded Tits flew down a dyke. 

 Of the fungi, the new species were all aforementioned small obscure ones, including Rush Disco (Lachnum apalum), Ascodichaena rugosum (a black fungus on Oak branches) and Ophiognomonia ai-viridis (tiny black spikes along the petiole of dead Alder leaves).

 We stopped for lunch near a mass of flowering Gorse, which contained well over 20 Gorse Shieldbugs, loads of Gorse Weevils and my first Large Red Damselfly of the year. A Water Measurer was of note on a pool, whilst species of the day was an occupied case of the rare micro moth  Water Dock Case-bearer (Coleophora hydrolapathella)

WHITLINGHAM: August insects and new sightings

4th August 2019

Another early date for the monthly WeBS survey, and with Justin counting Thorpe I only popped in for a quick look before heading to Whitlingham. This was long enough to add a new species of damselfly to my patch list in the form of Small Red-eyed Damselfly. This species has been seen on a few dates in August over the past few years, but numbers have still to take off. This one was in the mooring basin alongside quite a few 'large' Red-eyed Damselflies. A young Tortoise Shieldbug was a surprise find, having previously only seen them in the Brecks or at Foxley Wood, but I found two at Thorpe and a further example at Whitlingham. A male Megachile (leafcutter) bee was also new to the patch list, although frustratingly I couldn't see it well enough to confirm an ID - M. centuncularis is the commonest local species whilst M. ligniseca is known to visit Burdock, so those are the main two candidates.

Round to Whitlingham and the number and species of wildfowl were all rather standard for the time of year. Mallard numbers just pushed three figures (101), no Gadwall or Tufted Ducks were seen and a gathering of large gulls on the Great Broad was mostly Lesser Black-backed Gulls (204) with a few Herring Gulls (10). Non-avian sightings included Four-banded Longhorn Beetle (an occasional find here) the distinctive ichneumon Gasteruption jaculator (new for me) and an all-black Arge sawfly (either A. berberidis or nigripes - a specimen needed for ID).

WHITLINGHAM: April WeBS count & insects

21st April 2019

An online discussion that arose from Nick Moran's monthly patch species graph suggested that April is the most species-rich month for inlnad patches, and a quick number crunch showed that this was true for me too. So lots of potential for a good find on the April WeBS count?

With that build up, the quietness was almost inevitable. The tame Wigeon was still around the slipway, and looks like it might even oversummer. The reason for its tameness is unknown - I don't think it's ringed (although typing this I can't actually remember seeing it out of the water) so perhaps it has just attached itself to the Mallard. Certainly earlier in the year a flock of 8 Wigeon arrived and it didn't link up with them. Of the other ducks:

Tufted Duck 13

Gadwall 4

Teal 1

A Mute Swan was visible on a nest on the Great Broad, level with the ruined hall but the other side of the ditch so affording at least some protection from predators. A Great-crested Grebe was also on an easily-visible nest in thr conservation area. Two broods of Mallards were noted (both different to a brood seen on my last visit) and an Oystercatcher flew over. A Common Tern had a metal ring on its leg - no chance of reading it, but I'd be interested to hear where the nearest place is that rings Terns? There were no hirundines, but I did see my first Reed Warbler and Whitethroats of the year.

Amongst the other things noted, several Pied Shieldbugs showed well and I saw an interesting caterpillar with a pink stripe down the back. Very shoddily I forgot to record the foodplant (I suspect it might be a freshly-opening Sycamore based on the pictures) - if you recognise the caterpillar please let me know!

NORWICH: Hoppers and Leatherbugs

30th March 2019

At the weekend we popped round to Jeremy and Vanna's garden to pick up a bit of frogspawn for our pond. The garden has an excellent range of planting for wildlife and I usually see something new each time I visit, and this was no exception. In the back the main attraction was an oddly-shaped leafhopper called Asiraca clavicornis, which looks like a sort of tiny lobster/leaf insect hybrid.

Other more common species included quite a few Gorse Shieldbugs and some Dock Bugs. This latter species was to prove my undoing, because as we had a look around the front, Cathy found a pale brown Coreid bug and I dismissed it as a young Dock Bug, only for Vanna to see it and point out that it was in fact Rhombic Leatherbug, a species I've never seen before! Once she had pointed it out the the shape and upwards tilting edges were obvious, but how many times might I have lazily overlooked this previously (although thinking about it perhaps not as I tend to photograph at least the first one I see each day to verification of iRecord and they have all been Dock Bugs). Anyway, thanks to Cathy and Vanna for that. Slender-horned Leatherbug is the next one on my list (although I've also not seen Dalman's, Cryptic and Boat Bugs either). A Forget-me-mot Shieldbug was a nice bonus too.

 Gorse Shieldbugs

 Dock Bug

 Not a Dock Bug! Rhombic Leatherbug

 Forget-me-not Shieldbug

There was still time for a few other bits - Sage Leafhopper and the stiltbug Berytinus signoreti were both new, as would a Brown Lacewing sp had I been able to identify it to species. Thanks as always to Jeremy and Vanna for their hospitality.

BRECKLAND: Hawfinches and hybrid ducks

Mid-February 2019

Adam & I try to get in a day birding most holidays, and decided to head down to the Brecks for this one. We opted to give Santon Downham a miss, so our first stop was by a roadside overlooking a block of forest. The weather was still overcast so we weren't confident of our chances of seeing Goshawk, but it didn't take too long before one was up. It didn't display, but instead flew back and forth a few times over the trees giving excellent views. As I stood there listening to a Skylark I realised that it was my first of the year, as was a Mistle Thrush that called and then flew off in front of us.

Next up we tried another block of forest where a feeding station has been set up in an area where Willow Tits are still present. The table was attracting a steady stream of the Blue, Great, Coal and Marsh Tits (and Dunnocks), but unfortunately we didn't see or hear any Willow Tits. A Hairy Shieldbug landed on Adam's leg whilst we waited. Eventually we decided to just walk a bit further along the ride, seeing a Muntjac and a Great Spotted Woodpecker, but not a lot else.

Our main target was a Kumlein's Gull that had been appearing sporadically in the gull roost at Lackford Lakes, but with a few hours before the gulls were due to start arriving we decided to go to Lynford first. We checked out Lynford Water in case there were any Goosander, but only saw common species (although the sound of a huge flock of Siskin was impressive). In the arboretum we quickly found some Hawfinch and got great views as they fed under the trees in the paddock. We were rather bemused that some nearby photographers seemed more interested in photographing Great Tits on some rather oddly positioned feeders on the bridge (oddly placed because people had to keep walking past them), but on our way back we found that most of them had just been taking time out from photographing Crossbills drinking from the flooded meadow.

After missing a turning we eventually found Lackford Lakes, a reserve that neither of us had visited before. We had a cup of tea in the visitors centre before heading out for a look around the reserve. The first hide we called into was packed, so we moved round to the next one, which overlooked an area called the Slough. Around 400 Lapwings were roosting, along with some common waterbirds. Whilst looking through the ducks I noticed two of the 'Mallard' accompanying the Pochard had pinkish bills. A closer look revealed that they were hybrids. Recalling my Peter Scott Wildfowl book I suspected these were Rosybill x Mallard, an ID that hybrid bird guru Dave Appleton agreed with.

With our visit already a success thanks to the hybrid ducks, we walked back to the sailing lake to watch the gulls come in. The roost was large, but lots of the birds were Black-headed Gulls rather than their larger relatives. After an hour or so we decided to call it quits - one 1st-winter Caspian Gull had flown in but there was no sign of the Kumlein's Gull. It was a light evening and we knew it might arrive later on, but both of us needed to be back home in reasonable time. Whilst watching the gulls we were also entertained by several Goldeneye, whilst a Kingfisher, Red Kite and Sparrowhawk all flew past during our vigil.

All in all we had a very pleasant day out with some unseasonably warm weather in the afternoon - thanks to Adam for doing the driving.

NORWICH: A shieldbug with knobs on

19th August 2018

You may or may not have heard of the phrase "with knobs on", which is sometimes used to indicate something deluxe or with extra features. It is perhaps doubtful if the shieldbug Podops inuncta would pass muster for the first definition, but it's OK because it really does have knobs on, either side of the head, earning it two competing vernacular names - Turtle Shieldbug or Knobbed Shieldbug. 

Having seen most of the common Norfolk shieldbug species I am now trying to see the smaller, drabber, skulkier ones, of which Knobbed Shieldbug certainly counts. Fortunately Vanna and Jeremy Bartlett spend more time outside than me and are happy to let me know if they come across something unusual. Vanna found this ground-dwelling shieldbug whilst checking for Ant Woodlice in Earlham Cemetery, and after having a good look down the microscope it was released back there.

Whilst at the Bartlett's house I did a quick lap of the garden and identified a few leaf mines, including Phytomyza crassiseta on Germander Speedwell, a new one for me. 

NORWICH: A new shieldbug

22nd April 2018

I have a (non-written) hierarchy of my favourite wildlife groups, and shieldbugs are pretty high up it. On Sunday I received a rather intriguing text message that simply read "Bordered Shieldbug?" I initially assumed that it was an ID request with a missing picture, not an unusual event with me as my phone is a very basic model that can't handle photos. However it actually transpired that Vanna had found a Bordered Shieldbug on the allotment and had temporarily brought it home. I popped round to have a look and was surprised how small it was. I had previously seen another all black shieldbug, Forget-me-not shieldbug, but this was half the size (about 4mm).

Jeremy and Vanna have an enviable garden wildlife list so before leaving we did a quick lap of the garden, seeing Vestal Cuckoo Bee, Blue Mason Bee, the picture-winged fly Tephritis neesii, the hoverfly Melanostoma scalare, leaf mines of Phytomyza leucanthemi in Ox-eye Daisy leaves and Splitgill fungus. Quite a productive half an hour! Thanks as always to Jeremy and Vanna for their hospitality.