Rob Smith

Sods to pick up but over 40 Crossbills south through Waxham so far this morning.

Lesser Grey Shrike

Arctic Skua

After a busy week of pond restorations, it was nice to get out and do some birding! Like most, I headed to Winterton where the Lesser Grey Shrike showed cripplingly well, and an Arctic Skua dropped onto the Natterjack pools!

I’m not sure if I’ve made this up, as I can’t find a reference to it, but a UV torch! We recently found them by crawling through the Wormwood at Thornham on our hands and knees

Thanks, Carl — I wasn't there myself, but Gary and @andyinnorfolk.bsky.social were. Hopefully, one of them will be along soon to give an idea of its size.

@wildnorfolk.bsky.social

Nice to be on the other side of the Black-winged Kite twitch tonight and not worry about car parking etc. Arrived with everyone leaving as it had flown high south but a look at 100 Acre Deadwood and there it sat! It remained till c.1930 before vanishing low south after several hovers.

Took a lunchtime stroll along the riverbank at Riverside, Norwich yesterday, where @tim-hodge.bsky.social found Norfolk’s latest botanical newcomer — Salvia hispanica.

A trip to the seaside this evening - Ray's Knotgrass, Shrubby Hare's-ear and White Stonecrop.

A gorgeous intermediate juvenile Long-tailed Skua was the highlight of a few hours afloat off the North Norfolk coast yesterday.
📷 David Bratt

I never saw it myself but eggs and 'pillars have been recorded on the Fennel plant at Hickling by the Cadbury's hide.

Lost count of the Elms I've checked but finally found the mines of the Zig-zag Elm Sawfly (Aproceros leucopoda) at a local dog park this morning.

Birding was a bit quiet yesterday, so we wandered the saltmarsh at Thornham instead. Paid off nicely with a few North Norfolk specials – including these four gems: Pseudaplemonus limonii, Campiglossa absinthii, Marram Grass Chelifer and the Wormwood Case-bearer.

Highlights from todays fieldwork...Cyperus Sedge, Emperor Dragonfly and Meadow Barley.

Hard and Soft Rush from todays survey.

A small passage of Butterflies recorded moving thru the Dunes including lots of Red Admirals, Whites spp. and Painted Ladies. Dark Green Frits but on a good show up towards Horsey but would not settle for a pic in the blazing heat.

Spent a crippling hot day in Winterton Dunes over the weekend on the hunt for the recently sighted Vagrant Emperors. Whilst they didn't show themselves a Lesser Emperor did as well as 5+ Red-veined Darters, a Brown & 2 Norfolk Hawkers.

We were too late getting to Cley for the Night Heron, and real bogey of mine, but made up for it with a picnic dinner watching over Arnold's, Hattie seeing her first Yellow horned-poppies and the escapee Greater Sea Kale in the VC CP.

Hatties latest find. 😅

Signal Crayfish, River Yare, Norfolk.

Marsh Cinquefoil (Comarum palustre) from Strumpshaw Fen y'day. It was a species I always hoped to come across whilst working at Hickling but never did.

Can I tick it? 😋

NFG 😄

Six-belted Clearwing, Sprowston.

Dyer's Greenweed (Genista tinctoria)

Spiny Restharrow - Ononis spinosa

Had a great couple of days surveying meadows in South Norfolk and seeing the results from green hay but it's back to e-mails and boring office admin now!

📷 Dyer's Greenweed (Genista tinctoria) & Spiny Restharrow (Ononis spinosa)

Sulphur Clover (Trifolium ochroleucon) in abundance at a South Norfolk meadow today.

Crested Cow Wheat

Great and Round-leaded Sundew

Purple (Yarrow) Broomrape

Last week really was a top-notch week for plants and there's hopefully more to come this week with two days surveying coming up.

Slender Thistle (Carduus tenuiflorus) on the northern bank of the River Yare, Reedham tonight.

Still can't get over having these on our estate! One showing well tonight scraping around for worms and beetles.

Sorry to hijack but after taking specimens out of this solution are they still OK to card/ pin?

Bee Orchid 𝘖𝘱𝘩𝘳𝘺𝘴 𝘢𝘱𝘪𝘧𝘦𝘳𝘢 var. 𝘣𝘦𝘭𝘨𝘢𝘳𝘶𝘮 in Mulbarton, South Norfolk, today.

Long day in mid Norfolk looking for ponds in need of restoration. Ended up close to the RNR where these beauties grow 😍.

Crested Cow-wheat 𝘔𝘦𝘭𝘢𝘮𝘱𝘺𝘳𝘶𝘮 𝘤𝘳𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘵𝘶𝘮

Swallowtails galore at Hickling this morning, but I didn't take a photo, so here's a Wherry and a BO 🍻