Blue Eyed Birder: Lowestoft Life - 30th May

The weather has been grim. Actually cold and largely grey, windy and often wet – not exactly the last week of May and start of June I hoped for. The gardens are looking great though. The back is now looking like a proper, almost waist high meadow of Campions, Sorrels, Cat’s Ears, Ox Eye, Purple Toadflax and the first of the Corncockle that I grey from seed along with the Weasel Snout with its little snapdragon blooms. The Yellow Rattle has really got going and will hope keep the grasses in check and Yarrow, Tansy, Rose Campion, Betony, Teasel and Fox and Cubs are all on the way. I just need a bit of warmth and sunshine to see what insects have found their new home.

Corncockle

Weasel's Snout

Cat's Ears

Yellow Rattle

The Fig is doing well and I discovered the inevitable temporary arrival of Choreutis nemorana. It is not yet big enough to sustain the leaf damage.

Choreutis nemorana

There has been a bit of mothing with a several new species to add and a couple of real lookers amongst them but I am escaping again tomorrow and will have to see how things have changed again in a couple of weeks.

Bee Moth

Mottled Rustic

Figure of Eighty

I think Lychnis rather than Campion

Variable Coronet

Light Brocade

Epinotia bilunana

Lime Speck Pug

Common Swift

Platyedra subcinerea

Rustic Shoulder Knot

The Snout

On Sunday the sky was a strange bluey sort of colour and there was even the feeling of warmth caused by a glowing thing in the sky and a poodle up the coast resulted in a diversion to Strumpshaw.

I walked down to the Doctor’s cottage garden and although I did not see the single Swallowtail that was occasionally dropping in, I did see a wealth of other invert species much to the confusion of those looking for fancy butterflies who assumed I had found one every time I put my camera on a flower! There was a good selection of Hoverflies including one new for me and most of the insects were on the freshly flowering Hogweed.

Cheilosa illustrata

Cheilosia impressa

Chrysogaster solstitialis

Chrysotoxum bicinctum

Eristalis nemorum

Helophilus pendulus

Parhelophilus futetorum

Riponnensia splendens - a new Hover

Tropidia scita

Volucella pellucens

Oedemera nobilis

Pyrochroa serraticornis

Rutpela maculata

Tachina fera - a very small one

Tenthrado sp I think

Pisaura mirabilis

Pammene aurana

Nettle Tap

Nemophora degeerella

Bombus hypnorum

There were Green-eyed Hawkers patrolling and I put up several teneral Scarce Chasers from the grass and Broad Bodied Chaser and the usual selection of Damselflies were noted.

Azure Damselfly

It was pleasing to hear Willow Warblers in song at several points. In retrospect I should have wandered through to the reserve proper and checked the meadow but after some lunch decided to poodle west to Enid’s in Wymondham. Her garden looks amazing – a proper coastal cottage garden vibe with drifts of colour at different heights and still the granite chip ways to move between them.

The Bee-Orchids were incredibly tall and looking fab – my first this year and my time-share Carnivorous collection is still thriving in Enid’s greenhouse. I have brought the Pitcher in the single pot home so that it can spend the summer in the pond out the front.

Bee-Orchid

There were Bumblebees everywhere with five species seen along with four different Merodon equestris mimicking Red-tailed, white-tailed and Carder Bees!

Back at home I settled in the Pitcher and added some extra Frogbit to the pond. I must do a moth session at out the front as well as the back at some stage!

spent Pitcher flower

Frogbit

Last night we ended up down at Pakefield Beach with the boys for a couple of hours and while they buried each other I checked out the wonderful flora that was now in full bloom. The scent from the Tree Lupins was delicious but I hope that the Black Mustard type Crucifer does not take over any more and that 'someone' will thwart its spread.