Lowestoft Life - 25th September - 9th October 2024

There has been little time for wildlife encounters close to home in recent weeks what with Lesvos and my week on the Norfolk coast.  Antony trapped most nights at my house while we were in Lesvos and I came home to a trap full of autumnal species most pf which I have subsequently caught on other nights.

There were some new ones though with a fine male Four Spotted Footman (the legs looks purple black), my second Bloxworth Snout (Lowestoft seems to be am East Anglian hotspot) and a couple of Small Mottled Willows (a continental immigrant).

Bloxworth Snout - AW

Four Spotted Footman - AW

Small Mottled Willow - AW

Amazingly I re-caught the same Four Spotted Footman (it only had five legs) but we just as delighted to catch a Silver Spotted Veneer - Euchromius ocellea on the 25^th.  This delightful little grass moth was a real rarity until this autumn when many moth’ers added it to their garden tallies.

Four Spotted Footman - back again!

Silver Spotted Veneer - Euchromius ocellea

I have trapped most nights where I can and managed my own haul of migrant species.  Always amazing to imagine these little creatures making their way across the North Sea from translucent Olive Pearls, dart-like Rush Veneers, hyperactive Diamondbacks and others…

Gem - female

Olive Pearl (Palpita vitrealis) and Gem - male

Rush Veneer

Rusty Dot Pearl

There were other autumn regulars with lichen-cryptic Feathered Ranunculus, mushroom-inky Black Rustics, peachy Delicates and Scarce Bordered Straws, various Underwings, other Rustics and Carpets.

Angle Shades

Black Rustic

Clancy's Rustic

Delicate & Clancy's Rustic

Delicate

Delicate - AW

Feathered Ranunculus

Feathered Ranunculus

Flounced Rustic

Flounced Rustic

L-album Wainscot

Scarce Bordered Straw

Silver Y

Grey Pine Carpet

Common Marbled Carpet

A lovely rufous Large Yellow Underwing

Lesser Yellow Underwing

Lunar Underwing

A very tatty Red Underwing

Light Brown Apple Moth - LBAM - the commonest moth at the moment

Still the odd Tachystola acroxantha about too

Radford's Flame Shoulders from chez Wren. Not caught my own yet

I popped down to Pakefield Beach first thing but the sea was very poor with just a few loafing Gulls and above me I picked up Grey Wagtail and Skylark but it was disappointing to be honest.  My prize for the effort was a stuttery Cetti’s Warbler giving it go below the car park.  Not on my radar for here! 

I have spent the rest of today trying to get the garden in some sort of for the coming winter.  It has come on very well considering most of it is under a year old.  The giant Teasels have come up so that I can get to the beds but have become a towering sculpture in the middle of the garden for the Goldfinches.   I have some ideas for creating some more defined spaces but that can all wait till the winter months.

Being outside means that my senses are always hoping to pick up birds on the move and today there have been the odd Siskin, Linnet and Meadow Pipits along with a single House Martin, only my second Kestrel, two Rooks, two Buzzards and a female Sparrowhawk.

I am around now until the start of November so hopefully there will be ample time for the garden and the chance to add to my Pakefield Beach and garden lists!