Blue Eyed Birder: May 2025

20^th May

My first morning back from the Hebrides saw me out in the garden marvelling at the plot. We had brought the blue sky south with is and it was a cloudless morning. The gulls were kicking off and I glanced up as always and spied a gleaming white bird circling. ‘Spoonbill!’ I shouted to no one in particular and rushed indoors for the camera.

Spoonbill

It slowly circled south with the gulls in tow. A most excellent garden tick.

I trapped that night with the smart little Dichromis marginella being NFG. Heart & Dart were in the majority then and the following night when they accounted for 47 of the 78 moths in the trap.

Treble Lines

Spectacle

Heart & Dart

Cabbage

Vine's Rustic

Large Yellow Underwing

Dichromis marginella

21^st May

The garden list went up by a surprise addition while doing the moth trap with a persistently calling Hawfinch in one of the back gardens but I just could not see it. I have been pleased with how the gardens have come along and there is a lot more colour this year which is what I intended. The super dry conditions have resulted in the loss of one or two plants despite watering but all in all it is looking good. The Bearded Irises that I found early on lurking in the raised bed are towering tall with glorious purple blooms while the Geum, Foxgloves, Campion, Valerian and Antirrhinums have all added pink and red hues.

The front pond is looking very well established now – amazing to think it is only 14 months old and I counted ten Azure Damselfly exuvia and several of the teneral adults – my first breeders.

23^rd May

My parents visited for a few days but the weather was very cool and windy and precluded much in the way of exciting days out. A brief look at a cloudy and windy Strumpshaw gave us lovely views of a perched Kingfisher but the Swallowtails and other insects had all shut up shop for the afternoon at that point.

Kingfisher

24^th May

I trapped again overnight and was pleased with a count of 105 from 33 species including a few micros that I think at last I might be getting the hang of. Clouded Silver and Broad Barred White were my favourite macros but I also liked a brace of different Ermines.

Broad Barred White

Swallow Prominent

Common Pug

Garden Pebble

Clouded Silver

Buff & White Ermine

25^th May

One of the neighbours popped round with a Mallard duckling in a box having found it in her garden but she had tracked another calling bird to the bramble clump behind the garage but try as we might we could not find it. There was also another one lurking in her garden but that went quiet too. Veronica had already found a foster home for them which was good. No female Mallard was ever going to get them to Tom Crisp Way.

Mallard fluffling

26^th May

A very quick look down the beach on Bank Holiday Monday was a chilly affair. No birds but I wanted to see the Beach Lupins in full bloom. I always thought that they were just lemony yellow and white but there were lilac and peach blooms too. The lovely scent was a surprise too. In town the Kittiwakes seem to be thriving and adults were visiting the railway tracks to collect moss for their nests.

29^th May

Several days of very much appreciated rain followed. The garden was very grateful but with a change in direction the temperature rose and with it a fierce south westerly wind. Despite the mid-twenties high, it was just too windy to do much and a Broadland circuit resulted in lunch at Waxham Barns where Small Tortoiseshells and Red Admirals were on the Wallflowers and ended at Ormesby Little Broad where a short walk, sheltered from the wind gave me the chance to find some dragonflies.

Small Tortoiseshell - such a scarce beast now

Scudding clouds with pearlescent super high cloud above

And vapour trail shadow on the top of that shiny cloud

I did well with Damselflies with Azure, Blue-tailed, Red-eyed, Variable and Large Red seen while ten Green Eyed Hawkers circled overhead between the Alders and down in the sheltered lee of the Broad. A male Lesser Emperor was patrolling off the end and I seem to remember seeing one here last year. A singe Hairy Hawker and eight Four-spotted Chasers were in the channel alongside but Butterflies were scarce with just a few Whites. Bumblebees were on the Green Alkanet with B pratorum being the commonest. There were even some birds with singing Garden Warblers, Common Terns and a pair of Hobbies off the end lowering the odonata population while it was good to see Red Kites in the Broads.

Azure

Blue-tailed

Azure

Variable

Red-eyed

Blue-tailed

Four Spotted Chaser

Essence of Lesser Emperor

Tenthredo mesomela

Drinker moth cat

Scorpion Fly

Pisaura mirabilis

Click Beetle on Birch

Foxglove

Yellow Waterlily

More fluffies

Red Kite

30^th May

Warmer still but the wind had dropped a little and I chanced an insect related visit to Sprats Water Lane. I was not disappointed and in the shelter of the Poplars there were so many Green-eyed Hawkers circulating and every now and then one would drop down to buzz me at eye level. Getting a pic of one of these was a tricky proposition.

Green-eyed Hawker

A couple of Hairy Hawkers were also found as well as many Scarce Chasers and four Damselfly species. The first flowering Brambles attracted Rutpela maculata, Wasp Beetle, several Hoverfly species and quite a few Early Bumblebees but it was the Red-tipped Clearwing that drew my eye. It is always a treat to find one of these ephemeral moths without a lure.

Hairy Hawker

Scarce Chaser

Azure DF

Variable

Azure DF

Amongst the Whites there were Speckled Woods, Holly Blues, Small Torts, Peacock and Red Admirals while the freshly opening Yellow Flags were attracting hoards of very happy Tropidia scita.

Wasp Beetle

Wasp Beetle

Dog Rose

Drinker moth cat

Holly Blue

Sicus ferrugineus

Red & Black Froghopper

Tropidia scita

Downlooker Snipefly

Urophora cardui

Xanthogramma pedissequum

Xanthogramma pedissequum

Red-tipped Clearwing

Dock Bug

Small Tortoiseshell

Early Bumblebee - Bombus pratorum

Helophilus hybridus

I scanned for the Purple Heron with no joy but did pick up Red Kite, Marsh Harrier, Buzzard and Hobby while Cuckoos counter sung, Reed Buntings posed, Grasshopper Warblers reeled and Bearded Tits pinged.

Reed Bunting

Pleased with my little walk I ambled back pass calling Bullfinches and headed home for lunch where a fine Salticus scenicus was dragging her flying Ant banquet back to her lair.

Salticus scenicus

I trapped again last night as the temperature at 10pm was still 18c and dis not drop below 13 all night. I was was pleased with my haul with 145 moths from 44 species. There were some special beasts in there with a monster Privet Hawkmoth, Peppered Moth, only my second Heather Tortrix (Argyrotaenia ljungiana), Light Brocade and a host of diddly little ones. I had seven new for garden species too with Crambus lathoniellus, Notocelia cynobatella, Argyresthia cupressella, The Shears, Rusty Shoulder Knot, Maiden's Blush and Orange Footman!