Lowestoft Life 13th - 21st August 2025

A craft fair in Nicholas Everitt Park in Oulton Broad gave me the chance to have a wander on the track towards Carlton Marshes but it was disappointingly quiet and I did not see a single butterfly and just a single Migrant Hawker.  There were no insects on the Hemp Agrimony at all.  A Marsh Harrier circled the Broad and a forage pouch full of ripe Greengages salvaged the walk!

That evening I put two traps on in the garden and Antony set up three more right by the coast in Easton Wood.  I was up in the dark and checking my own trap and was delighted with my eventual total of 68 species overnight including both Copper Underwings, Maple Prominent, Blood-vein, Wormwood and Yarrow Pugs, Poplar Kitten, Pale Mottled Willow, Dark Sword Grass, Rusty Dot Pearl and a delightful Carcina quercana amongst the haul.  I even had a bird garden tick with a Sedge Warbler coming out of roost right by my trap, chacking and zooming over the garage!

Carcina quercana 

Poplar Kitten

Wormwood Pug

By 6.30 we were down at the coast traps at Easton where the different wavelengths of bulbs used had attracted different moths to each trap and we managed a very reasonable 103 species of which quite a few were new to me but the stars were a monster Clifden Nonpareil on the funnel of one trap, a pair of Drinkers, various Wainscots, Underwings and Prominents and a host of micros.

Agriphila selasella 

Ancylosis oblitella 

Black Arches

Caloptilia populetrum 

Chilo phragmitella

Clifden Nonpareil

Clifden Nonpareil

Coast Dart

a richly coloured coastal Common Wainscot

Drinker

Epinotia nisella 

Lesser Swallow Prominent & Swallow Prominent

Lesser Swallow Prominent

Monopis monachella 

a pale Nutmeg

Pediasia contaminella 

Poplar Hawkmoth

Sharp Angled Peacock

Shore Wainscot

Shore Wainscot

Small Yellow Wave

Square Spotted Clay

Twin-spot Wainscot

White-line Dart

Ypsolopha dentella

Ypsolopha dentella

It was a glorious morning and there were Blackcaps, Whitethroats, Chiffchaffs and Tits roving through the Aspens and Oaks while Sand Martins and Swallow moved overhead and three dark hind Fallow Deer tripped through the trees with two mid-sized fawns in tow.  A Whinchat was seen in the fields o the way out where 21 Lapwing had already gathered.

        If you have not seen the defensive swaying of large Arion before - just enjoy!

The morning of the 15^th saw me having a short walk around the Net Posts and Ness Point.  A Chiffchaff was my only passerine but there was a juvenile Caspian Gull on one of the groynes and a 15 Common Terns loafing around.  There were six Turnstone under my nose and two spangled juvenile Redshank keeping them company – not sure if I have had them here before.  Back at Chez Wren there was a Small Mottled Willow and Golden Rod Pug to see along with a cup of coffee.

Redshanks & Turnstone

Golden Rod Pug

Trapping that night gave me a Toadflax Brocade, Wax Moth, Prays ruficeps, Coronet, a smart Euzophora pinguis and three Red Underwings and therein lies a story.  I found the first in the trap and initially thought I had struck Clifden gold as it felt so big but I was pleased nevertheless.  The second I found on my living room floor having been sucked to death by the cats over night although it was doubly unlucky to have got through catio netting to get caught in the first place.  The third I discovered on the path opposite the moth trap that afternoon although it was somewhat two dimensional…

Acrobasis advenella

Broad Barred White

Delicate

Euzophora pinguis

Poplar Hawkmoth

Prays ruficeps

Red Underwing

Red Underwing

Ringed China Mark

Square Spot Rustic

Toadflax Brocade

That evening I scurried down to Ness Point as a Greenish Warbler had been showing well on and off all day and I had somehow managed to not pick up any of the messages.  Thankfully it was immediately on view and it actually showed incredibly well unlike many of this species I have seen.  It was feeding actively in the Tamarisks around some old rusty buoys and had little bouts of fervent calling too.

Greenish Warbler - Chris Darby

Greenish Warbler - my arty shot

Greenish Warbler

A Guillemot bobbed around offshore although it had the attention of all the local big gulls and Kittiwakes were still milling around too.

Another pop into the Wrens added three more moths including the much desired Ni Moth.  Trapping at home that night was quiet.

Bulrush Wainscot

Eupoecilia ambiguella

Ni Moth

Ni Moth

On Monday morning I gave Pakefield Beach a go but it was quiet once again with just seven Gannet, six Scoter, 47 Teal, two Gadwall and three Mute Swan for my troubles. There were 12 Pied Wagtails on the green and my walk around resulted in some moth leaf mine hunting with predictable results.

Herring Gull

Pied Wagtails 

Mute Swan

Yellow-horned Poppy

Cacoecimorpha pronubana

Caloptilia fidella on Hop

Cosmopterix pulchrimella on Pellitory

Cosmopterix zieglerella on Hop

Gracillaria syringella on Lilac

Stigmella speciosa on Sycamore

Two more looks off Pakefield Beach gave me two distant Bonxie and six Little Terns on the 20th but nothing else but this morning I managed just nine Gannet for my troubles until a flock of 110 Little Terns came up off the beach!  That was special!  The moved off shore and drifted north but about half circled back and began feeding between the beach and the rough water over the sandbar.  

Moths last night were disappointing with just 22 species with an Old Lady being brought alive into the living room by a very smug Peanut being the only one new for the year!