Blue Eyed Birder: Lowestoft Life - 5th

A Lowestoft Life post from before and since my trip westwards this week. I popped back to Beccles Cemetery on the 5^th to show Rob Murray the Vaulted Earthstars before having a poke around the churches in Worlingham and North Cove. It was lightly raining and I did not linger long but between All Saints and St Boltoph’s I found three species of Bagworm moth larva including one that Antony had to go back and identify a few days later, five species of Ladybird, Girdled Snails and a some more of those strange parasitised black and orange cases.

All Saints, Worlingham

Seven Spots with a snuggling Ten Spot Ladybird

Harlequin Ladybird

Pine Ladybird

Seven Spot and Sixteen Spot Ladybird

St Boltoph’s, North Cove

Luffia lapidella

Dahlica triquetrella

Taleporia tubulosa

Probably the most ear-like Jelly Ear I have ever seen!

Girdled Snail

Phyllonorycter maestingella on Beech

So at long last we have name - albeit vaguely to put to these strange cases. They are the remains of a Moth caterpillar that has been parasitized by a species of Aleiodes (Braconidae) wasp. That is as far as it can be taken.

St Boltoph's had Redwings and Fieldfares feeding in a paddock and Brown Hares in the adjacent fields. Back in Lowestoft the Gull Winged Bridge had arrived and was sitting in the docks waiting for installation. I looks very impressive. Back in the garden my first Clouded Drab stayed still on my Wallflowers and a funky little cup-like fungus is apparently a species of Tarzetta.

Tarzetta sp

Clouded Drab

I got back from the Somerset and Forest of Dean trip on the 12^th and was pleased to see that the garden has come along in just five short days. The front is looking especially good.

Ornithogalum

Mossy Saxifrage

Primula rosea

Fritillaria uva vulpis

Stinking Hellebore

Getting there - I imagine it will look different in two weeks time

Cowslip

Dandelion

Red-dead Nettle

Sweet Violet

Pulmonaria

Unfurling Hart's Tongue Ferns

Marsh Sow Thistles coming through

I spent yesterday tinkering in the garden and making sure that I was fully packed for Sri Lanka tomorrow and even managed to put the moth trap out last night with a little more success this morning. A March Moth was new for the garden along with three each of Common Quaker and Hebrew Character and my second Clouded Drab.

March Moth

Clouded Drab

Common Quaker

Hebrew Character

Possibly a juvenile Enoplognatha sp

Psychoda sigma - an Owl Midge I have hundreds around my compost bin

A visit to the Wrens revealed a pond full of croaking Frogs and their spawn - I am sure some will migrate to my own pond very soon. Oak Beauty, Early Grey and Lead Coloured Drab were all seen around the trap.

Common Frogs

Early Grey

Lead Coloured Drab

Lead Coloured Drab and Clouded Drab

Oak Beauty

A pop out for a short drive before the weather turned yet again gave me the chance to look at the newly installed Gull Winged Bridge. Once open it will give us another way to get north of town.

The town was full of Kittiwakes as I drove though and as the tide was right in so I headed for Links Road car park and I could hear the Purple Sandpipers as soon as I got out.

Anyone for Kittiwakes and Kebab?

Thirteen were actively moving about the concrete blocks and came quite close. The Turnstones seemed to be in lazy mode and barely moved other than to swivel around in the breeze. Two first-summer Med Gulls were loafing off shore but the sea was otherwise quiet.