Lowestoft Life - 5th- 7th September 2024

I trapped on the night of the 5^th in the hope of attracting some migrant moths incoming with the host of passerines also on their way.  The trap was not heaving but there were many Large Yellow Underwings jammed in the egg boxes and I was pleased that I had paid attention to Antony the night before and picked up a Pearly Underwing amongst them with a tiny but obvious white spot either side of the head.  A Rush Veneer and Angle Shades were also new in migrants.  A single Red Admiral was also in the trap and it became apparent during the day that many people had caught them overnight as they too migrated across the North Sea in the dark.  Two Old Ladies squabbled in the bottom and it was my first night with multiple Box-tree Moths.

Pearly Underwing

 Rush Veneer

The morning of the 6^th saw me getting frustrated again down at Pakefield Beach where once again I completely failed to pick up any of the Manxies and Sooties that I know flew past me going north.  I saw other birds with 93 Gannets, Arctic Skua, two Scoter, Teal and Shoveler, 12 Sandwich Terns and Guillemot but not one Shearwater did I see!

Twelve Meadow Pipits were on the beach having arrived overnight and Large Whites and Red Admirals were still arriving.

As was predicted migrants began arriving mid afternoon and much as last Saturday spots all around the East Anglian coast started picking up multiple Wheatears, Whinchats, Redstarts and both Flycatchers.  Once again I resisted driving to go and look at other locals finds and stuck to my patch and headed back again to Pakefield Beach.  It was heaving but there were still Wheatears dropping in and I had eight actively feeding towards the little boats.  Most were completely unconcerned by the beachgoers or me and I got some lovely views of them including one stunning peachy male.

 Wheatears

 Red Admiral

 Chrysoethis sexguttella on Fat Hen

With no Flycatchers in my own patch I gave up and came home and resolved that I would head out this morning to have a mooch around Kessingland.

I failed slightly on the get up early thing but was at the start of Marsh Lane at not long after 8am. I had barely started when a single not call caught my attention. I heard it again – ‘poop’.  Surely it could not be a Scops Owl?  I listened and heard it three more times before working that that it was almost certainly one of group of Starlings sat up on a roof. I almost put the news out…

It was a pleasant walk down through a big double hedge full of Red Admirals, Honey and Ivy Bees but it was quiet other than a flock of Long-tailed Tits. The local ringing group had just ringed a Redstart which we missed and I heard one called persistently on the other side of the track before realising it was a tape for one of the mist net runs.

Down near the fishing lakes Cetti’s Warblers sang and a couple of Reed Bunting were flying around while Swallows twittered high up.  Flycatchers had been seen and we were pleased to find two small groups of birds within the same stretch of hedge and ended up with four Spotted and three Pied Flycatchers, both Whitethroats, Chiffchaff, Willow Warbler and Blackcap.  It was pleasing to at last be in on the huge migration event.

Pied Flycatcher

Spotted Flycatcher

Four silent Tree Pipits also came out of the hedge before moving north when a few weak calls were heard. Aways a tricky bird to get on migration and usually only in singles so a small group was noteworthy.

I looped inland stopping to admire countless Red Admirals on the Ivy with the drone of both Ivy and Honey Bees once again.  There were Hoverflies too with Eristalis pertinax, tenax and nemorum along with Helophilus pendulus, Chrysotoxum bicinctum and many Myathropa florea.  There were loads of Green and Bluebottles and couple of Tachina fera too.

Red Admiral

Red Admiral

Comma

Small White

Chrysotoxum bicinctum

Ivy Bee

oh and a Willow Emerald too

Two more Pied Flycatchers and a Redstart were in three Oaks in the hedge and the ploughed field alongside was full of Pied Wagtails along with 13 Wheatears and at long last my first UK Whinchat of the year.  A single Golden Plover flew south calling and a Grey Wagtail headed towards the sewage works.

Back home after a productive walk, we headed to Beccles were there Red Admirals streaming through and a curious plant that appears to be Gallant Soldier – Galinsoga parviflora was growing in the cracks around Roy’s car park – always something new to see even when shopping.

Gallant Soldier – Galinsoga parviflora

The cloud had burnt off and the sun was once again beating down and forced an afternoon retreat but I did drag myself back down to the Beach later on. No Wheatears this time and my attempt to find Flycatchers again failed but the lanes were filled with the hum of Ivy Bees and hundreds of Red Admirals.  The Ivy flowers literally flickered with their exaggerated wing beats.  They were not along with a few Large Whites amongst them as well as two Peacocks and Comma although I suspect these were locals.  Holly Blues and Speckled Woods also joined in as well as many Wasps and Honey Bees.  Of migrant birds, I saw none bar a Chiffchaff but it was worth the effort for the sight of so many Butterflies.

 Red Admirals.

 Comma

 Peacock

As I walked back past the caravan park a lone, tired Redshank came up out of the cliff side herbage and flew north along the beach.  Not quite the wader you might expect or hope to put up from such a spot this time of year.

The moth trap is now on again for one last throw of the migration dice before torrential rain arrives in a few hours