Thirty Years Ago - October 1994

9^th October:

Sunday started off as a quiet day, lounging about doing nothing, watching telly and contemplating continuing with Saturday’s work on the car. Lunch was in the making when Wander rang.  The news was not good; a Pechora Pipit had been found at Filey in North Yorkshire. Perhaps ‘found’ is not the appropriate word for the little bugger had been present for three days as a Red-throated Pipit. So much for modern identification techniques [Eds: harsh…]

The problem arising from such a great find was that I was carless until Russell got home. Chaos ensued as I attempted to find some poor soul to head on a twitch northwards. I had just resigned myself to not going when Russell pulled up outside. Hopes raised again I quickly phoned Tony and Kettle and arranged over the car phone [Eds: not sure which of the lads had one of these but I think it was Tony!] to rendezvous at the first service station on the A14 west of Cambridge. The journey took my about 50 minutes and I arrived shortly after the others. A quick car change and we were off again.

The journey up was a bit hairy in places [Eds: I can vividly remember the energetic overtaking on the A64 from York…] but by 5pm we were at Fiely in the company of well over 300 other birders. A very large circle had been formed around the grass the Pechora was frequenting and patience was required before any remotely satisfactory views were obtained but it was worth the wait. Now, normal human beings would almost describe this streaky little brown job as boring but to us dedicated birders it was one of those LBJs that we never expected to have the pleasure of seeing due to the overwhelming majority being on that inaccessible and expensive lump of rock that is Fair Isle.

[Eds: Interestingly during the 1990s I managed to see all of the standard Fair Isle specialities without going any further north than Northumberland with Lancy, PGTips, Yellow-breasted Bunting and Pechora all falling.  Rubythroat was still beyond our wildest dreams at this stage and I have still not seen one and White’s and Siberian Thrush had yet to fall.]

Over the next hour and half this eastern waif performed on and off very well to the assembled crowd and all the salient id features were noted. Consistent with other reports of Pechora, this bird never called once.  Happy with a profitable afternoon we left the bird when it dashed into a hedge to roost at 6.10pm. It was never seen again. Birders from the Scillies were ringing friends to see if it was worth leaving the island where it was so quiet that there were apparently 600 birders watching a Little Bunting and wishing they were in Yorkshire.  [Eds: I seem to recall that it was LGRE’s bogey bird at the time but that there was no way off Scilly on a Sunday].

Pechora Pipit #409

With that we packed up and headed for home, making a b-line for the McDonalds on the A! near Nottingham [Eds: This was our traditional stop on the way back from a big twitch up north]. Hunger sated the rest of the journey went really quickly and we were soon back at my little car on the A14. Only an hour to go before home and the opportunity to add #409 to my slowly improving list.

16^th October:

Five up in an Astra is not something I wish to experience again. The two Adrians, Tony W, Steve B and I squeezed into Adrian’s car in the name of twitching and headed north once again. The temptation of a two tick day was too good to miss.  The last time this happened was in 1990 with Greater Flamingo and Short-toed Treecreeper in Kent.  The birds we were after were both Yanks; the first, a Song Sparrow in the docks at Seaforth on the Mersey and the second a Greater Yellowlegs near Carlisle.

By 4.30am we were encamped outside the Freeport Dock gates, first in what was to become a very long queue some of which had evacuated the Scillies to get here.  Some looked more haggard than we did.  Stu Lambert was there but had had a bad start after getting off Scilly as his two front wheels had been removed in Penzance! Our wait outside the gates went quickly with much gossip and tale telling told and a rather vocal policeman was moving cars on tat tried to squeeze in front of us and blocking the gates. At 7am sharp we were let in and speed walked to the spot where the Sparrow had been seen to go to roost.

The place was hideous with acres of zinc bars piled high, huge scrap heaps, wood piles and dodgy looking pools of bubbling water. A Fox trotted by and Redwings streamed over in their hundreds.  Thankfully within ten minutes the Song Sparrow appeared on its favoured patch of grass and Mayweed around a small gravel excavation.  A strange little bird with curious mouse-like shuffling gait, scuttling between clumps of vegetation and more like a cross between a Dunnock and a grey-brown Reed bunting with a long rounded rufous tail that was frequently flicked up and open.

Seaforth Docks must rate as the ugliest place I have ever had the pleasure to go birding. I am in no hurry to return although an Ivory Gull may tempt me.

Song Sparrow #410 - the original is now in Shetland with Kettle

On up to scenic Carlisle and the pretty village on Rockcliff not more than a mile from the Scottish border.  Fortunately we arrived before the crowds and had great views of this lanky yellow shank.  It was quite happy chasing and catching Elvers and tiny Flounders although swallowing the latter was a bit more of a problem.  The Greater Yellowlegs seemed quite oblivious to our presence and allowed a very close approach.  In flight the square white rump and trailing legs were obvious and it was a much better bird than I imagined.

Greater Yellowlegs #411

Dozens of Fieldfares and Redwings were moving over and with a last look at the Legs we packed up and headed for home with smiles all round.

23^rd October:

Up to Landguard with Pete and Ted and Adastral Close was the first stop to check the Poplars and Sycamores as they always seem to attract passerines. Today was no exception with two Pallas’s Warblers, four Firecrests and a Chiffchaff amongst a large number of Goldcrests.  In some respects the Firecrests were even smarter that the stripy Pallas’s.

After a while I wandered down towards the Fort finding a pair each of Stonechat and Black Redstart on a triangle of waste ground.  The male Black Red was immaculate with huge sparkling white wing panels. Mipits, Skylarks and Thrushes were all on the move in a south-westerly direction.  

Black Redstart 

Moving on we headed to Golf Road by Felixstowe Ferry where a Yellow-browed Warbler was heard but remained unseen in a garden but there were more Goldcrests and Chiffies and what could have been a calling Pallas’s Warbler. To Fagbury Cliff next where another Pallas’s eluded us but the Yellow-browed Warbler was seen briefly. A male Ring Ouzel attempted to join a flock of Fieldfare and at one stage we had both these plus Redwing, Blackbird and Mistle Thrush in the top of the same Oak. 

South now and cross country to Colne Point we thankfully we found first time on this occasion. Our quarry here was a Rough-legged Buzzard that had been present ten days and a Great Grey Shrike.  Both were in attendance and the Buzzard was ridiculous, perching on the sea wall in front of us with a Rabbit. Unfortunately when it flew it went the other side and we lost it. The Shrike performed very from the wires around the chalets being carefully avoided by another Essex tick in the shape of a female Black Redstart.  Stonechats and Reed buntings were being similarly cautious although the Shrike seemed content with Beetles.

Great Grey Shrike

After a brief catch up with some of the locals we moved on to Holland Haven where yet another Pallas’s Warbler became my third Essex new bird in an hour.  It was well marked but only had the faintest upper wing bar.  Quite a day.

30^th October:

A hideously wet day in south-east Essex although Pete and I managed to avoid the worst of it while outside. There was no sign of the Shorelarks at Hanningfield Reservoir and little else bar a Little Stint so we headed into the wind and ever darkening clouds and Potton Island and thankfully it did not take long to find the adult Crane from the from the Wakering side of the wall.  A pleasing county tick after dipping one here twice in 1989. With the weather getting worse we trudged along the river wall in search of a Great Grey Shrike [Eds: This one day wonder would later transpire to be a Steppe Shrike…] but the heavens opened and all we got for our troubles was a Greenshank, two Stonechat and a flock of Corn Buntings.  We called it a day.

 

Crane 

Lowestoft Life - 23rd - 26th October 2024

A mid-afternoon potter out on the 23^rd with the now covid free Mr Wren took us to the Sotterley area to have a good shufty around for moth leaf mines and such like. We made three stops around the edge of the estate and found at least 42 different species on a wide variety of herbage including several new for me. The chapel graveyard was particularly good with both the mature Beech and Small Leaved Limes wiggled and blotched on many leaves.

The fallen Beech leaves with Stigmella tityrella mines were particularly wondrous with the still living larva exuding enzymes to keep the leaf immediately around it alive leaving obvious green islands within the nut brown.

Stigmella tityrella 

Stigmella hemargyrella  - the other Beech wiggle

There was plenty of other wildlife with Zig-zag sawflies on the Elm, Green Shieldbugs, Dock Bugs and even a few Dark Bush-Crickets still stridulating while a Peacock was resting up on a log looking like an almost black leaf.

Zig-zag sawfly

Dark Bush-Cricket

Peacock

The Yews in the churchyard had Nuthatches and Coal Tits and Buzzards were vocal but the surrounding farmland was devoid of any birds what so ever as seems to now be so often the case. The hedges were laced with red strings of Black Bryony like gaudy glowing scarlet pearls and the remaining Ivy was still being used by Common Wasps and Hornets, one of which allowed a close approach.   Araneus diadematus were strung across many hedgerow gaps and two of the really freaky Fork-palped Harvestmen that sit with their legs out to the side were found.  There is really a touch of the Alien Facehugger about them.

Fork-palped Harvestmen - possibly Dicranopalpus caudatus 

Fork-palped Harvestmen - possibly Dicranopalpus caudatus 

Black Bryony

Hornet

Hornet

That night the moth trap brought me my first Red-lined Quaker and Large Wainscot of the year and the Girdled Snails seems to be the most active mollusc up and down the fence panels.

Red-lined Quaker

Large Wainscot

Girdled Snail

Oh and a Cypress Carpet from the 23rd that I still had in the fridge 

The 24^th saw me heading down to Marsh Lane in Carlton for an explore.  It was a new spot for me as, although I have driven down there, I have not been able to park up. I was not inherently leaf mining but it quite easy to start notching them up and I ended up with 33 species including several new for me (with Antony’s later help).  I know that they may not be everyone’s cup of tea, even to moth’ers, but like it or not such records are actually probably more important in many respects that those moths that you distract long enough in your garden to descend into your glowing trap.  These wiggles, blotches, folds, seedhead and stem signs are actual proof of breeding at that site in that year.  Many of the species are almost microscopic and dust like and are not even identifiable as adults (or require some very permanent tampering with) and immature signs are the only way to verify their present.

Phyllonorycter kleemannella on Alder

It was a very pleasant out and surprisingly warm again and I found Common Darters and Willow Emeralds once again.  Hornets were with the Wasps and a few Hoverflies.  There were two funky Sawfly larva on the Alders and I also found Parent Bug and several Harlequin Ladybirds. The view out over Carlton Marshes was huge and I popped out just beyond the big line of Poplars that you can see from the reserve.

Playcampus luridiventris

And the second more caterpillar-like Sawfly

A Red Kite and male Marsh Harriers were patrolling and a few Meadow Pipits were disturbed by them.  A Great White Egret briefly lumbered west and two Chinese Water Deer were out in the sedge fields.

A stop later to pick up a prescription from the Victoria Road Surgery gave me a few minutes to check the Beech and Birch by the car and I very quickly found three species on the former and two on the latter including a funky Ectoedemia occultella on the Birch.  A Grey Wagtail flew over calling too.

Ectoedemia occultella

That evening we headed down to Blackheath Wood where a large Oak bough had been removed by someone with a chainsaw and was left by the entrance just crying out for a new home in my front garden.  It took two of us to move it! 

And with the temperature actually going up after dark we headed down to Pakefield Church to check on the still flowering Ivy for any Moths and found single migrant Rusty Dot Pearl and Scarce Bordered Straw, two Common and a Beautiful Plume.  All had to dodge the Araneus diadematus strung across the gaps.  The Bindweed also played host to another new mine with Bedellia somnulentella completely mining out between the layers of the leaves – another for me to look out for.

Bedellia somnulentella on Bindweed

My moth trap was on and Redwings called as I checked it the next morning. Quiet again with two Large Yellow and my first Lesser Yellow Underwing for a while Garden Carpet, Rusty Dot Pearl, Red-lined Quaker and the inevitable LBAMs with 23 counted.

I headed down to Pakefield Beach for a look at the murky sea where I counted 53 Dark-bellied Brent and a few dabblers south along with four Shelduck while a Merganser rocketed north. A female Peregrine was perched up offshore on ANS 2. It was very warm and I decided to take my time an properly look for leaf mines – all the while keeping my ear open for the hoped for Yellow-browed or Pallas’s Warbler. Alas there were no such waifs and just two Goldcrest for my troubles.  I did however do very well on the mines with 32 different ones found.  Still so much to learn.

Lesser Black-backed Gull

Great Black-backed Gull - not often one perches up here

Great Black-backed Gull

Teal

Dark-bellied Brent

Caloptilia rufipennella - early grazing and later stage folds

Stigmella aceris on Norway Maple

Stigmella trimaculella on Poplar

Eristalis pertinax

Mellinus arvensis

German Wasp - there were more of these than Common Wasps today

Mines...

Helophilus pendulus

Harlequin Ladybird

Harlequin Ladybird

Calliphora vicina

I had been noticing many native flowers still in bloom including Dandelions, Yarrow, Hogweed and Hedge Woundwort but back at home I even still have new flowers on Foxglove, Teasel, Ragwort and bizarrely, Cowslip.

Bristly Ox-Tongue

Great Mullein

Meadow Cranesbill

Borage

Creeping Thistle

Hedge Woundwort

Daisy

Ivy

Privet

Black Nightshade

Red Valerian

Pellitory-of-the-Wall

Annual Mercury

Mustard sp

Yarrow

Teasel

Ragwort

Cowslip

Large Flowered Evening Primrose

Foxglove

Dandelion

Red(ish) Campion

An inquisitive Robin

Haircut, lunch at the Lighthouse and then off for a drive around the Broads with a short stop at Hickling where the Yellow-browed Warblers did not make their presence known.  I did however buy a couple of Pitcher Plants from a random roadside stall! Six Cranes and some Pinkfeet were seen in flight on the loop round through Waxham and Horsey before heading back homewards.

The trap last night produced the much desired Merveille de Jour along with Delicate, Black Rustic and a cloud of LBAMs and while out there I heard Tree Sparrows calling and managed to pick up two heading high and south.  A most unexpected garden tick but being coastal now means I have a chance of such autumnal wonders.  A juvenile Marsh Harrier lazily flew east minutes later and I suspect a male as it was quite dinky.  The odd Chaffinch, Linnet, Grey Wagtail, Skylark and Meadow Pipit flew over and 36 Starlings were also seen very high up going south. A Goldcrest moved through the gardens too.

Merveille de Jour with three different backgrounds

Yin-Yang moths - Black Rustic & Delicate

I spent the quite a bit pf the day out the front garden manoeuvring those amazing logs (with able assistance) and they already look like they have been there for ever.  As usual there were some spare fernlets with which to start populating them.  I still find it amazing that the pond was only put in on 15^th February!

15th February

26th October