Lowestoft Life - 28th - 31st October 2024

On the 28^th Andrea was having a stall in Gorleston so I dropped her off and headed over to the Waveney Forest for a walk in the woods.  It was still quite warm but it was grey and breezy and it felt like rain was in the air.  The woods here are almost entirely Oak, Pine and Birch but despite this I did pretty well on the leaf mines with single species of other trees yielding plenty of additions.

Ecteodemia occultella on Birch

Stigmella anomalella on Rose

Stigmella basiguttella on English Oak 

Tischeria ekebladella on English Oak

I was still hopeful of a stray leaf-warbler but only picked up a few Goldcrests and Treecreeper amongst the roving Tit flocks.  Great Spotted Woodpeckers were heard and the odd Redwing and Song Thrush called but the woods were actually very quiet.

Down at the viewpoint overlooking Halvergate Marshes produced the hoped for Herony assemblage with five Grey Herons, five Great White Egrets, four Little Egrets and three Cattle Egrets.  It was pleasing to see a large flock of vaguely shimmering Lapwings in the distance and Marsh Harriers and Buzzards were patrolling.

Great White Egrets

Lapwings

Marsh Harrier

Marsh Harrier

There were many spent stems of Marsh Mallow along the reed fringe and Water Rails squealed from within.

Marsh Mallow

Holly

Despite the grey, it was not cold and in the sheltered areas there were still many Common Darters on the wing and a few Wasps and Eristalis pertinax and Dark Bush-crickets were still noisy in the Bracken edges where various fungi proliferated.

Common Darter

Eristalis pertinax

Dark Bush-cricket

Seven Spot Ladybird

I had my lunch back at the car and then trundled the local lanes until I saw a sign to St Mary’s Church in Ashby. It suggested a ¼ mile walk to the 12^th century building so I set off down the track into the Somerleyton Estate.  Yes, I did some more leaf mining adding six to the day tally but it was the huge hedges of still flowering Ivy that caught my eye as they were still teeming with Wasps, Buff-tailed Bumblebees, Bluebottles and Hoverflies.

I counted over 70 Eristalis of four species along with Helophilus pendulus, Episyrphus balteatus, Myathropa florea, Syrphus ribesii, Eupeodes corollae and two hulking Sericomyia silentis.  There were a couple of Red Admirals and Large Whites too and several Nettle-Tap moths.

Sericomyia silentis

Bombus terrestris

Eristalis pertinax

Bombus terrestris

Eristalis tenax

Red Campion

The ‘meep-meep’ of a Zebra Finch caught my ear and I found him in the hedge looking slightly dejected.  The Ivy also hosted a few Song Thrush but there were no Redwings or other small birds.  A tilled field held 60 Pied Wagtails that were attracted to the puddled ruts in which to bathe but the only finch was a single Linnet and there were no larks, buntings and pipits.

Zebra Finch

Pied Wagtails

Pied Wagtails

Rooks and Jackdaws

St Mary's

A chat on the phone in the garden on the evening of the 29^th was actually ornithologically productive with my 3^rd Little Egret, 2^nd Mute Swan (a juvenile), three Meadow Pipits, two Chaffinch, Sparrowhawk and a flock of 18 Redwing heading up into the grey at dusk to continue their journey. Mothing at home that night produced 12 species with Rusty Dot Pearl, Diamond-back, Scarce Bordered Straw, Black Rustic and Angle Shades amongst the possible migrants and a male November Moth was new to the garden and was ‘checked out’ that evening by Antony!

November Moth

Down to see my parents of the 30^th where I drove past Rainham Marshes without seeing the Long-billed Dowitcher messages!  Thankfully it was still there the next morning although I was fully suited and booted as we were on our way to The Boys wedding in Rochester that afternoon.  I enjoyed my short visit and managed a quick catch up and cuppa with friends as well as adding a new species to my once very precious site list.

Long-billed Dowitcher - Steve Bacon

Long-billed Dowitcher - Pat Hart