Lowestoft Life - 14th April 2025

I am determined to try and get out somewhere each day if I can while I am at home there are likely to me more Lowestoft Life bloglets in the coming months.  Today I popped down to Kessingland, not to the beach (which I suspect was already busy judging by the full car park) but to the circular loop past the sewage works that I took while hunting flycatchers in the autumn. 

I was hoping for some migrant action.  Surely there must be one of the Whitethroats, Willow Warbler or even a Cuckoo but other than Chiffchaffs and the odd Blackcap there was nothing whatsoever which was disappointing.

The hedgerows were lined with a thick bank of Alexanders and the scent pervaded the air.  Those patches in the sun and importantly, out of the wind too were being visited by plenty of insects with Eristalis pertinax being the commonest species but I also found, Eristalis tenax and intricaria, Epistrophe eligans, Syprhus ribesii, Meliscaeva auricollis, Eristalinus sepulchralis and Cheilosia vernalis.

Eristalinus sepulchralis

Syprhus ribesii

Eristalis pertinax

Epistrophe eligans

Syprhus ribesii

Cheilosia vernalis

Eristalis pertinax

Eristalis pertinax

There were many of a large, long legged Tachinid which looks like being a Macquartia sp and both Calliphora vicina and vomitoria, a single Lucilia and four aged bronzy Udasyphora cyanella.

Udasyphora cyanella

Udasyphora cyanella

Musca autumnalis

Bombylius major

Macquartia sp

Macquartia sp

Calliphora vicina 

Calliphora vomitoria - just see the edge of the golden beard

Calliphora vicina 

Ground Ivy

White Dead Nettle

Spring Beauty

There were very few Butterflies with a few Peacocks and Green-veined Whites but I did find my first Speckled Wood of the year.

Speckled Wood 

Speckled Wood 

Green-veined White

The Bees were, as ever, problematical with countless small Andrenas and a couple of larger females that I have had a go at.  Bombus pascuorum was the common Bumblebee and I found one smart Nomada on the Celandines.

Andrena trimmerana

Andrena trimmerana

Andrena nitida

Andrena nitida

Nomada goodeniana

Despite the blue sky there was still a chill I the air as I came back up through the parallel hedges.  No Wheatears in the fields today – just wheat but I flash of grey on a pair of Crows had me raise the bind and then the camera.  A Hooded but in the few seconds I had I could tell that it was not quite right.  The grey was a shade too dark and in flight there was far too much black bleeding into the rear of the flanks and underbelly.  A hybrid but a very pleasing find nonetheless and I suspect it may account for the odd Hooded Crow report to the south of town all winter.

Hooded x Carrion Crow

Hooded x Carrion Crow

Hooded x Carrion Crow

Lunch beckoned…