Holiday Lifers.

 The past two weeks we have been away on holiday. The first week was to a nice house beside Salthouse Church in Norfolk, then the second week was to a small 400 yr old house in Westleton, Suffolk. When I am away I am always on the look out for new species, no matter what they are, be it birds, butterflies, moths or anything really. Unlike these expert 'Pan species' Listers who can identify 400 species of invertebrate in an afternoon, I am much slower and tend to focus on things that are at least a bit distinctive, that give me a chance of an id without a microscope.

So when going to East Anglia, the moth trap is a must have, especially in summer where there are loads of species we dont get up here. Over the fortnight new things arrived almost daily so I will list them witha photo in chronological order....

#1. 9th June - Alder Kitten Furcula bicuspis.

This moth has never occurred in Northumberland. Even the two species of kitten that have occurred are rare in my garden, so rare that Ive never seen Poplar Kitten either, but I do get an occasional Sallow Kitten. Alder is the easiest to identify being darker that the other two. Well pleased to get this.

 #2 10th June. Crested Cow Wheat Melampyrum cristatum

 

 Luck helps. I saw a post by Rob Yaxley on Bluesky saying he had shown this rare and declining plant to some friends recently, so I asked him for the location and he kindly obliged. Nice one.

#3 10th June Satin Wave Idaea subsericeata

Not recorded in Northumberland since 1920 and there are only 2 records, the other being 1908. Chances of getting this at home are slim.

#4 11th June a Planthopper Issus coleoptratus  

No idea. Out with Peggy and it was on a leaf so I took its photo to id later. A new species!

#5 11th June Hoverfly Xanthogramma pedissequum.

Sorry about the photo, I couldn't get close enough. A black and yellow hoverfly that does occur in Northum,berland, just that I've never seen it.

#6 Wasp Beetle Clytus arietis

My mate John gets these in his garden about 5 miles from me, but they are still scarce in the county. Pleased to finally catch up with one.

#7 12th June Alabonia geoffrella 'Geoff'!

Been hoping to meet 'Geoff' for ever but only recently discovered it can be found in Norfolk. I was right at the end of its flight season so only found the one, a bit worn with age, but very acceptable. Not found in Northumberland.

#8 12th June Scarlet Tiger Callimorpha dominula

Not on the radar. Only when Mark Golley was showing me a site for Geoff did he mention that Scarlet Tiger was just emerging in Cley. We found half a dozen of these stunners. Only found in the south of England.

#9 12th June Maple Prominent Ptilodon cucullina 

Hoped to see one of these, this one was sat on top of the trap. It doesnt occur in Northumberland.

#10 12th June Small China Mark Cataclysta lemnata

I wasnt sure if this was new or not at the time, on checking these were my first. Two caught.

#11 12th June Rosy Wave Scopula emutaria

The day before catching this I had been thumbing the guide and looked at Rosy Wave and thought it looked quite distinctive. Never expected to see one as soon. 

#12 12th June Aethes beatricella 

Its surprising this was new as I caught loads of them on this trip. Maybe they have increased recently?

#13 12th June Flecked General Soldier Fly  Stratiomys singularia

Landed beside me as I sat in the Salthouse garden. 

#14 14th June Orange Moth Agerona prunaria

Our first night in Suffolk. Certainly didn't expect to see Orange Moth. I always thought of it as a species of mature woodland in Kent! It wouldnt sit for a photo hence the pot shot.

#15 14th June Pine Hawk-moth Sphinx pinastri 

At last, one of my targets for this holiday. We caught 3 or 4 over the week. A nice big moth...

#16 14th June The Lackey Malacosoma neustria

Unexpected but quite common most nights in Suffolk. This one is a male.

#17 14th June Dicrorampha petiverella 

I hope this one is right? 

#18 14th June Valerian Pug Eupithecia valerianata

Had two of these. Didn't realise how scarce they were, but apparently this is the moth of the trip!

#19 15th June Yellow Oak Tortrix Aleimma loeflingiana 

This moth occurs scarcely in the south of Northumberland but is much rarer where I live with only 3 records in VC68 North Northumberland, so it was good to get a few of these in East Anglia.

#20 15th June Dwarf Cream Wave Idaea fuscovenosa 

Only 9 Northumberland records of this diminutive wave, the last being 18 years ago. Nice to get a fresh one here 

#21 16th June Four Spotted Footman Lithosia quadra 

Only 3 of these in Northumberland where it is a very rare migrant. Down south this has been a good year for them, also probably migrants.

#22 17th June Hedya salicella 

Another rare one at home with only 10 county records.

#23 17th June Monochroa palustrellus

Not recorded in Northumberland, this Nationally scarce moth favours sandy areas of SE England.

#24 18th June Firebug Pyrrhocoris apterus

 This bright bug is at the northern most edge of its European range in the south of England. This particular one was running fast along a grass verge so I was lucky to get any photos at all!

#25 18th June Spotted Medick Medicago aribica 

If a species ever shows the need to be alert at all times this one is it for me. We were having lunch at the Eels Foot Inn, Eastbridge when I looked at the ground where we sat. In a scuffed up path area, this was crushed below... rare in Northumberland.

#26 19th June Large Marsh Horsefly Tabanus autumnalis

This large bitey Cleg was on our garden furniture at the Suffolk House. About an inch long it was a stunner. I like these dangerous critters same was as deadly plants and fungi in that we are just a meal to them... hard as nails.

So 26 new species without too much difficulty. We are off to Deeside in the autumn so you never know there might be something to find up there too...

East Anglia Hols part 2.

 Walberswick, Suffolk.

We packed up at Salthouse and drove the 63 miles south through broadland to our Suffolk destination. Walberswick is always a favourite when we are here, but we've not stayed in the village before. Our house for the week was just about opposite the Anchor Pub, very handy.

Above - Thats us to the left of the large blue grey house .

Walberswick

A wander around the village and harbour in the afternoon had 2 High flying Bearded Tits over the allotments, a late Common Sandpiper and a Kingfisher sitting in the roosting Herring Gulls on the edge of the harbour piles.

Sunday 29th September - 

We had a few hours at the Aldeburgh Food Festival at Snape Maltings today. Very nice...

Not much of note seen other than yesterdays Kingfisher still with the gulls, 1 Little Egret and a lot of Dunnocks ...

See those Gulls, theres a Kingfisher with them!

Monday 30th September

A storm today, SSE 6 blustery with rain fair with some sun after 3pm. Despite the weather looking like it might ground some migrants there was absolutely nothing, not even a chiffchaff. 

Tuesday 1st October

Peggy's birthday today, she is 11.

Weather still shocking. Wet, drizzle, SW4, dark. Rain did not stop for a minute during daylight hours. We've never seen this in sunny Suffolk!

A Snipe in-off plus a female Pintail over the marshes summed it up.

Wednesday 2nd October

A bit better today though not much. NE3 Cloudy, some drier spells but odd heavy showers.

We walked down to the beach and back to the village to the bridle path to Southwold.

A few Siskins flew S, 35+ Dark bellied Brent Geese, 3 Turnstone, 2 Great White Egret, Bearded Tits heard, Cetti's likewise, 100+ Barnacle Geese, feral birds, 2 Swallows.

In better weather we had a look around Southwold. Hopefully  it will improve tomorrow.

Thursday 3rd October.

Wind has dropped to a light NE2, Getting brighter as the day went on.

7am walked Peggy to the beach. A Muntjac was in the allotments, 400+ Barnacle Geese flew N low overhead.

Todays visit was down to Aldeburgh. Rain had stopped and the sun shone. A bit of a shop and some chips on the beach followed by a walk on the beach just south of Thorpeness. We then went on to Sizewell where the new power station works have begun.

Sizewell, at the N end of the dunes, a lovely fresh shiny female Adder was basking right out in the open.

At the outfall were 2 ad Little Gulls, and a fw Mediterranean Gull plus Common Tern.

In the car park, Hairy Shieldbug, Common Darters and a few Southern Hawkers were seen.

Hairy Shieldbug 

Friday 4th October

A fine sunny day finally. While up north is getting lots of rare and scarce birds there is still nothing at Walberswick. Before lunch we walked down to the beach and around the marshes.

24+ Bearded Tits were seen nicely, 4 Swallows flew S and a nice Slow Worm was found crossing a path in the reeds.

Slow Worm in the hand...

We were heading to Southwold this afternoon but a tip off from a local lady directed us to Southwold Church Yard where a Pallas's Warbler had been found. There was no sign when we arrived so we went shopping for an hour returning later.  Soon after we got back someone located the bird and about 8 of us had good views as it fed in and out of thick trees and shrubs. It was chased at one point by a Yellow browed Warbler and a Pied Fly was also showing well. Others had seen a Firecrest but we could only find half a dozen Goldcrests. Still, my earliest ever Pallas's Warbler is a great way to end our holiday.

Norfolk and Suffolk, its been a blast! Back soon...

Suffolk...

 I was going to do a better holiday blog, but things are backing up on me a bit so this will be brief, just for completeness. While we were away for 2 weeks there were very few noteworthy bird reports from Suffolk but my Northumberland Birds WhatsApp group was niggling away at me with almost daily reports of the goodies back home. Most galling was a tremendous juvenile Red footed Falcon on one of our local moorland patches. I even recognised the telegraph pole it was perched on in the photos! After about 10 days of daily gripping frame fillers, we were on our way home. Bird still present at 10.30am. Looking good. After 360 miles with a sickly clutch I decided to get up there first thing next morning. Yes you've guessed it. That 10.30 am sighting while I was on the A1 near Stamford, was the last. It had gone.

Back to the Suffolk report. The only good bird ( for us) was a very close Dartford Warbler in the dunes at Sizewell. We went for a brace of Glossy Ibis at Aldburgh but dipped those. Im starting to sound like Unlucky Alf here...

So, I'll just end with some snaps from the week...

Peggy enjoyed her trips out and pub lunches...

Southwold, always a pleasure.

Aldeburgh Food Festival at Snape Maltings.

Crabbing at Walberswick.

Above, Shingle Street. What a place.

Sunset from the house

Wood Mouse watching the moth trap action...

Holiday Moths

 Well that's our two weeks holiday in Suffolk over and we are back to work.

We spent the fortnight, as usual, in Westleton, a village only a mile or so from RSPB Minsmere, a place we have visited twelve times since 2002, staying in eight different houses! Its probably enough to say that we like it there.

From a wildlife perspective, I never seem to do very well with the birding, but for insects and other taxa, there is plenty to keep my interest up over multiple visits. Who knows, one day I might even jam in on a good bird !

For this post I just want to get the mothing out of the way. Over two weeks I trapped on 6 nights, missing others due to overnight wind or showers.

There were 9 new species for me, most interestingly were a good few migrants.

Best of all was this Diasemiopsis ramburialis, the Vagrant China Mark. This is a vagrant with only 8 previous Suffolk records.

I think this Pediasia contaminella is new for me? Not found at home.

This Carnation Tortrix Cacoecimorpha pronubana was nice even showing its orange hindwing.

One of my most wanted migrants, Palpita vitrealis came on the final night trapping. What a stunner, smaller than imagined.

This Mallow was quite distinctive when compared to the Shaded Broad Bar which is common at home.

Above, this Hoary Footman was tricky to separate from Scarce Footman but both were caught.

Scarce Footman with the bright darker yellow full length costa.

Feathered Brindle was a nice surprise and off my radar, only the one caught.

Geography sorts out this Deep Brown Dart from our own Northern Deep Brown Dart. Caught a few of these. Back home NDBD is barely annual in small numbers.

Apart from those new to me species, there was also some I am pleased to get on my visits to Suffolk - 

Convolvulus Hawk-moth, three taken on the first two nights, none thereafter. These two in the trap together.

I have only seen one Delicate before, but caught them every time trapping here up to 5 a night,

Scarce Bordered Straw visited 3 times, both pale and dark forms seen.

Neocochylis molliculana Ive had on a previous visit.

As above, Webb's Wainscot has graced the holiday trap before.

So, its always good to take the moth trap on holiday, there is always going to be something of interest in there...