Glow Worms: Nature's torch

I missed the Olympic torch On Thursday 5th July, as I was working that day and visits to a school also. However, in the evening, at 9.30pm I visited Haddiscoe Bridge, the western side and parked the car and walked the 3/4 mile walk to the station. It wasn't quite dark but I did hear 2 distant reeling Grasshopper Warblers. It was also immediately apparent that the grass verges had recently been cut. Not a good sign. Walking back from the station, at 10.15, I saw the tell tale illuminous bright great light of the final 2 segments of the Glow Worm's body from deep within the cut grass. I then saw a total of 12 excellent Glow Worms all in the cut grass border (both sides with the west side sporting a slightly greater tally of Glow Worms) roughly in the middle of the stretch between Haddiscoe Bridge and station. The tiny luminous green lights (of the last 2 sections of their abdomen) were like over illuminated Christmas lights dumped at random on the ground spaces apart by several metres. After some experimentation, I set the camera to ISO 1600 and either F7.1 or F8 aperture and using the flash managed eventually to get a few decent shots although limiting the amount I photographed on each Glow Worm to minimise disturbance. The only thing I could focus on in the pitch black was the last 2 illuminated sections of the body and then moving the camera slightly up to include the whole of the Glow Worms body. Press the shutter and hold the camera still until the shutter had released to try and prevent inevtable camera shake. A Gorilla pod tripod were be ideal for the type of photography! I'll have to get one! One particularly showy individual climbed to the top of a grass stem and moved around a little.

Pyramidal Orchid, Song Thrush, Spider & surrogate parent!

Tuesday 3rd July I finally found the Pyramidal Orchid in the Lowestoft area, a fine speciman with the lower flowers starting to fade. A Meadow Brown and large Moth with chestnut underwings also seen on a wet morning. At lunchtime I had a quick look at the traditional Great Yarmouth Bee Orchid site and counted 163 Bee Orchids all past their best but an impressive tally nonetheless. Wednesday 4th July, early morning, a Song Thrush was in the garden feeding on the ant nests on the lawn at the back. At Carlton Marshes in the evening, I saw an interesting looking Spider on the dyke with dark slightly swollen abdomen and yellow stripe running down the back, it rushed out to get something on the dyke from the far end of the dyke it rushed back again, it was my first Fen Raft Spider sighting! I'd missed them everytime in 8 visits to NWT Redgrave & Lopham Fen nonetheless an excellent reserve. Also on the dyke were 3 Norfolk Hawkers showing very well and landing on the nearside vegetation. High- pitched "cheep" calls eventually revealed a young chick which seemed to imprint itself on me, it kept running towards me along the path. It ran unevenly, even toppling over, with it's legs dangling in the air and then getting up and running swaying from side to side it used its tiny wings to steady itself but it fell over again with a leg stuck in the air! The chick kept running towards me even changing direction when I walked back along the path. When it reached me and my hand it crouched down and went to sleep! A really lovely bird, pity I couldn't adopt it!! A big thanks to Kyle M, a Carlton Marshes regular who took this great pic (see above). The chick was in real danger exposed on the path not only from natural predators but also dogs too. So doing what all surrogate parents do, using a cloth, I picked it up and put it into deep cover very near to where I first saw or rather heard it, to help protect it. Let's hope the parents locate it. Rather ominously, a male Marsh Harrier quartered the fields nearby. When I got home I did a bit of research and it proved to be a Ring- necked Pheasant chick.

.TOP PIC COURTESY OF Kyle M

Minsmere Phalarope

A Minsmere Phalarope had me heading down this evening 5.30pm onwards, to the reserve driven by OFB. We walked down to the South Hide meeting lee Evans en route and when we entered the hide we were pleased to see Paul & Jane there. From the right hand end, we spotted the Phalarope, a moulting male Red- necked Phalarope in good plumage still. it was the far end of the scrape, swimming around pecking invertebrates off the water. meanwhile, a Spotted Redshank in fine full summer plumage walked around the finger, walked rapidly as I turned my camera towards it. Another fine dusky Spotted Redshank was at the back too. The Phalarope then fed in front of a black- hooded immature Little Gull perched on an island behind it.

Back to Lowestoft!

On arrival on Saturday 30th June, during the early evening, Jenny indicated we had an Orchid growing in the central flower bed of the back garden, it had seeded naturally, it was a superb Southern Marsh Orchid. On Sunday 1st July, a trip to Corton new sewage works, revealed 6 Bee Orchids seen beyond the fence and 1 Southern Marsh Orchid, was also seen beyond the fence just right of the main entrance. I couldn't see the hoped for Pyramidal Orchid on the left. In looking for the Pyramidal Orchid, a Fox was disturbed from its den (a flattened piece of grass) and was seen bounding across the entrance road heading east and then leaping over the fence. By the pond, 3 male Black- tailed Skimmers were seen over the water. Later in the afternoon, at Carlton Marshes no Spiders were seen (the cloudy and but 2 Norfolk Hawkers showed well flying over the water, 1 a female oviposted on the water. The other flew around a bush hawking for insects and rested up somewhere on a bush/ tree when it started to rain. Back in the garden, late afternoon, a delightful handful of young Long- tailed Tits perched on the bean poles right in front of the conservatory whilst a Dunnock was busy feeding from an ant nest on the lawn and was quite confiding until the arrival of the camera. It was later seen behind the bench underneath the pergoda.

Isle of Man Birds and Orchids

On principally, a family holiday on the Isle of Man from the 23rd to 30th June, the island lies in the middle of the Irish sea, north west off the English coast. The island is 33 miles long and 12 miles wide, with a wide variety of habitats and stunning scenery sometimes reminiscent of Scottish landscapes in its area of 227 square miles. On Sunday 24th June, a visit to the picturesque Peel Harbour and Castle revealed up to 5 superb Black Guillemots or Tysties (to give them their Scottish name) in the harbour 2 close in by a fishing boats they then flew then incredibly one flew in and settled in an alcove by the harbour wall. A walk around the castle revealed a female and young Eider on the sea. meanwhile back in the harbour a female Eider showed well on some rocks. meanwhile in a channel by some boats a Tystie flew in with a caught pink Eel type fish and swam left and then incredibly flew onto a boat and showed exceptionally well on the deck. My thanks to the boat owners to drawing my attention to the bird and allowing me to take pics! On Monday 25th June, I visited the Close Sartfield Manx Wildlife Trust reserve, just by the car park was a field covered in thousands of Orchids, 1000's of Spotted orchids and 1000's of Heath Spotted Orchids and around 100+ of the Northern Marsh Orchids. A wonderful sight! A path ran parallel to the car park and all 3 varieties could be seen. A walk around revealed 3 fields and another area right of the boardwalk absolutely covered with Orchids. From the hide at the end of the boardwalk, a distant Hen Harrier was seen flying left over a distant peak of moorland and woods. From the top of the hide up to 11 Redpoll seen, trilling as they flew over, 1 perched on top a distant tree, one perched on a tree next to the hide but looking against the light. 8 Siskin flew over, 8 Curlew flew by. Birds hear included Blackcap, Reed Bunting and finally by the car park, 2 Speckled Woods seen. A trip on rib, kindly organised by my cousin Martin to Maughould (pronounced Maccie) Head looking out on dramatic rocky coast (similar to Farnes) revealed a total of 28 Black Guillemots, a total of 18 Puffin out to sea, 3 seen near the boat swimming on the water. 24 Grey Seal seen including 3 together and one rising vertically out of the water curious to see who we were! c300 razorbills flying past the boat and perched in lines on the cliffs, c200 of the chocolate brown plumaged Guillemots also flying past the boat and perched on the ledges of the cliffs. Further up on the grassy knolls, 14 pairs of Fulmar counted and several flew or glided on stiff wings over the boat. Over 100 Cormorants seen and 400 Shag, many on ledges near the water line and many fishing on the sea. 140 Kittiwake seen many nesting over a cave entance and their distinctive calls heard here too. 18 Oystercatchers on the land, 36 Gannets flew by (including 3 immatures and 1 sub-adult), 1 adult Gannet was also perched on a small rocky outcrop. A group of 5 sub- adult male Eiders seen on the return trip and a Harbour Porpoise seen by Martin only. To be continued. On Thursday Manx Shearwater seen on Friday at a trip to Snaefell Stonechat & Raven seen. Later on at Sugar Loaf by the bund, amazing to see 10 calling Chough wheeling around over my head by the top sea cliff, Razorbills and Guillemots seen too. At Agnes Head several Arctic Terns seen on the beach with Gannets and Kittiwakes streaming past. On sat 30th June a trip round Snaefell revealed a fantastic male Hen Harrier flying past the car, no area to stop though as it was near the summit on a bend on a single track road.

Carlton Marshes Spotted Fly

I was up with the lark, this morning, although not heard today (unlike yesterday morning Friday 22 June, where 1 Sky Lark flew overhead singing beautifully) taking advantage of the wonderful golden early morning light to photograph the local 4 Bee Orchids along the roadside verge. On Fallowfields, I saw the very vocal (and much appreciated) local Willow Warbler singing on top of a bush. At Carlton Marshes, Goldfinches 4, 5 Linnets at the start and 2 Reed and 3 Sedge Warblers were seen although breeze was keeping them low down in reeds/ bushes. At the end of the main track, after seeing c6 low flying Swifts, a welcome Spotted Flycatcher perched for some time in a bush to the left. I managed to get a few shots of this bird, as I did of a calling male Whitethroat from on top of a piece of bramble bush.

Darter dip and Shrike tick!

On Sunday 17th June, hearing from some friends they had found a Large White- faced darter along Docwra's dyke, I was urged to keep it quiet there was no way the spot could be policed all the time and I was also very concerned about "collectors" coming to "obtain" one, let's be honest brutally murder it. See my earlier post re: the Southern Migrant Hawkers in Essex. So not a word from me, and no blogging until now, until Suffolk BINS/ RBA put the news out. I visited late morning, it was a blustery day and at the dyke with the bridge, I first spotted a female Blue-tailed Skimmer on the path, up to 3 Four- spotted Chasers seen perching by the reeds and 1 Hairy Hawker was buzzing about too. A Water Vole briefly swam through the reeds. Unfortunately, there was no sign of the hoped- for darter during my two hour vigil. On Wednesday 20th June, hearing of a Woodchat Shrike this time at Lowestoft at Gunton Cliff viewable from the bus stop opposite the Pitch and Putt entrance. Rob Wil, Andrew E, Paul & Jane were there and after 10 minutes the Woodchat Shrike, a probable female 1st year bird briefly popped up on some gorse. Later, it was seen and photographed perched deep in the gorse bush with just the head and shoulders showing. But overall a somewhat elusive bird.