Cold Weather movements

147 Lapwings at Henstead and flocks of Redwings over Beccles Common. First few flakes of snow in Beccles at 8am.

More Flowers and Fungi

Continuing with my Wild Flower Society winter flowers competition I added Henbane from a garden in Beccles and three Primroses in Stockton Churchyard. Nothing new in the fungi line but a fresh flush of these Spotted Tough Shanks (Collybia maculata)

Winter Fungus

The winter fungus is common on elm and many other deciduous tree stumps and is also known as Velvet Shank (Flammulina velutipes) and these were found at Gunton Wood Lowestoft. sadly the place has been over tided by so called conservationist and the wod has been almost stripped of vegetation, however the light and wet conditions (cly soil) has produced and excellent fungus flora

Pink Knotweed

This was our first trip out this month after Eileen and I suffered influenza.

Two aliens were recorded. The first was a life tick Persicaria capitata Pink Knotweed growing from a pavement crack in Puddingmoor Beccles. and another more common alien Campanula trachelium Nettle-leaved Bellflower. More will be added to the WFS December flowering list

Berries for the Birds

We have a Rowan tree outside our home that has been watched from flower to fruit this last year. the flower to fruit took 12 weeks and by August plump red berries had formed. The tree was visited by Chaffinches and the Tits but they found more interest in the invertabrates.

By late September the first wave of continental Blackbirds and Song Thrushes attacked the berries. The peak count was of c15 Blackbirds and three Song Thrushes but the Thrushes only arrived to feed one at a time the other two would wait in a nearby Willow until the present Incumbant came back fully fed.

I soon observed that once I had placed a net of peanuts in the branches a parade of Tits would visit on a daily basis. Now I have only ever witnessed this once and that was back in the winter of 1989. Each member of the Tit family was queuing up to feed on the bag.

Great Tits would begin followed by the Blue Tits. Occasionally, at least once or twice a day a roving mixed tit flock would arrive from the north east after flying the circuit of trees and shrubs of the large car park which housed the Rowan. The impetuous young of each species would attempt to gatecrash the larger vistor so a fight would ensue. The Great Tit being the larger of the species would take control and after a day or so even the new young birds knew the pecking order. Within this flock there would be 10 or so Long-tailed Tits and these would attend the nut bag last, of course being the smallest of the tits present.

At the time of writing the tree has been stripped of berries by the Thrushes and the Tits have moved to pastures new.

One is preparing for a hard winter and the nut bag has so far remained untouched. I will miss my daily observations at this Rowan but perhaps the forthcoming winter may attract the Tits back if nothing else.

Alien Confirmed

Eileen and I walked to Kessingland Sewage Works again and found several aliens from the Toamto, Sweet Alison and an unknown, Shown here John Peacock identified it as Niger/Nyjer (Guizotia abyssinica).

I must buy a field guide to aliens.

Kessingland Way

Visted my childhood home for a walk with Eileen around Coopers Lane. 23 Lapwings were seen the fungus Volvariella sepciosa in winter wheat, and Lepista inversa under Elms.
Four Chiffchaffs were in bushes by the sewage works. Here is a pic of L. inversa

Birding at Barsham

Eileen and I spend a day a month recording the natural history subjects of the parish of Barsham for the owners of Barsham Hall. Today there was a strong but mild southerly wind. We saw 57 Skylarks and c40 Jackdaws. Fungi were Clitocybe nebularis and Lepiota procera. We found a single flower of Linseed in the arable crops

Suffolk Flora Atlas

Pre publication offer now open for publication in March 2010.
some of my photographs will be in the book too.
Vist this site to pre order.
http://www.users.globalnet.co.uk/~sbrc/Flora.htm

Puccinias

Not much Bird life just the usual so looked for some micro fungi. Found three Puccinias Puccina smyrnii on Smynium olusatrum (Alexanders) P. malvacea on Malva sylvestris (Common Mallow) P. urticata on Urtica dioica (Stinging Nettle)

The 12 Pied Wagtails remain on the rugby pitch

Routine Visit

The normal routine around the patch produced nothing notable. The mixed Larus flock remain stable on the football pitch and the mixed Corvids remain on the marshes at Worlingham and Boney Island. New fungus for my Beccles List called Lactarius brittanicus this is my 115th species but only my 50th Agaricle.

Now the rains have come I expect to find more Ascomycetes and Discomycetes.

Found some Neuroterus quercusbaccarum (Common Spangle Galls) on fallen Quercus rober (Pedunculate Oak)shown here.

Woodpigeon immigration

The inclement weather did not attract me out today but at my parents from their conservatory I witnessed hundreds of Wood Pigeons flying south west off the sea over Kessingland

Common Gull Increase

An uneventful walk around the patch this morning The overwintering Common Gulls are increasing and today I counted 28 ad winters and 46 ad winter Black-headed Gulls.
a small flock of Goldfinches and a smattering of Robins with a few in song. The mixed Corvid flock was there with mainly Rooks but there were a few Jackdaws Carrion Crows and elsewhere a few Jays and Magpies, the area is ideal for Corvids. No great migratory movements today and the recent common passerine influx has dispersed.

An abundance of Fungi

A single Lesser Redpoll was found whilst I was studying a Goldfinch flock feeding on Picris echiodes seeds and the single Redpoll was with them, that lifted the spirits during a dull and dismal day.

The Common and associated woodland had produced loads of fungi including great troops of Laccaria laccata and Flammulina velutipes.

here is the Winter fungus or Velvet Shank on an Ulex stump.

Winter Birding

Took the opportunity to visit Benacre Broad today. I walked from kessingland and met another Birder Steve on Kessingland Beach just as the Snow Bunting flock passed over my head, luckily they landed on the beach behind me and I soon had the scope up and found the two Shorelarks reported on 7th November. they then alighted and flew straight towards Steve who although saw the flock of birds saw them land some 800 yards inland a bit near the Little Tern colony fence.

We then walked the beach and stopped at Benacre Pits to see a Little Egret. We then walked up t Beach Farm where we scoped at least five Tree Sparrows in the hedgerow near some Millett game cover. So far it had been a great day with three year ticks in one day. On Benacre Broad we saw a Chinese Water Deer a Black tailed Godwit and three Dunlin. On the return journey six Brent Geese flew south. Steve and I agreed we had had a good day

Hooray for Fungi

No longer is September the start of the Agaric season it seems late October and early November. Lots of Amanita muscaria, and Marasmius species I am still trying to identify.

The Waveney Valley is now alive with Fungi I am never sure where to go next.
Lots of Chanterelles as seen in photo this year

2008 Wildlife Crime Results

682 reports of shooting and destruction of birds other than birds of prey.
210 reports of shooting, trapping and nest destruction of birds of prey.
42 reports of taking, possession or sale of birds of prey
36 reports of egg collecting incidents
27 reports relating to illegal disturbance or photography of schedule 1 birds in the same year.

How many do not get reported?

Thunder, Gordian and Horsehair Worms

Recently I met my dear friend and plantsman Keith Nichols for a mardle, he lives in Kessingland and recently observed a long thin hair like worm wrapping itself around one of his plants. He was at some loss as to what it could be and turned to me for an answer.
Without a voucher specimen to hand I knew that Keith had found a Horsehair Worm.
I soon returned home but did not turn as usual to the internet but spent a useful and very productive afternoon in my library looking through my Victorian literature on these strange creatures in my collection of books. These slender up to 15” long thin worms are also called Gordian worms, related to nematodes. When immature they are parasites of many insect species and other invertebrate animals but never Humans.
Us Naturalists are not sure how immature horsehair worms infect hosts but a telephone call to some more eminent scientist friends of mine believe that they encyst on vegetation near water and are eaten by the host. The cyst breaks down and the larva penetrates through the intestinal wall and into the body cavity. Other Naturalist friends tell me that the larvae randomly penetrate the body of any spider or invertebrate that passes nearby
Horsehair worms are often seen in puddles of water and other pools of fresh water, swimming pools, water tanks and as well as on plants. They are especially common after a rainfall. Horsehair worms may even be found inside homes in toilets. This can cause considerable concern as people often worry that they may have found some type of human parasite!.
My ancient Suffolk dialect books tell me that the name Thunderworm is a frequent name for the worms too due to their appearance in puddles after rain.

Thunder Storm Carp

An afternoon session on my local mixed fishery produced just two fish before a tremendous thunderstorm and heavy rain. As soon as I huddled under the brolly a Common Carp of just under 4lb came to the nest after taking my margin fished bait. This was followed by a small Bream before I packed up due to the rain. Earlier I had a screaming run on the float rod but with just 4lb line I was unable to stop it before it took me into the weed and shook the hook free.

Well that will be my last weekday session as the school holidays are almost over. I have had a great holiday with some of the best fishing so far this season.

This 4lb Common Carp fought well.

Mixed Bag

a two hour session on the Mid reaches of the River Waveney produced and excellent mixed bag of Skimmer Bream, Bronze Bream, Roach, Perch and Dace.

The swim I chose was thick with ribbon weed in front of me and I lost at least three Perch in the weed, So once the fish were hooked I had to haul them over the weed instead of through it. Every cast produced a bite or fish and my special Maggot additive scored again. By far the best session this season.

This Perch was about 6oz and the best one of the session.

Stop the cull.

Beccles Town Council want to apply for a licence to kill the breedng Lesser black Backed Gulls at Beccles just because they are too noisy. Please could you email Beccles Town Council to object to this cull

Email
info@beccles.info

Thanks

Hurricane tail end Dace

A morning session on the river produced some Dace for my rod but as I had forgotten by capped feeders I had to use a bomb rig. It was actually a lesson in reading the water for fish rather than using a swim feeder and attracting them to the baited hook.

I really enjoyed casting in the slacks for Perch and the main flow for the Dace.

I will return in the morning armed with some secret bait and my capped feeders.

The flow was still slow but it was enough to raise my baited hook off the river bed to avoid the crayfish.

Dunwich

What a great walk. Found two sites that held a good colony of Graylings, which are very scarce this year. On Westleton Heath and Dunwich Heath we saw several that were camouflaged on the ground or in Heather and Bell Heather. It was very hot but a great walk, one I had not done for several years. This circular walk is a great way to enjoy the wildlife of Dunwich.

This Grayling is in typical closed wing stance

Dawn Patrol

The Fishing continues, I had a few but not big, Perch from the River Waveney this week. I fished a 2 swan avon a rod length out past some underwater cabbages. The Swim feedered red maggots just attracted the Turkish Crayfish.

A morning with the stalking rod on my local club lake produced this 27lb Mirror. Here is the chappie before I cast a free lined worm in front of him.

My camera batteries failed so there were no trophy shots.

Fishing the River

Now the Naturalists year slows and the wild flowers seed now is the time I begin my autumn campaign for specimen Bream, Roach, Perch and Pike. Having moved to Beccles to be within walking distance of the River Waveney I now fish every day, shorter sessions on weekdays and a day on the weekend.

Today I walked from the Quay to the furthermost swim near the Worlingham Wall.

By roving with my quiver tip rod, a bait bucket coupled as a seat and a rucksack full of Tackle I could in theory walk to Oulton Broad.

I soon located a nice clear weed free run and swimfeedered some sweetcorn. after an hour I had two Bream and this small Mirror Carp.

On the way back I saw a lure fisherman who had a follow of three Perch, Monday will be a Perch day fingers crossed.


Here is the 2lb 6oz Mirror Carp.

Beccles Nature on Twitter

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Red Crested Pochards

c100 seen today on Flixton GP here is one of the drakes

Waveney Valley Birding

A single Common Sandpiper Filxton GP. today. Also 32 Canada Geese, 16 Egyptian Geese, 13 Greylag. Now picking plenty of Blackberries for jam and pies.

No sign of eggs on the Great crested Grebe nest at Broome Pits.

Fungi abound

Following ny trip to Broome Pits I found a troop of Lactarius controversus an early autumn agaric grows under Salix. The milk is hot and the caps are usually covered in vegetation as the caps are very sticky.

Waveney Valley Birding

Been visiting several Waveney Valley sites today. Started at Flixton Gravel Pits where a Turtle Dove was heard singing. Then I saw an amazing sight 2,737 Eclipse Mallard! eight Red crested Pochard and Pintail. This is the rearing site for an Italian shooting syndicate.
Then moved to Weybread Pits where I found some Dark Bush Crickets.
Broome Pits was my final stop where we saw >10 Small Coppers, > 50 Peacocks and > 50 Painted Ladies. Finally at Beccles Marshes a Hobby and a Curlew seen.

Black-tailed Godwits

Went to Southwold to look for and sucessfully locate the Limosa ssp Black-tailed Godwit.

Hoverflies

My walk around my Beccles Patch produced lots of Hoverflies which have migrated here from Continental Europe, these pictured were on Dandelions.

The Knopper Galls are forming on Acorns of Oaks and Spangle Galls on the leaves.

Fledglings

A walk around the patch today produced lots of newly fledged birds and a new nest of Stock Doves. This family of Barn Swallows were camera shy.

Summer Butterflies

Eileen and I walked the Beccles Marsh Trail, we saw loads of Painted Ladies, Commas and Large Whites which were still arriving from the east. This male Scarce Chaser was seen too, along with several Brown Hawkers.

Buddlija Butterflies

Loads of Butterflies on Buddlijas in Beccles today. >200 Painted Ladies >50 Large Whites, several Commas and Peacocks. A few Silver Y's too.

Lull Before The Storm

Walked the River Waveney Wall to Beccles saw >1000 Small Tortoishells, a record count after a few real bad years population wise. This afternoon we suffered heavy torrential rain and thunderstorms causing localised flooding. I hope the baby Lesser Black Backed Gulls were not drowned on the ground nests.

weekend off

No Nature study this weekend has I had a photo shoot for a US Magazine on UK farming of the Bygone ere.

Beccles Common

I walked the Common this morning. Found loads of Ragwort with Cinnabar larvae stripping most plants.

Stormy skies

We could not go too far today due to increased risk of showers, Some great storm cloud images were taken though

Sea Pea

Eileen and I visited Kessingland Beach to check the flowers for a forthcoming field meeting. As soon as we arrived thunder and rain clouds came up quick and we were only there a few minutes before the rain came down. Just enough time to photograph the Sea Pea (Lathyrus japonicus)

Urban Broomrapes

Along High Lea's Beccles Eileen and I saw some gardens that had Common Broomrape (orobanche minor)growing in the flower beds. I dont think the plants were placed there by the gardeners. I wonder if the residents knew what they were?

Browsing Beccles

Walked some sites in Beccles, including a waste ground site where I found some Common spotted Orchids and Common Centaury a new plant for my WFS Diary.
a Briza sp was found growing from a pavement crack too.

Meadow Brown Butterflies are abundant in Beccles including s few Ringlets.

Purple Hairstreaks

Walked around the Ellough square today recording butterflies and seeing if I could add any more flowers to my Wild Flower Society diary. Found a colony of Purple Hairstreaks (Quercusia quercus )near the Fibrenyle factory, and Chicory (Cichorium intybus)by the Ellough Church Road.

Adders up

Went to one of my survey sites in North Suffolk to record the Adders. Phew what a scorcher. I found 12 Adders and three were females. Also I found this pair of mating frogs. a bit late for that I thought but look at the colour of the female too.

Muscovies and Martins

A walk to Beccles Quay found 13 Muscovy ducks near the visitor centre, recent birdwatching forums have reported a decline or local extinction in the Waveney area.

Also we saw House Martins collecting Mud to repair nests

Sunset

A great Sunset last night

Odd Poppies

Along the Ellough Road I found a colony of Opium Poppies with Pom Pom Flowers.

Burnet Moths

These Burnet Moths had just emerged at Ellough near Beccles

The roadside verge along the eastern edge of Copeland Way Ellough was visited in mid May where I found >50 flowering plants of Lathyrus nissolia Grass Vetchling. This plant is rare away from the coast. Also during this visit I found >200 flowering spikes of Dactylorhiza fuchsii Common Spotted Orchid.

On this evidence I contacted Sue Hooton of the Suffolk County Council roadside reserves to request a roadside reserve here.

On Monday 22nd June 2009. My partner Eileen Tink and I systematically surveyed the verge to gather a list of plants that could be measured against the roadside reserve criteria. I hope by writing this report that the list is acceptable for Roadside verge protection.

Vascular Plants.
The D. fuchsii Common Spotted Orchid and L. nissolia Grass vetchling are the main species I suggest need protection. We also found five Ophrys apifera Huds. Bee Orchids.
In places there are large patches of Rubus fruiticosus agg Bramble where nothing but this plant grows but the Orchids are spread along a 500m stretch of verge from the farmers access point southwards to the Beccles market sign. The one metre mowing regime will not affect the orchids as they are growing well away from this area and are mainly found against the soil bank.

Lepidoptera.
During our visit we witnessed a mass emergence of Zygaena filipenulae Six-spot Burnet Moths. Their cocoons were attached to the Arrhenatherum elatius False –Oat Grass the most dominant grass along this verge. Nearby we saw female Tyria jacobae Cinnabar Moths egg laying on Senecio jacobae Ragwort.
Of the Butterflies >50 Maniola jurtina Meadow Browns were seen along with a few Aphantopus hyperantus Ringlets. Nectaring on Centaurea nigra Common Knapweed were a few Ochlodes venatus Large Skippers. On 31st May we found a few Polyommatus icarus Common Blues.

Coleoptera.
Whilst systematically walking the strip of verge we found a pair of the long horn beetle Agapanthea villosoviridescens and several Flower Beetles Oedemera nobilis.
One probably more Sailor Beetles Cantharis rustica were seen.

Mammals
A colony of Sorex araneus Common Shrew was located.

Other Insects.
The Gall of the Cynipid Phanacis hypochoeridis was seen on a few Hypochaeris radicata Cat’s Ear stems causing an elongated swelling.

The Brecklands

26 botanist’s including my non (so far) botanist partner joined leader Stephen Clarkson assisted by Stella Taylor and Bill and Carol Hawkins in the car park of the Bridge Hotel Brandon. Car sharing was organised and after a paper of text giving us directions was handed out we set off on a circular route by car to find and record the Breckland specialities.
Our first stop was at Cranwich Camp where we immediately saw Anthyllis vulneraria Kidney Vetch. As is common with the Breckland flora most plants were prostrate and produced if any very small flowers, My partner was often amused to see for real a rump of botanists and she was not disappointed. Next to be studied was Trifolium scabrum Rough Clover and Sedum acre Biting Stonecrop. The party then walked onto the large field and to the left of the gate was, for many the largest stand of Descurainia sophia Flixweed they had ever seen. The field was massive and the group soon spread out to explore the area allowing the assistant leaders to join the smaller groups to assist with identification. Soon Arabis hirsuta Hairy Rock Cress was seen followed by Astragalus danicus Purple Milk Vetch, Centaurea scabiosa Greater Knapweed Silene otites Spanish Catchfly and Arenaria serpyllifolia Thyme-Leaved Sandwort. Finally Carex muricata ssp lamprocarpa Prickly Sedge was found.

Our next visit was to the nearby Cranwich Heath. Here we were promised a fantastic sight of one of the top five rarest plants in the Brecklands. But before the grand prize we found the Bramble Rubus boreanus in vegetative stage and a white flowered garden escape Campanula persicifolia Peach-Leaved Bellflower, not far from the car park. Other flowering plants included Helianthemum nummularium Common Rock Rose, Hypochaeris glabra Smooth Cat’s-Ear and Naturalised Mahonia aquifolium Oregan Grape.
Well this super rare plant (of which there were three) was a bit of an anti climax. The plant? Well it was.............. Herniaria glabra Smooth Rupturewort.

After such a sight we gathered together and walked back to the cars and drove off to Weeting Heath. Not long after we arrived we were met by the site volunteer called (but not to his face) Lord Haw Haw. As many will know it is a Stone Curlew reserve and his face was a picture when he heard that 25 botanists were only interested in the plants by the car park and would not be paying and entrance fee to see the birds!
Due to proper toilets and refreshments we stayed here for lunch and afterwards observed recorded and photographed the one very rare Petrorhagia saxifraga Tunic Flower by the entrance door to the visitor centre. The Epipactus helleborine Broad-Leaved Helleborine was not in flower (yet) and was protected from rabbits by a fence.
Refreshed, hydrated and some fully caffeinated we drove onto the RSPB Lakenheath Fen Reserve. Fifteen years ago the RSPB were looking to create and inland reedbed due to erosion on the coast to assist the Great Bittern to breed in the UK. What they were given was a former arable field often in correctly stated as an old Carrot field. In 2009 the first Bitterns were booming. On arrival I was approached by a birder I knew who informed me excitedly that a pair were showing well by the Poplars. I had to quickly explain to my partner he was informing me of the breeding Golden Orioles of which the reserve is famous for. His enthusiasm was soon deflated when I said we were just here to see the flowers.
As soon as I embarked from the car I said to Eileen (my partner) “Oh look Anisanthera tectroum Drooping Brome”. It was everywhere I had never seen so much. Stephen then showed the group the three Bromes which were my A. tectorum Drooping Brome, A. diandra Great Brome and A.sterilis Barren Brome. Other rarities were Filago minima Small Cudweed, Apera interupta Dense Silky Bent. Stephen showed us all Vulpia cilliata ssp ambigua Bearded Fescue, Papaver dubium ssp dubium Long-Headed Poppy and Geranium lucidum Shining Cranesbill again fenced off from Brown Rabbits.
Our final stop for day one was Maids Cross Hill Lakenheath. Not only is this loved by Breckland botanists but dog walkers too so kneeling was a very dangerous occupation here. Geranium sanquineum Bloody Cranesbill, Cynoglossum officinale Hound’s-Tongue, Scleranthus annuus ssp annuus Annual Knawel, Spirea x pseudosalicifolia Confused Bridewort and Phleum arenaria Sand Cat’s Tail.
Carol Hawkins found Thymus serpyllum Breckland Thyme in vegetative stage and Stephen took us to see in flower T.polytrichus Wild Thyme.
By now we had dodged the showers but on the hill overlooking the air base at Lakenheath from this local nature reserve we saw a water spout over by Mildenhall followed by fast moving rain clouds. We ignored them and they us until we had started walking back to the cars but we just blew a raspberry at the clouds as we had all had a damn good day out by then. Thanks to Stephen and his band of helpers for making the day so plant filled and interesting.

Bee Orchids

Today Eileen and I were invited to survey some private land in the Waveney Valley. we found a small meadow with three Bee Orchids.

Tomorrow we are off to the Brecks to explore the unique flora there.

My WFS Diary arrived today too so at last I can start my woofers list of plants.

Dragon (Not fly)

I attended my second Wild Flower Society Meeting on the 17th June. It was at the Ted Ellis Reserve at Wheatfen. The best flower fro me was a Dragon Arum or Voodoo lily Dracunculus vulgaris It was growing in front of Ted's study window. It is native to Crete a regular holiday destination of Ted.

Great Butterfly Day

Phew a really hot day. walked along the track to Barsham Hall and saw >50 Small Tortoiseshell Butterflies. It was nice to see so many after such a bad few years. a Single Yellowhammer was seen but alas no Turtle Doves. Also of note two Cuckoo's in song,

White Flowers

On the UK botany yahoo groups there is much discussion on white flowers in plants that in theory should be coloured. Today I found a white flowered spear thistle the flowers should be lilac.

Botany Monotony

Hum well I have been out today trying out my new learned skills with Ferns and Sedges.
I visited my favourite site at North Cove. But before I approached the reserve proper I found Rosa stylosa (Short styled Rose) near the entrance gate. the style very distinct from the club shaped Rosa arvensis (Field Rose)Next up was Carex remota (Remote Sedge)
The path between the two hides had me down on my knees looking at Galium uliginosum (Fen bedstraw) and a whole host of Dacytlorhiza fucshii (Common spotted Orchids)

Foxley Wood

Not only am I a professional photographer and writer I am a new member to the wild flower society and this was my first field trip. So Bill and Carol Hawkins thought I might like to write the meeting up. Although I have been a keen recorder and studier of Vascular plants for 30 years, I soon found that I really know very little about plants.

Also my lateness in joining the WFS was due to my totally unfounded idea that they were flower lovers rather than actual plant studiers. I soon found that I was in the company of 13 very good experienced botanists. Unlike most societies they take lunch with them and even stay out in the rain.

So the 14 participants and “Badger” the dog started exploring the wood, this was interspersed by Bill and Carol Hawkins explaining the genus Carex and allied plants. I found this fascinating.

Not far from the car park we found Dactylorhiza fuchsii (Common –spotted Orchid) with unspotted leaves and a single all white flowering spike. I soon found that Rosa arvensis (Field Rose) has a clubbed style (I really should read descriptions rather than trying to match the flower in the book and become so frustrated I give up) and how to identify Rubus caesius (Dewberry) by Jizz.

Throughout the walk we were shown several Sedges including.

Carex pendula (Pendulous Sedge) which was probably the most frequent by the car parks. C. remota (Remote Sedge) C. sylvatica (Wood-Sedge) C. flacca (Glaucous Sedge) C. otrubae (False-fox Sedge) C. hirta. (Hairy Sedge) C.divulsa ssp divulsa. (Grey Sedge) C. acutiformis. (Lesser pond Sedge) C. pallida ssp pallida (Pale Sedge) C. viridula ssp oedocarpa. (Yellow Sedge) and finally Carex strigosa (Thin-spiked Wood Sedge. ) A woodland rarity.

Otherwise of note was Platnthera chlorantha (Greater Butterfly Orchid) identified by converging pollinia and Geum intermedium (Hybrid Wood Avens)

I learned a great deal on this meeting and feel I should demote myself to experienced beginner, rather than experienced intermediate. I have to admit that I have over-stated my botanical skills in the past and this meeting certainly brought me back to earth with a big bump. Oh I have now gained the confidence to record Ferns Grasses and Sedges using my new found skills.

I for one cannot wait for the next field trip.

I am afraid that I have become very much behind with my birdtrack records. I tried in vain to add them from as far back as March but the web site was so slow and then it kept kicking me out.

I am off to a Wild flower Society meeting on Wednesday I hope the weather keeps dry.

Rainy Day

I should be out nest recording but the heavy rain has curtailed my days out. I was recently sent a Bee to id so I decided to work on that today, I expect it will be a genitalia job so the compound microscope will need dusting down. I still have loads of Lowestoft Field Club records to put onto database and need to catch up on all correspondance.

I dislike staying in the study but I do have a lot of paperwork to catch up on.

There has been a thread on uk botany yahoo groups about whit flowers and here is my Thistle that should have lilac flowers.

Woofing in the Waveney Valley.

The term for a rare plant hunter is a woofer called because they say Woof when they get up off the ground as most botanists are old and cant get off the ground very well.

This morning Eileen and I explored some roadside verges in the Lower Waveney Valley. the plants were more notable than rare and we really enjoyed our walk.

First up was the Suffolk Wildlife Trust Roadside Reserve at Mettingham, this was flagged up by me when I found hundreds of Pyramidal Orchids Anacamptis pyramidalis L. in 1998.

We found >50 plants that were just starting to flower. But best of all was Sulphur Clover Trifolium ochroleucon Huds. There were several clumps and looked great. (see right)

Also present was Narrow-leaved Bird's foot Trefoil Lotus glaber Mill. and Smooth Tare Vicia tetrasperma.

Our next stop was Barsham to see small colonies of Bladder Campion Silene vulgaris Garke. These were very distincive and easliy seen from a moving car but we stopped to photograph them. We then crossed the road to look at a naturalised Leopard's Bane Doronicum pardalianches. L.

The final stop was to Barsham Drain, here we recorded Pale Persicaria lapathifolia L.

A Painted Lady Cynthia cardui L. and several Small Tortoiseshell's Agalis urticae L.

It was certainly a very good morning out.

Fox and Cubs dilemma

I returned this afternoon (In rain) to have another look at the Pilosella aurantiaca sp (Fox and Cubs) at North Cove Suffolk, which looks like ssp carpathicola rather than ssp aurantiaca I have sent a voucher to the Botanical Society of British Isles Hieracium referee. I have only found ssp carpathicola in Suffolk but the flowers on the meadow look different, there is a group of Fox and Cubs at Beccles Railway station and on some lawns at Ellough that are definatly carpathicola but when I see them in a wet meadow I am not very sure.

By keying out in Stace (1997) I arrived at the sub species for him to say that both ssp are dubious. Oh well time will tell.

Roosting Mediterranean Gulls

Nearby we hear lots of Larid Gulls at night roosting on nearby buildlings. I guess they are non breeders. For the past week we have heard two Mediterranean Gulls calling over head before settling on the buildings. The "Oww! " call is so distinctive. I actually saw them this evening as they flew above the car park near our house. Both were un-ringed adult summers.

Dragonflies and othe Insects

Hi this is my new blog so that you can follow the comings and goings of the Suffolk Wildlife in the County.
This morning before the rain. Eileen and I visited the Waveney Valley to locate resting Dragonflies, my task to photograph all Suffolk species this year has been very good but I am still missing the Norfolk Hawker Aeshna iscosoles. On Saturday I saw one at rest but as I moved to take a photograph it flew off!

Still this Female Scarce Chaser Libellula fulva was located at Barsham It was showing two unfurled forewings. I believe the crumpled wings on the Scarce Chaser L. fulva. were caused by a fault in the wing expansion following emergence. I've a feeling the two fore-wings may have got stuck together early on, and not have split apart until just before the wings hardened off. They were thus unable to expand fully. Maybe a spider's web was the culprit?

We then explored one of my favourite insect finding sites near North Cove.
Among the species found were Sailor Beetles Cantharis rustica. Cardinal Beetles Pyrochroa serraticornis. This species differs from P. coccinea as the former has red, not black head and differs from Shizotus pectinicornis by not having a blck dot on the back of the head.




Then the rain fell, just as we were leaving I found two Slowworms Anguis fragilis.