Swift Fest

Rather than rush around looking for these birds when reported the weekend. Eileen and I went to Westleton to see the Lesser Kestrel. We had great albeit distant views of the male bird. Afterwards we went to Kessingland Sewage Works where we saw the Pallid Swift high above the beds. had this been May I don't think it would have been identified properly.

Finally we joined a small group of Birders in the rain where we saw two Alpine Swifts, roosting together under the eaves of the flats just north of CEFAS.

A great morning where we got two lifers. and my fourth Lowestoft Alpine Swift.

These Twitchers were seen at Westleton this morning.

White flowers

Having decided not to join the birders at Kessingland for the rare Swifts I walked firstly around Beccles Common then Beccles Marshes. Along George Westwood Way in the town the verges were covered in Cochlearia danica (Danish Scurvy Grass)It is known as an halophyte which means it grows in salty conditions. The seed is mixed in with salt and grit from Russia and is spread by gritting lorries hence the plant can be found like white frost along the edge of the road very near the kerbs and on the outer edge of roundabouts. I am sure it will spread ore as we have just exprienced a long cold winter.

By the entrance to Beccles Tip I found the white flowered form of Viola odorata (Sweet Violet) with the pale lilac spur. These white flowers fascinate me.

Butterflies and Reptiles

Another survey site for Adders produced 14 males and 10 Grass Snakes.
Re found Henry as shown in photograph. his head pattern is distinctive and he has been seen here for four years. Also seen a Brimstone butterfly, three Small Tortoiseshells a Red Admiral and surprisingly two Small Coppers I found a very early single Small Copper at this site in 2006.

Adder Survey

This morning I surveyed three sites in the Suffolk sandlings for Adders in site A,B & C a total of 27. Also found a singing Dartford Warbler, flushed a woodcock and found a single Common Lizard.

Searching for spring flowers

Visited my favorite site for spring flowers today, a small reserve by the River Waveney. The cup fungus Sarcoscypha austriaca (Scarlet Elf Cup)was plentiful and is a common fungus of Alder Carr. Both the Adoxa moschatellina (Town Hall Clock)
and chrysosplenium oppositifolium (Opposite-leaved Golden-Saxifrage)had flower buds but as yet were not fully open for inclusion into the WFS diary. The diary to me is a phenological study and it is so important to record correct flowering dates.
This Sarcoscypha sp is the more common of the two known in the UK although I did find both species in the broads.

Wayland way

Spent a few hours systematically searching for Gagea lutea (Yellow star of Bethleham)
in Wayland Wood Watton Norfolk. I did not find any at all but saw two Brimstones, two Small Tortoiseshells and a Peacock. Lots of Ladybirds too.
Finally a Common Buzzard was heard calling overhead.

The Blyth Valley

The flowers are just not appearing this year. At one site in Blyford Eileen and I were looking for Butterbur but so far not so much as one flower spike. We visited several sites around Halesworth and Holton along with Wenhaston Blackheath. Nothing at all in flower and very bare. Only the churchyards were worth a visit but even after many visits they begin to pall. We found some more Galium eldwesii but we have had nothing new since 1st March. Just a day of sunshine could push a few plants to flower.
These Primroses were at Stoven Churchyard.

Snowdrop Species

The Snowdrops are now in full flower and although later than usual I did find two Snowdrop species in a local churchyard. Along with the common Galathus nivalis I found G.elwesii and the rarer G.woronowii. This was the culmination of lots of churchyard visits in the Waveney Valley and it was this churchyard near Beccles that produced the goods. This photograph shows the green inner sepals of G. elwesii.

Wildflowers and nesting birds

I spent a good few hours in Beccles on Wednesday to look for Long tailed tit nests for the BTO nest recording scheme but I did not find any as yet. Rooks were nest building on Boney's Island and there were plenty of Chaffinches and other common song birds.

Spring has sprung or maybe just today

I had a great morning looking for flowering plants for the start of the annual Wild Flower society Diary. I amassed 12 species. a big surprise was a flowering Ranunculus repens. Some do overwinter but I did not expect one today as it has been a rum old winter. Rooks were busy nest building or repairing and at times it did feel like spring.