Daily Diary: May 2005

1st May 2005

Awoke in the tent at Dunwich again in the middle of the night to hear Bittern booming away to the south at Minsmere. In the morning, a quick look at the sea produced just a single Kittiwake and a Whimbrel was heard flying north overhead. After we'd sorted ourselves out, we walked north to Dunwich Forest, down to the back of Dingle Marshes, round to the cafe then back along the beach to the campsite. At least five Nightingales were heard during the morning, plus four Garden Warblers and another Whimbrel flew north over the heath as did three Marsh Harriers including a pair displaying. Other birds during the walk included Cuckoo, Sparrowhawk, Bullfinch, a possible brief Hobby and a Little Egret on Dingle Marshes. A small herd of seven Red Deer were also seen on the area of farmland reverting to heath.

In the evening, we went and got fish and chips and ate them at Sizewell beach, with lots of Kittiwakes seen on the offshore platform and many Common Terns and one Little Tern feeding here in the warm water. On the way back, a short stop at Eastbridge produced another booming Bittern, a Marsh Harrier and Reed Warbler, but no sound of any Savi's - a vain hope really.

2nd May 2005

Heavy rain first thing at Dunwich leaving the tent sodden. A short walk in the rain produced a few Nightingales, Cuckoo, the Bittern heard again, one Whimbrel south, a fine female Marsh Harrier perched in the reedbed, Common and Little Terns, a flock of 15 Common Scoters offshore, four Stonechats and Lesser Whitethroat. After a leisurely pack-up, which took much of the morning, we had some lunch by the track at Minsmere by the Canopy Hide. Looking over towards Island Mere produced my first Hobby of the year (later two), along with many Swifts and a few Marsh Harriers; not much of note in the wood except for a Hornet.

We then went down to the reserve proper. A good selection here, including my first Grasshopper Warbler of the year, at least two booming Bitterns, two distant Little Egrets, 2 Barwits, 2 Blackwits, Greenshank, Ringed Plover, 10 Dunlin, 1 Turnstone, an adult Med Gull, a fine array of Common, Sandwich and Little Terns on the scrape, Bearded Tit and Nightingale, along with Peacock and Orange-tip.

We made it home by about 5 pm, arriving to see the first four Swifts of the year over the house.

 I set the trap this evening and recorded 19 moths of 14 species, including Pebble Hook-tip, Pale and Pebble Prominent, Pale Tussock, Small Phoenix, Garden Carpet, Nutmeg and Grey Pine Carpet.

3rd May 2005

Swainsthorpe atlas, Whitlingham

4th May 2005

Rockland, Whitlingham

5th May 2005

Whitlingham, Rockland

6th May 2005

Hickling, home

7th May 2005

Eaton Park, UEA

8th May 2005

Strumpshaw, Buckenham, Weston Park, WHitlingham

9th May 2005

Surlingham

10th May 2005

Buckenham, Horsey, Rollesby, Filby, WHitlingham, home

11th May 2005

Buckenham, SHX fields

12th May 2005

Nr Attleborough

13th May 2005

BBS, Whit, home

14th May 2005

UEA marsh

15th May 2005

Mulbarton atlas, Burnham Norton, home

16th May 2005

Nunnery, Whit, home

17th May 2005

Old Buckneham, flood, Hickling

18th May 2005

Whit

19th May 2005

Bad back!

20th May 2005

Home

21st May 2005

Landguard, Surlingham

22nd May 2005

Hicklingx2

23rd May 2005

BXC, flood, home

24th May 2005

Whit, Nunnery

25th May 2005

Hockwold Washes, lakes, Surlingham

26th May 2005

Strumpshaw, home

27th May 2005

Home, Whit, Poringland

28th May 2005

New Forest, Dorset, Durlston, Langton Matravers

29th May 2005

Durlston coast

30th May 2005

Went to Studland this morning. Did a bit of beach-playing, where Gannet and Sandwich Tern seen offshore. After a while, walked through to the Little Sea around dunes and heath. At least 6 Dartfords plus a singing Woodlark heard over the lake. Two singing Lesser Redpolls were also notable, plus Little Grebe, Common Heath, a Cream-spot Tiger (imperfectly emerged with mis-shapen wings), Large Red Damselfly and Four-spotted Chaser. Despite netting several blue damselflies, all looked like Common Blue rather than Southern. An odd-looking plant around the car park was photographed and proved to be the nightmarish Piri-piri Burr; I last encountered this at Lindisfarne in 2000 and got covered in its spines but fortunately this time, not yet in fruit.

Piri-piri Burr, Studland beach car park, 30/5/05.

After putting the kids to bed this evening, I went back to Durlston Head for a quick sea-watch and almost immediately had a Manx Shearwater heading west, plus about 10 Gannets. Nothing else though so I headed back to Studland Heath where at 2230 I had two churring Nightjars and then heard a flight call and saw the silhouette of one flying around my head in the city glow of distant Bournemouth.

I then nipped back to Durlston to check their moth-trap (no-one else there). There were at least five Light Feathered Rustic, my first record (tho see yesterday) as well as a White-point, a female Fox Moth, Brimstone Moth, Flame Shoulder, Treble Lines, Poplar Hawk, Chocolate-tip, White Ermine, Shuttle-shaped Dart, Light Brocade, Marbled Minor, Angle Shades and Rustic Shoulder-knot. Returning to the campsite, I set up the actinic but only managed Treble Lines, Muslin, Rustic Shoulder-knot and Uncertain.

Light Feathered Rustic, Durlston Country Park, 30/5/05

31st May 2005

Fairly dull and drizzly so went to Corfe Castle. Good raptor spot here - in a few hours had 4 Buzzards, Sparrowhawk, Kestrel, Peregrine and Hobby plus a good Raven over the castle. Up at the castle, my first Red Admiral of the year, plus Wall Brown, Speckled Wood and Anthophila fabriciana.

Put the actinic out and managed the best haul of the trip, tho still pretty feeble: Broken-barred Carpet, White Ermine, Shuttle-shaped Dart, Heart and Dart, Uncertain, Common Swift, Treble Lines and unidentified pug.