Blogger Ian Robinson
Sunday – busy day, lots of visitors, fundraising group selling cakes, books and plants – at the end of the day they’d raised over £210. Hot sun today, orange tips feeding on plants in the nectar garden, four spot chasers ‘chasing’ prey and one another in front of reception hide. Swallows are chattering as they fly overhead, common tern fishing on the Old Broad.
Monday – in at 7.30 to close the moth trap down. Norfolk hawker (first I’ve seen this year) perched on the wall of the loos. Turn on the computer – dash out to look for a bird that’s singing – mimicking whitethroat, blackbird, robin, song thrush and blackcap. Is it a marsh warbler – no – just a cheeky male blackcap trying to confuse me? About to go back in to the office, I hear two cranes calling flying in from the east. Go into the office, grab binoculars, run to the hide – cranes have landed and feeding on the far side of the broad, c 300 yards away – wow. 9am, field teachers and volunteers arriving and preparing for today’s school group. Everyone get’s distracted as we open up the moth trap – buff tip, eyed hawk moth, poplar hawk moth, buff ermine, white ermine, muslin, pale tussock. Camera’s click, lots of ooh’s and aah’s and wow’s. One moth has Ben and I confused ‘what the heck is that’ we both say. Take a picture, in a pot and try and work out what it is. A spotted flycatcher is singing in the trees next to the office – first of the year.
Everyone disperses to start the day’s activities.
Welcome to another lovely day at Strumpshaw a place where precious moments can come thick and fast and where even the staff occasionally forget about work for a bit in order to enjoy some fantastic contact with nature of all shapes and sizes.
Nice post Rachel. Oh, I'd love to see the Spotted Flycatcher, as far as know I've never seen one before!