Stiffkey Spoonies and Trimingham Bee-eaters

We took our first camping trip to Stiffkey for several years. Torrential rain and wind during the first night, but better, brighter, hotter days to follow, mostly. Mrs Sciencebase spotted Spoonbills at North Fen Stiffkey on Tuesday night before the rain, so we headed that way the next morning and discovered a flock of around 16 or 17. Alongside Cormorant and Avocet.

The next day’s walk took us west to Wells-next-Sea where there was another flock of 14 or so.

In between those two sightings, however, we had headed for the quarry at Trimingham further along the North Norfolk coast to see the nesting Bee-eaters. There are three there this year (there were eight last year, but not nesting success, as far as I know). One of this year’s three is apparently one of the same birds that was at this site in 2022.

Meanwhile, it’s always worth checking the utility blocks on a campsite for moths and I was pleased to see two species there that I’d not recorded before – Beautiful China-mark and Marbled Brown. Also, lots of Garden Grass-veneer, a Riband Wave, a Common Yellow Conch, and various other micros.

Interesting to learn that the campsite manageress has also been turned to the mothside and was interested to know what I’d spotted and to show some her utility-block snaps. Apparently, one camping guest brings a trap and was hoping to snap up some rarities off the tidal marsh.

Last camping night, noticed a relatively uncommon Common Gull on the campsite hunting for crumbs and scraps with a solitary Pied Wagtail, numerous Wood Pigeon, and several Jackdaw.

With plans to visit Holt Country Park on the way home to potentially see Silver-washed Fritillary, White Admiral and perhaps Purple Emperor, it was a surprise to catch sight of a White Admiral flying low across the campsite as we decamped. We saw lots of SWFs and five or six White Admiral at the Country Park, but no Emperors, sadly.