Common
Toad - Lound - April 11, 2004 - ©Robert Wilton
|
Mammals
Pick of the mammals was a Chinese Water Deer Hydropotes inermis
feeding in the open at Carlton Marshes on February 8. Initially giving good
views it soon retreated to the cover of reeds when the cameras made an appearance!
Six Fallow Deer Cervus dama at Ashby on the May 21 were a nice
surprise. Ashby is excellent for Muntjac Deer Muntiacus
reevesi but the only reports received so far are from Gunton on May 21
and Fritton on December 15th. A baby Muntjac Deer
along Corton disused railtrack on September 7th was the first record for the
site.
Red Fox Vulpes vulpes have been noted at Gunton on February
27th, Fisher Row on April 16th, Bloodmoor Road, Pakefield on April 17th and
Clifton Road in July. More unusual was a Water Vole Arvicola terrestris
seen in a dyke at Haddiscoe on May 11th, once a common sight, but now very
rarely seen
After a dead Common Shrew Sorex araneus was found at Gunton
on July 16th, a live Pygmy Shrew Sorex minutus was seen there
on the 20th.
Two American Mink Mustela
vison ran across the road at Ashby between Lound Waterworks and Fritton
Lake on September 1st. At least their relative the Weasel Mustela
nivalis seen at Corton disused railway line on September 7th was a native
carnivore.
A Brown Long-eared Bat Plecotus auritus was
caught in a house at Mutford and released on September 15th. Looking somewhat
lost a Grey Squirrel Sciurus carolinensis
was scampering along the seafront at Ness Point on October 4th.
|
Chinese
Water Deer - Carlton Marshes - December 7th 2003 - ©Tim Brown
|
HARBOUR PORPOISE Phocoena
phocoena
Noted monthly between Kessingland and Corton as follows:
January: 5th, 7th, 26th (2), 28th.
February: 8th (1), 10th (2), 13th (1), 15th (1).
March: 3rd (2), 9th (2), 10th (3), 12th (2), 13th (3), 25th (1).
April: 1st (1), 8th (3), 9th (3), 10th (1), 11th (1), 12th
(2), 16th (1), 21st-24th (1).
May: 1st (1), 6th (1), 8th (2), 9th (1), 18th (1), 21st (3),
22nd (2), 24th (1), 28th (1); and Lowestoft North Beach on the 21st.
June: 19th (1), 26th (2 possibly 4), 27th (2).
July: 1st (1), 3rd (2 possibly 4), 5th (2), 18th (2), 20th (1),
24th (1), 25th (1), 27th (2), 31st (1).
August: 3rd (1), 23rd (1), 24th (1), 25th (1), 26th (1), 31st
(1).
September: 2nd (2), 5th (1), 6th (1), 7th (4), 16th (4), 21st
(2).
October: 6th (1), 8th (2), 18th (1), 27th (1).
November: 5th (1), 25th (1).
|
Grey
Seal - Kessingland Beach - September 7, 2003 - ©Robert Wincup
|
GREY SEAL Halichoerus
grypus
Kessingland - January 8th, 17th, 22nd;
February 6th (1),
8th (1), 12th (1), 21st (1); September 7th (1), 14th (1).
Lowestoft North Beach - July 27th (1), September
17th (1).
Corton / Ness Point
- August 24th (1), 25th (1), September 21st (2),
October 4th (1).
On December 14th a Common
Seal was seen feeding along Lake Lothing. One was present here last winter
so sightings could refer to the same individual.
Ants & Flies
The very warm, humid and fairly still afternoon of the 16th was marked by one
of the largest mass nuptial flights of Common Black Ant Lasius niger
that I can recall. Over the previous week one or two small flights had taken
place, but this was on an altogether larger scale, and it seemed like every
ant nest in town was taking advantage of the ideal conditions.
Where ever you looked ants were flying past or running around, their mating
flight completed, looking for a hole in the ground to make their new nest in.
The local gull population soon took advantage of this food bonus and huge circling
flocks soon appeared over the town, but with such a massive coordinated flight
the
survival prospects for the ants were probably higher than on most flights.
|
Episyrphus
balteatus - Lowestoft North Beach - July 27th, 2003 - ©Andrew
Easton
|
Huge numbers of Hoverflies Syrphidae sp. were arriving in off
the sea throughout the day on the 27th, including the one above, along with
many Butterflies and small numbers of Bumblebees Bombus sp.
Although just past the peak time for seeing Glow-worms Lampyris noctiluca
20 or so lavae were seen in the Waveney Valley on August 19th and 20th.
|
Glow-worm
Lampyris noctiluca - Waveney Valley - August 19, 2003 -
©Andrew Easton
|
Reptiles
and amphibians
March saw good numbers of Common Toads Bufo bufo Lound Waterworks
between the 22nd-24th. Large numbers of Common Toads and a single Common
Frog Rana temporaria were at Carlton Marshes on the 25th. Several
Common Frogs were in the ornamental ponds in Sparrows Nest Gardens
on March 26th. Adult Common Frogs were noted a Belton Common and Lound
Waterworks on August 3rd, on the same date a young Common Toad was
also at Belton Common.
A Grass Snake Natrix natrix crossed the River Waveney at North
Cove Marshes on the 8th. Another was seen by Corton Woods ponds on July 22nd.
Two small Grass Snakes were seen in Waveney Forest on July 29th, one
of which was carried away by a Mistle Thrush! Two
Red-eared Terrapins Pseudemys scripta were seen soaking up the
glorious spring sunshine at Leathes Ham on April 16 with one present on the
21st. These were originally pets from the days of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
craze in the late 1980's that either became less cuddly than expected and/or
outgrew their tanks. One or two have been present for several years but are
rarely seen.
A Common Lizard Lacerta vivipara at Belton Common on July 26th
was outnumbered 3:1 by the Lounge Lizards observing it!!!
|
Red-eared
Terrapins - Leathes Ham - April 16, 2003 - ©Robert Wilton
|