I didn’t have any real chance for wildlife watching today as I was rehearsing in Kings Lynn in the morning followed by an afternoon concert conducting Norfolk Symphony Orchestra. I did manage to see both grey and red-legged partridge on the way to the rehearsal though, and I stopped a few miles from home to take a couple of photos of the wonderful frosty, and slightly misty morning.
I also had a short walk at lunch time by the river at Kings Lynn – lots of gulls (mostly black-headed and herring), some cormorants and a grey heron.
And there was a moth at home – gasp! – but it doesn’t make it onto the list. Brenda writes: “So, I saw a moth today…I find myself wondering how insects like moths stay alive during periods of intense frost like this. On BBC Winterwatch the other night they were explaining how brimstone butterflies (one of our earliest flying butterflies) protect themselves and survive frost by expelling excess water from their bodies and producing a chemical that acts as a natural antifreeze.
We’re also all being encouraged to leave lots of leaf litter and general ‘untidyness’ in our gardens and provide “bug hotels” which offer important places for insects to hide out until the weather warms up. So my moth has found a wonderfully warm place to stow away – it was sitting on the glass on the inside of the french doors in our dining room! The light brown apple moth (Epiphyas postvittana) came here from Australia and was first recorded in Britain in Cornwall in 1936. it is now very common in much of the country and flies all year round. It is a very regular visitor to my moth trap….but….since this one is not yet flying I’ve decided not to count it. There will most definitely be others later in the year!”
No new species for January 22nd:
TOTALS TO DATE:
Birds = 100
Moths = 0
Wildflowers = 11