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Norfolk & Norwich Naturalists' Society

@norfolknats.bsky.social

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Formed in 1869, NNNS is a charity with a focus on natural history in the county of Norfolk, UK. We carry out and encourage research about local wildlife, produce publications & put on a range of events. Find out more at: https://norfolknaturalists.org.uk

norfolknaturalists.org.uk

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Norfolk & Norwich Naturalists' Society @norfolknats.bsky.social · Jul 29

Here is the listing of the late summer/early autumn NNNS events. Next up is a walk as part of our current research project at Sweet Briar Marshes (Sat 2nd Aug 2025). A newly added & highly recommended event on Sat 6th Sept 2025 is a walk at Winterton Dunes with Garth Coupland looking for spiders.

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Iceni Bird Monitoring Group @icenibirdgroup.bsky.social · 23h

Monitoring Morston farm today:

Total: 22 (11)
Blue Tit - 4 (4)
Cetti's Warbler - 1
Dunnock - 0 (3)
Greenfinch - 1
Long-tailed Tit - 8
Meadow Pipit - 4
Robin - 2 (3)
Stonechat - 0 (1)
Wren - 2|

No real migration evident.

@btobirds.bsky.social @morstonpond.bsky.social @norfolknats.bsky.social

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Jane Ferguson @janeferguson.bsky.social · 1d

Our walk today from Bure Park, Great Yarmouth. Along the River Bure to Three Mile House. Highlights : Red-footed Falcon, 2 Common Sandpiper, Bearded Tit, large flock of Golden Plover & Ashtree Farm Drainage Mill.

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Rob Yaxley @robyaxley.bsky.social · 1d

From Marsham Heath yesterday, this looks to be Absconditella delutula, a tiny lichen that was found on a piece of dead wood. The spores are divided (1-septate) and the disc is pale and waxy-looking. First county record!

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James Emerson @norwichbirder.bsky.social · 1d

Something else found on willows at Whitlingham today was this Marbled Orb-weaver, Araneus marmoreus var. pyramidatus (srs.britishspiders.org.uk/portal.php/p...). Very noticeable against green leaves, but you can see how it might blend in once the leaves start to yellow in autumn.

A spider with a round yellow abdomen with a brown area near the back. The legs are banded dark brown and white. It is resting on the underside of some willow leaves, with a yellowed willow leaf to the left of the picture.

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James Emerson @norwichbirder.bsky.social · 1d

The other willow stem aphid that I found at Whitlingham today was Large Waxy Willow Aphid Plocamaphis flocculosa (influentialpoints.com/Gallery/Ploc...). When packed together in a group they are tricky to see, particularly the young ones that don't have strong spotting. Single adults stand out more.

A Willow stem covered in waxy aphids, appearing as a single waxy mass.

A close up of a section of the stem from the first photo showing a mass of waxy aphids.

A green willow stem with a waxy aphid climbing up. Two rows of black spots are visible on its back.

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James Emerson @norwichbirder.bsky.social · 1d

Whilst carrying out my WeBS count at Whitlingham today, I spot-checked lots of willows, hoping to find one of the Chaitophorus aphids that I've not seen yet. The most numerous aphid found were these ones, Giant Willow Aphid, Tuberolachnus salignus influentialpoints.com/Gallery/Tube...

A large winged aphid resting on a thin green willow stem. The aphidis pale grey, spotted with black.

Aphids on a green willow stem. In the centre is a large grey aphid with black spotting. To the rightare lots of small reddish-brown nymphs.

A cluster of black-spotted, grey aphids along a yellowy-green stem.

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Ken T @velociraptor500.bsky.social · 1d

Early morning visit to Cromer for the NENBC Coordinated Seawatch, no sun first thing (or later!) but the Pier was looking quite bright. Birds of note seen incl: Artic Skua, Mediterranean Gull, Red-throated Diver, Razorbill, Brent Goose, Gannet, Shag, Common Scoter, Wigeon, Teal.

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Anthony Speca | Aspen Ecology @aspenecology.com · 2d

Announcing another chance to learn #lichens online! My next 'Lichens for Beginners' course starts in January. Perfect for anyone just discovering these unique and beautiful life-forms. All you need to know to understand lichens and identify common species. Join me! aspenecology.com/lichens-for-...

Variospora (Caloplaca) flavescens : England : VC25 East Suffolk : TM3389 : September 2022 : On limestone gravestone

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Norfolk & Norwich Naturalists' Society @norfolknats.bsky.social · 2d

A reminder that Norfolk county gall recorder Anne Hickley is leading an NNNS walk looking at plant galls at Thompson Common tomorrow (Sunday 25th October 2025). Free, all welcome. For meeting details see norfolknaturalists.org.uk/wp/events-pa...

Two oak galls, made up of pale green twisted rods emendation from a central base. Darker green Oak leaves are behind them.

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BSBI Botany @bsbibotany.bsky.social · 3d

Want to up your #WildFlowerID game this winter?
We just launched our Winter Webinar programme!
7-8pm, every Tuesday from 4 Nov - 10 Feb.
Thanks to funding from @daera-ni.gov.uk, these 10 great plant ID webinars are FREE for all of you to attend!
Programme & booking links: bsbi.org/botanical-sk...

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Rob Smith @robertsjsmith.bsky.social · 2d

Pleased to catch up with the Snettisham Short-toed Lark yesterday — it spent most of the evening feeding along the strandline before moving to the footpath, where it showed beautifully! Just a shame the light had gone 🙄
#Norfolkbirding

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Lizzie Bruce @lizziebruce.bsky.social · 2d

🔉 Afternoon arrival of Whooper Swans at WWT Welney

They were also in the company of 150 pink footed geese - a rare sight in this part of Norfolk

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Jeremy Bartlett @jeremybartlett.bsky.social · 5d

Parent Bugs, Elasmucha grisea.

Boughton Fen, Norfolk.

www.britishbugs.org.uk/heteroptera/...

#Hemiptera #UKWildlife

Parent Bug nymphs, Elasmucha grisea, on a Common Alder leaf.

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Ken T @velociraptor500.bsky.social · 5d

A few fungi found at Felbrigg NT at the weekend.

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Mr and Mrs Trellis @thenorfolkcoast.bsky.social · 6d

A range of #fungi seen on our amble today (ID attempts in alt text)...

One of a range of fungi seen on our amble today. We think this pale red one may be Beechwood sickener (Russula nobilis) among the leaf litter.

One of a range of fungi seen on our amble today. We think this brown one may be a Penny Bun (Boletus edulis)in the woods among the leaf litter.

A range of fungi seen on our walk today included these white, distinctively shaped ones which had conical tops. We believe they may be Rhodocollybia butyracea, commonly known as the Buttery collybia.

A range of fungi seen on our amble today in the woodland. We believe these white spotted, red ones are Fly Agaric (Amanita muscaria) which is a fairly recognisable species. They are growing among the leaf litter of the woodland floor.

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Vanna Bartlett @vannabartlett.bsky.social · 6d

A trio of spiders from yesterday's little explore in west Norfolk for #Arachtober Araneus marmoreus and my 2nd ever Zora spinimana from Boughton Fen and a diminutive Euophrys frontalis found in Bodney churchyard. #arachnids #spiders #invertebrates

A large orbweb spider with a pale yellow abdomen which has a dark brown patch towards the rear. The spider is climbing up a brown reed stem.

Side view of a large orbweb spider which has a yellow abdomen with a dark brown patch towards the rear and dark brown lines giving a marbled effect to the flanks. The spider is head down on a green reed stem.

A pale straw coloured spider with a pair of dark brown stripes running the length of the head and dark stripes and spots on the abdomen. The pale legs also have dark lines. The spider is in a white plastic tray having been sieved from a pile of cut vegetation.

A little spider with large eyes on the underside of a whitish stone. The spider's head is pale brown with a dark area at the front, flecked with pale hairs. The legs are also pale brown while the abdomen is pale grey with dark, broken longitudinal stripes.

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Vanna Bartlett @vannabartlett.bsky.social · 6d

Really pleased to get some decent photos of a small juvenile Mitostoma chrysomelas at Boughton Fen yesterday. One of 5 species of harvestmen I found there. Particularly like the chelicera in side shots. #arachnids #harvestmen #invertebrates
#Arachtober

A small, pale brown harvestman with very long pale grey legs sitting head down on a rotten log that is mostly covered in white fungal growth. The harvestman has long thin pedipalps that it is holding folded up in front of its head.

Side view of a pale brown bodied harvestman with long spindly legs sitting facing right on a piece of wood covered in white fungal growth. The long thin pedipalps are held folded up in front of the animal and one of its chelicera is pointing down with the claw open.

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Vanna Bartlett @vannabartlett.bsky.social · 6d

A good day for turning over logs and stones yesterday; found 5 species of harvestmen at Boughton Fen, 4 shown here: Rilaena triangularis, Paroligolophus agrestis, Nemastoma bimaculatum and Odiellus spinosus. #arachnids #harvestmen #invertebrates
#Arachtober

A tiny juvenile harvestman with a dark brownish body topped with a large occularium at the front, bearing the pair of eyes. it is sitting on a piece of wood facing right with some small tufts of pale green moss behind it.

A greyish-brown harvestman sitting on a branch in bright sunshine. it has a pale, smooth occularium and a faint pale stripe down the centre of its body.

A small black harvestman with a pair of pale patches on its body set a little way behind the eyes. It is sitting with its legs slightly hunched up on an old rotten log half in sun and half in shade.

A large pale grey harvestman with a dark rectangular patch in the centre of its body outlined in black. It is sitting head down on the side of a stone with a dead brown leaf to the right. The harvestman has a rather small occularium compared to the large oval bulk of its body. In front of the yes is a robust three-pronged trident.

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Jeremy Bartlett @jeremybartlett.bsky.social · 6d

Bindweed Rust, Puccinia convolvuli, at Boughton Fen, Norfolk yesterday. On leaves of Hedge Bindweed (Calystegia sepium)..

There are eleven previous Norfolk records but I've only ever seen it in Suffolk.

www.jeremybartlett.co.uk/2018/09/20/b...

#Fungi #FungiFriends

Bindweed Rust (Puccinia convolvuli), on Hedge Bindweed (Calystegia sepium) leaf.

Upper surface of leaf.

Bindweed Rust (Puccinia convolvuli), on Hedge Bindweed (Calystegia sepium) leaf.

Lower surface of leaf.

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Jeremy Bartlett @jeremybartlett.bsky.social · 6d

More Henbit Dead-nettle, Lamium amplexicaule, than I've ever seen before.

In gravel at Bodney church, Norfolk, yesterday.

With bonus powdery mildew - Mint Mildew, Neoerysiphe galeopsidis.

#WildFlowerHour #Fungi #FungiFriends

Henbit Dead-nettle, Lamium amplexicaule. Leaves infected with Mint Mildew, Neoerysiphe galeopsidis.

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acorncarver.bsky.social @acorncarver.bsky.social · 6d

A few Knot leaving the pit at RSPB Snettisham this morning

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Jeremy Bartlett @jeremybartlett.bsky.social · 6d

Lots of Harlequin Ladybirds, Harmonia axyridis, at Bodney church Norfolk, this afternoon.

These were inside the church but there were masses outside too.

#Ladybirds

Lots of Harlequin Ladybirds, Harmonia axyridis, inside a church.

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Norfolk & Norwich Naturalists' Society @norfolknats.bsky.social · 6d

I suspect this is Platypeza consobrina, but am not certain (the key at this point uses microtrichia on the wing which aren’t visible in the field). They do get verified on iRecord, so probably worth adding and it can then be verified or corrected if needed.

Norfolk & Norwich Naturalists' Society @norfolknats.bsky.social · 6d

It wasn’t just you seeing lots of ladybirds @gcb112358.bsky.social !

Russell Chalk streams in crisis @russellb1ggs.bsky.social · 6d

Ladybird Armageddon 😱🐞🐞🐞🐞🐞🐞🐞🐞🐞🐞🐞🐞🐞🐞🐞🐞🐞🐞🐞🐞🐞🐞🐞🐞🐞🐞🐞🐞🐞🐞🐞🐞🐞🐞🐞🐞🐞🐞🐞🐞🐞🐞🐞🐞🐞🐞🐞🐞🐞🐞🐞🐞🐞🐞🐞🐞🐞🐞🐞🐞🐞🐞🐞🐞🐞🐞🐞🐞🐞🐞🐞🐞🐞🐞🐞🐞🐞🐞🐞🐞🐞🐞🐞🐞🐞🐞🐞🐞🐞🐞🐞🐞🐞🐞🐞🐞🐞🐞🐞🐞🐞🐞🐞🐞🐞🐞🐞🐞🐞🐞🐞🐞🐞🐞🐞🐞🐞🐞🐞🐞🐞🐞🐞🐞🐞🐞🐞🐞🐞🐞🐞🐞🐞🐞🐞🐞🐞🐞🐞🐞🐞🐞🐞🐞🐞🐞🐞🐞🐞🐞🐞🐞🐞🐞🐞🐞🐞🐞🐞🐞🐞🐞🐞🐞🐞🐞🐞🐞🐞🐞🐞🐞🐞🐞🐞🐞🐞🐞🐞🐞🐞🐞🐞🐞🐞🐞🐞🐞🐞🐞🐞🐞🐞🐞🐞🐞🐞🐞🐞🐞🐞🐞🐞🐞🐞🐞🐞🐞🐞🐞🐞🐞🐞🐞🐞🐞🐞🐞🐞🐞🐞🐞🐞🐞🐞🐞🐞🐞🐞🐞🐞🐞🐞🐞🐞🐞🐞🐞🐞🐞🐞🐞🐞🐞🐞🐞🐞🐞🐞🐞🐞🐞🐞🐞🐞🐞🐞🐞🐞🐞🐞🐞🐞🐞🐞🐞🐞🐞🐞🐞🐞🐞🐞🐞🐞🐞

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Gary @gcb112358.bsky.social · 7d

Walked into several swarms of ladybirds today ... in the air and on surfaces ... not sure whether this is an annual event @norfolknats.bsky.social @vannabartlett.bsky.social

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