Hemi-holiday

Pete and I set off early this morning to Wells-next-the-sea where I was updating a survey of a small area of grassland, reedbed and relict saltmarsh. I'd been led to believe that there wasn't much of note, but it proved more interesting than expected, the highlight being finding two small colonies of Marsh Helleborine.

We'd finished by half past one, and spent the afternoon enjoying a mini-holiday, including the most delicious salted caramel ice-cream eaten at a jolly blue picnic table in a holiday park.  We then walked along Beach Road, where I spotted this fine plant of Saltwort, across the very crowded beach and back through the pinewoods, which were surprisingly hot and humid. A Grey Squirrel was enjoying the bountiful crop of blackberries next to the path!

Towards the end of our walk we found a wonderful flowery meadow full of bumblebees, butterflies, hoverflies and other insects gorging themselves on Common Knapweed, Fleabane and Hemp-agrimony. The highlights were a few Moss Carder-bees (among many Common Carder-bees) and Tachina grossa, a large bristly black fly whose larvae parasitise large caterpillars such as Oak Eggar, and which is very local in East Anglia (see extras).

After watching the Wells lifeboat being hauled in and turned around ready for re-launching, we headed back to the car to drive along the coast for a short walk on the saltmarsh at Thornham Staithe. It was wonderfully peaceful, apart from the twittering of many Swallows and a mix of Pied and Yellow Wagtails. We considered getting fish and chips, but in the end decided to go straight home which was lucky as we only just got through the A47 before they closed it at eight o'clock!