My Norfolk Orchid Challenge 2019 (Help Needed!)

Bee Orchid

This year, I want to set myself a wildlife spotting challenge. However, this challenge is going to be very tough for me. Throughout this year's summer months, I want to find every orchid species in Norfolk. The problem is that orchids can be notoriously difficult to locate and identify. Some of my targets are only found in a single location and its not certain that they will be there or not. They can appear in the same spot one year and not the next. Some species also look very similar to each other and can even hybridise creating a confusing combination to puzzle me further. On top of this, plants are my weakest subjects, I'm not an expert. I kind of throwing myself into the deep end here.

Southern Marsh Orchid

If this is not enough, I'm also currently looking for a job. And if I find one, this orchid challenge might not happen. But if I do manage to squeeze it in, I was wondering if anyone would like to team up or help me out in some way. I need someone who has the information or skills to find certain species. If you are interested and to keep certain species safe from illegal orchid hunters, you can email me at seanlocke86@outlook.com. Below a list of the orchids that can be found in Norfolk, though a few a possibly extinct in this county, and the challenges I need to help with for each one.

• Early Purple (late April - May)  This one should be easy enough to find as long as I know where to look.
• Green-wringed (May)   I have a location, but not sure if they are still around and where to look.
• Bird's-nest (May-June)  This is a tricky one as I know that Holt Country Park is the place to go, but it will be extremely hard to locate. I need someone to help me find one.
• Common Twayblade (June) No problem with finding this one as I can find them at Strumpshaw.
• Man (June) This is another really tricky one as I have a very short window to find one and there's only one place it grows in Norfolk and the location is kept hush hush.
• Early Marsh (June) I have a location, but Marsh orchid species can be rather difficult to separate though this species might be the least confusing.
• Pugsley's Marsh (June) I believe I have a location, but its another tricky one to ID.
• Greater Butterfly (June) Foxley Wood is the place to go see these beauties, but if I can find them is another matter.
• Southern Marsh (June) Easy to find at Strumpshaw.
• Bee (June) Another one I should find at Strumpshaw.
• Heath Spotted (June - July) Buxton Heath is the place to go for this one and should be simple enough to find.
• Pyramidal (June - July) There's a number of places to go, but its a question of which one I want to visit.
• Fen (June) This is one I need permission for as it is so rare and protected.
• Lesser Butterfly (June-July) There's only one location and I don't know where it is or where they are, if they are still there in the first place.
• Common Spotted (June-July) Good ol' Strumpshaw can help me with this one.
• Creeping Lady's-tresses (July) Only one location and I'm not sure where they are or if they still exist.
• Marsh Helleborine (July) Should be easy enough for me to find.
• Marsh Fragrant (July) Apparently Buxton Heath is the place to go. I just hope I can find them ok.
• Lizard Orchid, Bog Orchid and Green-flowered Helleborine (July - Aug) All uncertain to flower as they are possibly all extinct in Norfolk, but you never know.
• Broad-leaved Helleborine (July - Aug) Not sure where they are, but I have one location.
• Autumn Lady's-tresses (Aug) Only one location and its quite far. Need someone willing to drive me there. If they are still there of course.

So there you have it. If you want to help me by supplying details and directions of locations or want to tag along, let me know via email. However, this will depends on my job if I find one, so it might be hard to squeeze it in, but I will try my best. Fingers crossed that I can achieve finding both a job and these orchids in one year. It will certainly be an interesting 2019.

Jan 2nd Strumpshaw Fen and Briggate

Happy new year everyone! I would have loved to start the year without being ill, though. A nasty fever came over me during the weekend with Sunday being the worst of it. I'm a lot better than I was, but now an annoying cough has taken over from the fever. I'd take that over the fever any day. So, where better to start the new year than at Strumpshaw in the rain! It was raining on and off all day.

Chinese Water Deer

A chorus of calling bullfinches welcomed me to Strumpshaw as I made my way to Fen Hide before the next shower occurred. From the Fen Hide, I saw 4 Chinese water deer were grazing in close proximity of each other, a line of pink-footed geese streamed passed the hide up in the rainclouds, a few mute swans (which were pursued by Cobber the black swan) and some marsh harriers doing their usual patrols. On the way back, siskins distracted me with their distinctive wheezy twittering calls from some alder trees.

Mute Swan

Cobber the Black Swan

Pink-footed Geese

Siskin

Reception Hide today

Christmas is over and the decorations were coming down inside the Reception Hide. A steady stream of visitors were arriving in, despite the showers. The ducks didn't mind the rain either. Mallards and gadwalls were in reasonable numbers out on the broad with a small number of shoveler and teal sprinkled amongst them. Meanwhile, marsh harriers and buzzards dominated the sky above and I even noticed that one of the harriers had orange wing tags (The Hawk and Owl Trust ran out of code combinations with their green tags, so are now starting again with orange tags).

Coot

Gadwall

Teal

Shoveler

Marsh Harrier

Black-bellied Dipper

When my first shift of 2019 was over, my colleague, Tricia, told me that she was thinking of going to see the black-bellied dipper afterwards, which had been reported near North Walsham for the last few days. I decided to tag along. We made our way to the dipper's last known location at Ebridge. We stood in the rain for a short while staring at a dipper-less stream. The other birders were leaving us one by one until it was just the two of us. It wasn't until a passing dog walker telling us about seeing loads of twitchers on the bridge at Briggate that we learnt why this bird wasn't here. It was at Briggate! We were at the wrong part of the stream!

A short car ride later and we were in luck and in the right place. Tricia had never seen a dipper until now and had visited dipper hotspots only to return empty handed. So she was quite pleased that her first dipper was here in Norfolk. Me, on the other hand, I have seen dippers a few times now. This is now my second dipper that I've seen in Norfolk, both of which happen to be the scarce visiting black-bellied subspecies. This individual was demonstrating everything that a dipper does best from plunging itself underwater to hunt for worms and other aquatic juicy morsels that it could find to bobbing uncontrollably (though this one didn't do it quite so frequently for some reason). 2019 is only 2 days old, but I've already got my first scarcity. Not bad!