Sea Buckthorn (Hippophae rhamnoides) berries on the clifftop at Cromer.

Gorse (Ulex europaeus) flowering too,

Tag CloudSeaBuckthorn, Gorse

Wall-rue (Asplenium ruta-mururaria)







Grey-cushion Grimmia (Grimmia pulvinata)



Zygogdon Sp ?

Zygodon you can't do unless you look under the microscope and study the gemmae. If Z. viridissimus gemmae will have cross partitions (about 4/5) and the odd vertical one, although that's not all that easy to see. If leaf nerve extends beyond tip and thickens towards leaf tip, it will be Z. vir var stirtonii. Z. conoideus has no vertical partitions and normally more cross ones (6/7/8). Z. rupestris, which is much less common, is like Z vir but with no vertical partitions, but, as I say, they can be difficult to see and sometimes you don't get many gemmae to play with.
Mary Ghullam per comm

Cylindric Beard-moss (Didymodon insulanus)





Anomalous Bristle-moss (Orthotrichum anomalum)

Moss Ids confirmed on this occasion.

Thanks to Mary Ghullam BBS Vice County 27 recorder

Tag CloudGrey-cushionedGrimmia, GreenYoke-moss, CylindricBeard-moss, Wall-rue, Moss, Bryophytes, Fern, AnomalousBristle-moss

Maidenhair Spleenwort (Aspelenium trichomanes)





Rigid Beard-moss (Didymodon rigidulus)






Wall Screw-moss (Tortula muralis )

Moss Ids confirmed on this occasion.

Thanks to Mary Ghullam BBS Vice County 27 recorder

Tag CloudMaidenhairSpleenwort, RigidBeard-moss, WallScrew-moss, Moss, Bryophytes

Winter Heliotrope (Petasites fragrans)

It is a dioecious but only male plants occur in the UK
It has both whitish and pinkish flowerheads
and
heavenly fragrance close to marzipan.

Resting on a bed of
Common Feather-moss (Kindbergia praelonga)?
All moss IDs are a work in progress hence ???



Common Feather-moss (Kindbergia praelonga)?


All moss IDs are a work in progress hence ???

Tag CloudWinterHeliotrope, CommonFeather-moss, Moss, Bryophytes

Tag CloudLandscape

A party of about 30 Snow Buntings on the beach today.

One came very, very close.

So close I couldn't focus on it.



























































Just Delightful


Snow Bunting ( Plectrophenax nivalis)

Tag CloudLandscape, SnowBunting

Great Northern Diver ( Gavia immer )

Tag CloudGreatNorthernDiver

About 30 on Yarmouth Beach

Mediterranean Gull - ( Ichthyaetus melanocephalus )

One or two mosses from the seafront





Grey cushioned Grimmia (Grimmia pulvinata)?



Great Hairy Screw-moss ( Syntrichia rural subsp. ruralis )?



Silver Moss - ( Bryan argentium )?

Underneath the walkway there was also White-tipped Bristle-moss ( Orthotrichum diaphanum )

All moss IDs are a work in progress hence ???

Tag CloudMoss, Bryophytes, MediterraneanGull, Grey-cushionedGrimmia, GreatHairyScrew-moss, Silver-moss

Sand-hill Screw-moss (Syntrichia ruralis subsp ruraliformis )

Comparing the sharp pointed tip leaves of the above plant
with the much blunter tipped leaves of the plant below from Great Yarmouth Seafront
But they both have recurved leaf margins



Great Hairy Screw-moss ( Syntrichia ruralis subsp. ruralis )



Dwarf Swan-neck Moss ( Campylopus pyriformis)
Deciduous leaves and shoots



Whitish Feather Moss (Bracythecium albicans) or Rough-stalked Feather-moss ( Bracyhtecium rutabulum) Needs Checking
and something in front probably
Redshank ( Ceratodon purpureus)








Heath Star-moss ( Campylopus introflexus)

C. introflexus can be tricky. It is very common on heathland, but is often at various stages and you can have to
search really hard for hairpoints at the base of the plant on older leaves. It tends to be upright, whereas D. het etc are more falcate.
Mary Ghullam pers comm



Juniper Haircap (Polytrichum jumiperinum)

Moss Ids confirmed and left open on this occasion.

Thanks to Mary Ghullam BBS Vice County 27 recorder




Wrinkled Crust Fungus ( Phlebia radiata )







?

Tag CloudBryophytes, Moss, WrinkledCrustFungus, Sand-hillScrew-moss, Cypress-leavedPlait-moss, SilkyForklet-moss

Blackheaded Gull ( Chroicocephalus ridibundus )







Common Gull ( Larus canus )









Herring Gull ( Larus argentatus )



Golden Plover ( Pluvialis apricaria )

















Goldfinches charming ( Carduelis carduelis )

Tag CloudLandscape, CommonGull, HerringGull, Goldfinch, BlackHeadedGull, GoldenPlover, Spume&Spray

A beautiful day with spectacular birds.





A line of Beech on the edge of the St Helen's car park.





































Note the very deep, hefty bill.

But the call is the most diagnostic.

Unable to get a recording today so a few examples from xeno-canto.





and the

Parrot Crossbill page on xeno-canto











Parrot Crossbill ( Loxia pytyopsittacus )

British Birds Article from the early sixties

and

a paper from the 1980's

Tag CloudParrotCrossbill

The rarest moss of the day. ( for Norfolk )

This turned out to probably be Chalk Screw-moss (Tortula vahliana) A first for Norfolk if confirmed by the referee.







Common Yellow Lichen ( Xanthoria parietina )



A mixture of Silver-moss ( Bryan argenteum ) and White-tipped Bristle-moss ( Orthotrichum diaphanum ) ?





Neat Feather-moss ( Pseudoscleropodium purum)



White-tipped Bristle-moss ( Orthotrichum diaphanum ) ?

16 Outer peristome teeth - Silver leaf tips



Salad Burnet ( Sanguisorba minor )

A trip to Cockthorpe Common to discover mosses with the Bryology Group of the N&NNS

Truly extraordinary to hear the discussions over the id of particular mosses.

Cockthorpe Common is situated in the valley of the River Stiffkey, where steep slopes support a diverse chalk grassland flora and it is a designated SSSI.

It is one of the few unimproved chalk downland sites left in Norfolk and contains a rich flora, including a number of uncommon species.

All moss IDs are a work in progress hence ???

Tag CloudLandscape, SaladBurnett, CommonYellowLichen, Bryophytes, Moss, Silver-moss, NeatFeather-moss, White-tippedBristle-moss, ChalkScrew-moss

A morning for take off sequences.

















































A free flowing knot of Pinkfeet
































Pinkfooted Goose ( Anas brachyrynchus )

They seem to have changed their habits for this field. Whereas they were in there all day, today there were all leaving by about eight thirty.

Just caught them as the last few were flying off. Just perfect in the morning light.

Tag CloudPinkFootedGoose

Stonechat ( Saxicola rubicola )















Goldfinch ( Carduelis carduelis )





































Snow Bunting ( Plectrophenax nivalis )





















Golden Plover (Pluvialis apricaria )





Pied Wagtail ( Motacilla alba )

Tag CloudStonechat, Goldfinch, SnowBunting, GoldenPlover

Pink Footed Goose ( Anser brachyrynchus )

Tag CloudPinkFootedGoose, Landscape

Pink Footed Goose ( Anser brachyrynchus )

Tag CloudPinkFootedGoose

Marsh Harrier ( Circus aeruginosus )









































Delightful Wigeon ( Anas penelope ) very close to the hide.





Shelduck ( Tadorna tadorna )


Golden Plover ( Pluvialis apricaria )

Tag CloudMarshHarrier, Wigeon, GoldenPlover

A superb sunny morning with no wind.











Brent ( Branta bernicla )





Black Tailed Godwit ( Limosa limosa )



















Marsh Harrier ( Circus aeruginosus )





Peregrine ( Falco peregrinus ) & Marsh Harriers stirring things up.



Teal ( Anas crécca )







Shelduck ( Tadorna tadorna )





















Mixed flock of Teal ( Anas crecca ) & Wigeon ( Anas penelope )

Tag CloudWigeon, Teal, Shelduck, BlacktailedGodwit, Brent, MarshHarrier, Peregrine

Beech ( Fagus sylvatica )

and
under the beech
and
on the bank
at the side of the road
a
number of mosses
and
liverworts.



Swan's-neck Thyme-moss ( Mnium hornum ) ?





Smaller White Moss ( Leucobryum juniperoideum ) ?



Blunt-leaved Earwort ( Diplophyllum obtusifolium ) ?



Great Pocket Moss (Fissidens taxifolius var pallidicaulis ) ? and Many—fruited Thyme-moss ( Plagiomnium affine) ?



A mixture of

Cypress-leaved Plait-moss ( Hypnum cupressiforme), Blunt-leaved Earwort ( Diplophyllum obtusifolium ) & Swan's-neck Thyme-moss ( Mnium hornum )?

All moss IDs are a work in progress hence ???

Tag CloudLandscape, Beech, Moss, Bryophytes, Liverwort, Swan's-neckThyme-moss, Blunt-leavedEarwort, SmallWhiteMoss, GreatPocketMoss

A glorious rainbow in the rain this morning.

















Pink Totted Goose ( Anser brachyrynchus )



The sound of Pink footed geese gathered in the field.

Tag CloudLandscape, PinkFootedGoose, SugarBeet