Wildlife

James Lowen

I also chanced upon a couple of classy moths. Straw-barred Pearl was first up. And the nationally threatened Marbled Clover was second, nectaring on the deliciously blue Viper's Bugloss. I love the Brecks!

I was particularly delighted to see the Pink as I had managed to dip it ten days earlier.Andy Musgrove, however, assured me that I was in the right place - but simply had to look harder. I followed his advice. And did precisely the same for my second target plant: Spanish Catchfly. How I had previously missed this major rarity on the blinkin' obvious patch of bare, stony ground, I do not know. Granted, it is small - but it is also pretty damn obvious if you bother to drop to your knees.

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2 Jul 2015 Breckland wonderland

I love the Brecks. This thirsty, sandy, lightly-vegetated region is like nothing else in East Anglia, or, indeed Britain. It is our country's answer to the steppes, and packed full of nationally threatened species to boot. I love the Brecks, but I am only just starting to explore it - and fall a long way short of understanding it. Long summer evenings such as Monday this week offer the perfect opportunity to adventure out, and to appreciate. My destination of choice - after a slight diversion to see a dot of a Pacific Golden Plover on the distant mudflats of Breydon Water - was Cranwich Camp. Upon arrival, I bumped into Simon Harrap, god of many things floral, struggling to fathom a new GPS. I then struggled to find Proliferous Pink, or, at least, one that had an open flower. "The flowers were open at 2pm", said Simon. You should have been heere earlier; story of my (wild)life. Nevertheless, the cute blooms were grand to see - particularly given their incredibly localised distribution.