A sylvan graveyard and a slightly frustrating day out

I had to use up a day's leave before the end of the month so I decided to pop up to Suffolk to check out a few sites. The day didn't quite go according to plan and my intention to properly kick off the beetling season failed to materialise. I just really struggled to find any at all.

First up was the RSPB's Lakenheath Fen. I've been coming here for nearly 20 years and it's certainly changed in that time.

As I neared the first viewpoint I could hear the bugling of cranes. A short time later a pair rose up and circled, still calling before moving off, presumably to feed elsewhere. A bittern also decided to fly past.

The poplar plantations are gradually disappearing and there were a large number of trees down since my last visit. It was rather eerie first thing in the morning and was like some tree cemetery.

I had a poke round the carpark looking for beetles but turned up nothing. SO ended up trying to identify plants!

The first I believe is Common Storksbill but have no idea on the second!! (EDIT: apparently Spring Beauty Claytonia perfoliata)

I then went and had a pootle about some field margins on the edge of Lakenheath village. Despite lots of grubbing around I drew a blank on beetles but did see what appear to be wild Grape Hyacinth plants.

After lunch I popped into Cavenham Heath. It was getting positively balmy by this point and Green Tiger Beetles were out in abundance, flying up from my feet.

Looking down I caught a sudden movement and noticed a largish spider standing at the lip of a burrow. Out she came and I managed a quick snap. Once home I checked my spider book and reckoned it was from the genus Alopecosa. Posting on the UK Spiders facebook group got me an ID of A. barbipes. Apparently the form of the cardiac mark is distinctive (the pattern at the front of the abdomen).

So, not the day I was expecting, but nice nonetheless.