Really looking forward to tonight's solar eclipse: the best since 1999, when Linda and I drove down to Prawle Point in Devon - still got the glasses, as you can see! We're having an 'Eclipse Supper' with chums Sue and Peter, with plenty of fizz: I've got all the appropriate gear ready to observe, record and project the event: fingers crossed!
I happened to wake up at around 03.00, so I thought I'd spend an hour looking for Perseid meteors - this shower is generally agreed to be the most productive of the year. In the event (and despite a thin haze) I recorded a rate of around a dozen an hour. I tried a few photos and actually captured a single 'shooting star', albeit somewhat shaky!
Since I'm not really 'into' long-distance twitching these days, it's been a while since I've added to my life list: the last new bird was the Lincolnshire Lammergeier, I think (with recent demotions I'm now 'on' 442: exactly half of this year's total!)
With the hides at Cley being cleaned until 10am, I persuaded Brian and Norman to head south to Walberswick, where a shortish walk gave us almost immediate distant views of a new bird for all three of us - Zitting Cisticola. I've seen the species in France (when they were still called Fan-tailed Warblers!) so I knew what to look for and was able to find an adult and three juvenile birds. Always distant and through a bit of heat haze, it was still a great result! A couple of obliging Whimbrel were very welcome...
Since Minsmere was due to reopen today, we drove the short distance and walked round a virtually bird- and visitor free reserve. Highlights were lots of Terns, including Arctic, Roseate and Little among the hundreds of Common and Sandwich Terns, and being interviewed over lunch by a BBC Look East camera team! The Sluice Pool held a large shoal of decent Roach.. A brief stop at Hen Reedbeds and then home...
Today is the thirtieth day in a row that we've had at least one Hummingbird Hawkmoth in the garden (almost always on the Buddleia outside my office window) They've been all different sizes and degrees of 'wear', so it hasn't just been the same one hanging around: just think how many there must be over the whole country. This year will be remembered for Painted Ladies and Hummers (Oh! And heatwaves!)
Linda is Treasurer of the Norwich & District Beekeepers Association, and helped organise the group's barbecue at their Apiary near Lessingham today. Despite the hot weather, around forty members turned up to enjoy burgers, beautiful salads (courtesy of Chairman Kt!) ice creams and cakes. Many people brought along samples of this year's honey for a tasting - it was fascinating to see the great variety of colours and textures.
Adults and children enjoyed the afternoon, while I was delighted to watch a Spitfire zoom south: other highlights included Hummingbird Hawkmoths, a Green Woodpecker and Kt's lovely little dogs Dave and Denis!
Before dawn this morning the crescent Moon and Mars were a fine sight, close together above the eastern horizon: tomorrow it could be possible to see Jupiter, Mercury, the Moon, Mars and Saturn strung out in a 'planetary parade' along the ecliptic.
With news on RBA that the recently-present Black Stork was lingering around Horsey, I waited impatiently for Lin to return from shopping with her chum KT. In the event her unexpectedly late arrival meant I missed the Stork by just a few minutes (Had I known it, the bird had circled round to Hickling!)
Whilst chatting with a really pleasant couple from Stalham, I noticed that the groups of 40 or 50 gulls passing eastward were mostly Mediterranean Gulls of virtually every possible plumage: they stated that these flocks had been drifting towards the dunes for around an hour! Just before I left for home, a huge flock rose up behind the farm - easily seven to eight hundred birds.
Plenty of raptors around: Marsh Harriers, Red Kites, a Sparrowhawk, several Common Buzzards and a Hobby.
Now and then Linda and I treat ourselves to breakfast out: we've eaten at the Fizz & Fromage (by Wroxham Station) in the past and thought it was time for another visit. To be brief: it was by far the best veggie breakfast we've ever eaten! Everything was fresh and cooked to perfection and the sausages were to die for! Not expensive, either: £11 each! Thoroughly recommended...
Just had four Hummingbird Hawkmoths feeding on the Buddleia in front of my office window: first time we've had four at once! Needless to say, I couldn't manage a focused shot of them all together, but here's a couple and a video!
Sorry if you're not into astronomy, but the last quarter Moon was really interesting to look at this morning: the giant crater complex Clavius was particularly striking...
