Strumpshaw: lots of Hobbies, but no RFF: a Lesser Emperor was some compensation!

Linda was out at her various apiaries this morning, so it was quite frustrating to see a Red-footed Falcon come up on the pager. Fortunately, she arrived back at around 1.30, so I scooted off and was walking up to Fen Hide at 2.00. I picked out a falcon spiraling up into the blue sky, but - apart from a 'feeling - couldn't give it a definite i/d. Over the next three hours I saw and photographed lots of Hobbies and found a Lesser Emperor dragonfly, but no sign of the RFF. Plenty of friendly birders: good to bump into Dot, Steve and Drew and others who knew me through the blog: I enjoyed sharing a Swallowtail (and other butterflies) with a delightful couple from Wales.

Daytime Hedgehog!

This little Hog turned up to eat suet and mealworms during a heavy downpour yesterday. It appears to be the female of the pair that roam the garden most nights - perhaps she (?) was trying to avoid the old man!

Sunset rainbow

Rainbows are always good to see: I have never lost the sense of wonderment they provoked in me as a child. Seeing one just before sunset was a new experience however: lots more red tones in the misty sky and an obvious difference in brightness between the inside and outside of the bow...

Getting closer!

In four days time Jupiter and Venus will be really close in the western sky after sunset: last night they were just a 'fist's width' apart: quite a sight! 

Montagu's Harrier at Horsey

Year bird number 200!

After an early lunch, Linda and I drove through the showers to Horsey, parking by the approach road to the Nelson Head. A brisk walk out to the dunes revealed a small group of hardcore locals with 'scopes, so we trudged south to join them. Things didn't look promising: dark clouds, peals of thunder and frequent light showers somewhat dampened our spirits. (It was great to chat with Mick Saunt: it's been a while!)

Eventually someone found the bird hunkered down in the scrubby grass: as soon as the sky cleared, however, this ultra-distinctive ring-tail took off and flew towards us. Since Linda and I were on a slight time budget, we headed back to the car: to our delight the Monties followed us, allowing much closer views. (While I was looking at the harrier's head, courtesy of a friendly birder's 'scope, a Quail flew through the field of view - seen by half a dozen others!)

Lunch in the country

Dear friends Sue and Peter invited Linda and me to lunch at the Gunton Arms in North Norfolk. We spent a pleasant hour or so walking around Felbrigg Hall gardens - they've been remodeled, apparently in anticipation of a warmer drier climate in years to come - and are absolutely stunning. (The ornamental pool was full of newts: Smooth Newts I imagine)

The Gunton Arms is a quirky, wood-paneled pub-restaurant on the edge of a large deer park: the menu is possibly best-suited for meat eaters, but pescatarians Sue, Linda and I found delicious fish items which we thoroughly enjoyed. 

Garden Kite (Well: nearly!)

There's a lovely, old, gnarled Oak tree at the end of our neighbour's garden: we've often seen woodpeckers, gulls, crows and pigeons perched at its crown, but tonight (hence dullish images) a Red Kite alighted briefly. As is often the case with large raptors it was soon mobbed away by various corvids...

Hogz!

While photographing the 'Blue Moon' yesterday, I realised I was sharing the garden with two (a pair?) of Hedgehogs: always a delight to encounter!

Gull-billed Tern at Minsmere

...and lots more besides! Just Brian and me today - Norman has a bad back - so I decided to head down to Suffolk for a bash at the recently-present rare terns. First stop was the East Hide (pausing to admire a somewhat obscured Grasshopper Warbler) where I found a delightful Little Gull. It was obvious all the Terns were on the next scrape, so we moved to the public viewing platform, from where a delightful newly-local birder picked out a couple of distant Roseate Terns. He informed us that the Suffolk Whatsapp group were reporting the Gull-billed Tern over at Island Mere - a fair old hike! Nevertheless, we made good time and were soon enjoying fabulous views of this rarity - only my second in fifty-plus years of birding! Fleeting views of a Bittern before we adjourned for coffee and snacks and a move up on to Dunwich Heath. No Dartfords, but some interesting dragons and damsels: Magnum ice creams and then home!
(Shout out to the charming and friendly Suffolk-American birder David we met in Island Mere Hide!)