The Summer Wine Crew (minus Norman) headed North to Yorkshire for our annual tick hunt!
We arrived before midday, enjoying typically great views of the usual specialities: Tree Sparrow, Guillemot, Razorbill, Puffin, Fulmar and, of course, Gannet. An amazing coincidnce: we bumped into old friend Andrew, who I hadn't met since my Airshow days!
Our 'bijou' digs in Hunmanby turned out to be super and a trip to the moors is planned for tomorrow..
Greatest Of All Time! Truly he is! Lewis had some good luck today - of course he did! But that's nothing to the bad luck he's had to accept since he joined Ferrari. But today we saw Lewis in his pomp: magnificent! And an all-Brit podium too!
...but no Caspian Tern! Linda needed the car to attend a meeting at her group apiary at Lessingham, so offered to drop me off at Hickling for a bash at the reported Caspian Tern. Unfortunately it had flown off (to Hollesley as it turned out!) shortly before we arrived. In the hope it might return I stayed until 12.30, enjoying somewhat heat-hazey views of a Little Gull, a Bittern, several Great Egrets, three Spoonbills and lots of Hobbies.
Our 'resident' Great Spotted Woodpecker has been in and out of the garden all day: unfortunately his chosen feeding station isn't easily visible: however, he does occasionally perch on the old Oak at the end of next-door's garden!
Last night I was invited to talk to the members of Brundall Women's Institute: despite a cool, drizzly evening, I was delighted to find an audience of over forty had turned out. The ladies were so attentive and - apparently - interested that I probably overstayed my welcome, talking for well over an hour. (I was booked for 30 - 45 minutes!) A great evening which I enjoyed immensely, despite the continuing pain following a tooth extraction!
For the past few days a Great Spotted Woodpecker has been feeding on the bird table right in front of Linda's office window. Despite the frequency of these visits, they are not regular, so getting an in-focus shot through rainy glass has been problematical!
Just before dawn the waning crescent Moon was a beautiful sight above the eastern horizon: to the south Saturn was visible (but not worth an attempt at photography!)
Today's survey was linked to a public wild flower ramble in the churchyard, with expert Lucy Seely on hand to identify what was found. Scarce and interesting wild plants included Crosswort, Pig Nut, Yellow Rattle and Cat's Ear...
While getting ready to carry out this month's survey at Hemblington All Saints, I glanced at the pager to discover that the recently present Red-footed Falcon was performing in front of Reception Hide at the Fen: i calculated I had just enough time, so grabbed my camera and headed south!
As I arrived (around 8.45) I was just in time to see the bird leave the area and head south towards Fen Hide: I followed it! On entering the hide I was pleased to find only a couple of people already seated: one of these was warden Ben who kindly pointed out the target bird at the top of a willow tree. For half an hour I enjoyed acceptable (if distant) views as the Red-foot was pushed from bush to bush by the resident Hobbies!
I had to wait for an hour-long thunderstorm to clear, but the clouds eventually parted around 10.00pm
