Black-winged Stilts and a Spotted Flycatcher: two year ticks before breakfast!

It was a bright, blustery morning, so I left home at 05.00 to try and catch up with the pair of Black-winged Stilts that have been present at Titchwell for a couple of days. With absolutely no traffic, I was in Parrinder Hide by 06.00, chatting with a pleasant Worcester birder who I'd met at Bempton last month! We soon located the Stilts, right over in the south east corner of the scrape: luckily there was virtually no heat haze, so I managed a few shots. (A couple of Spoonbills were sieving away in front of the hide.)

Walking back to the carpark I noticed a young couple with whom I'd been chatting: they were examining a pale raptor towards Thornham. Photography revealed the bird to be a very unusual male Marsh Harrier, similar to the recent 'Montagu's' at Cley.

I decided to spend two minutes in the carpark looking for the elusive Spotted Flycatchers: amazingly, I found one straight away, and was able to call over the young couple for a look!

Three milion!

Sometime overnight Birds of the Heath had its three millionth visitor: many thanks to all of you who follow my daily ramblings!

A morning at Cley: Spoonbills and a Glossy Ibis (Eventually!)

Brian and Norman picked me up at 07.00 for a run up to Cley: the weather was sunny, but nowhere as hot as recently... We started off in Bishop's Hide, where Spoonbill (3) Bearded Tit (12+) and the 'usual waders' were good to see. A walk out to the centre hides added Green Sandpiper to the day list, but the Spoonbills had flown off!

Back to the reserve centre for coffee on the terrace, before walking the East Bank to the beach. Lots of Little and Sandwich Terns and plenty of butterflies along the path. The CBC Whatsapp sent us scurrying back to the centre Hides, where the Glossy Ibis had settled in with the returning Spoonbills - we were amused to watch it aggressively poking a Spoony on its rump! Since the weather was beginning to close in, we decided to call it a day: back home by 2.30.

Lunar Clearwing moth in the garden

While rummaging in the freezer yesterday, I came across a two year old pheromone lure for Lunar Clearwing. More in hope than anticipation, I hung it on the Buddleia bush outside my office window, but nothing came to investigate. Today Linda pointed out not one but three Lunars buzzing around the lure: amazing, since our garden is nowhere near any large trees...

Noctilucent clouds

Great friend Paul (who lives in Swadlincote) enjoyed a fabulous display of NLCs last night, at around 11.30. I had a look before I went to bed (after England's somewhat tedious soccer display!) but couldn't see any here in East Norfolk.

Strawberry full Moon

Those of you who either stay up late or get up early can enjoy a full Moon on the 30th: it will rise at midnight on the 29th and will be low in the west... It might appear slightly smaller and dimmer, because it is at its furthest point from the Earth in its orbit.

Sunspots!

Following the (brief) rain, a fairly impressive sunspot group... (As always: NEVER look at the Sun with optical instruments, cameras or the naked eye - I have special filters!)

The night sky in July

As promised during my chat with Jules Button this afternoon, here are July's astronomy notes and times when the International Space Station passes over East Anglia. I've added some photos I took of a stunning noctilucent cloud display - it really is worth looking out for them over the next few weeks...

Still no Mercury!

After sunset I made the short drive to the top of the heath, where I knew I could expect a dark, clear western horizon. Venus and Jupiter were easy to find (despite the haze over Norwich) but Mercury eluded me again...

Tonight's Moon

Hanging low in the south, the waxing gibbous Moon was a beautiful sight just after sunset: to the west Venus and Jupiter were visible, but I coiuldn't find Mercury...