Wednesday: Strumpshaw & Buckenham

A seven mile hike around the patch produced lots of goodies! Today it was all about the raptors!

Beautiful Buzzard...



Buzzard & Red-footed Falcon



Marsh Harrier over Stone Road

Hobby at Strumpshaw

Over the Sandy Path

Hobby at Buckenham

Spotted Flycatcher at Strumpshaw

Spotted Flycatcher at Buckenham

Who's a Pretty Boy, then?

A 'Japanese' Green Pheasant: only a variety of the usual, but absolutely stunning....
Not much at Strump tonight: a Hobby, a Buzzard, two Cuckoos, a Little Egret and several Bearded Tits by the Fen Hide

Swallowtails at last!

Finally caught up with some STs: two on Lackford Run in Hawthorn, one by the Tower Hide and two on the Woodland Trail. Nothing much else to report, apart from a male Marshie that nearly landed in the garden today and a Tawny Owl hooting in our sycamores last night...

As hot as Rome!

Wow! Just in time for this weekend's Duxford Airshow, some super fine weather!
In between loading the van with our market stall, bits of spacecraft and framed aviation displays, I took a couple of hours off to stroll around Strumpshaw. Failed to see any Swallowtails: they are soooooooooo late this year. Several dragonflies & damselflies which I shall attempt to i/d after the weekend! Also a family group of Marsh Tits and a Blackcap carrying a somewhat ambitious piece of nesting material!

Reunion!

This is 'Serious Risk' top to bottom, left to right: Chris Gray (drums), me (rhythm and lead vocals), Howie Marsh (lead guitar & vocals) and Paul Morgan (bass)
We've been playing our unique rock and blues for 25 years off and on: we're rehearsing for a gig at Heathlands, Blofield Heath on July 22nd...

North coast with Martin!

A terrific day at Cley with my oldest birding buddy Martin: we've been looking at wildlife together since 1985 and it's always a blast to have a day out....
Nothing fantastically rare, but some good views of interesting birds and the first Hairstreak of the year!

1st Summer Little Gull

Little Ringed Plover

Wheatear

Bearded Tit

Green Hairstreak

It had to be done!

Since the last Bee Eater I saw was a cool 30 years ago in Suffolk, I just couldn't resist leaving the patch for a look at this one at Wiveton... What a STAR!

Fruitless!

Since it was a pleasant, warm afternoon, Linda & I spent a couple of hours searching for a reported Hoopoe at Beighton. One other birder turned up, assuming that, since it was being reported by RBA, it was pinned down: nothing could be further from the truth! I do sometimes wonder why RBA posts birds on their rarities map which were probably fly-throughs...

Friday, 18th May

Around the Fen again! Frustrating: I saw some excellent birds but slow reactions or the desire to look through bins first meant few photos taken!
Highlights: Hobby, Lesser Whitethroat, Spotted Flycatcher, Bittern (close fly-by!)

We have five species of crow regularly visiting the garden:
my personal favourites are the Jackdaws...

Damselfly: I find i/d-ing these quite 'challenging'!

Little Egret being mobbed by a Barn Owl

Savi's, anyone?

Well: couldn't make it last night, so I was on the reserve by 5.15am today: straight to the Tower Hide where, totally alone, I enjoyed distant but excellent views of the Savi's! And, when the BH Gulls shut up, its distinctive reeling was surprisingly loud!
Also saw several Barn Owls, Water Deer, Cuckoos, Buzzards, Hobbies,  Kingfishers etc and racked up nealy eight miles before breakfast!

Peek-a-boo

One of five Cuckoos!

Look at those fangs!

Garden Warbler

Cetti's

Wednesday at Strumpshaw

A bad day for Basil Brush......
Exciting news: a Savi's on territory at the Fen: I'll be back at dusk to listen!
Meanwhile: good views of a Kingfisher and I heard (but didn't see) a Garden Warbler. As I was listening to it singing, a Mistle Thrush joined in..... I was a little taken aback when another birder identified this as the GW!
Finally: a pair of Stock Doves new to the garden.

Great Spotted Woodie by sandy bank...