Chats and Hairstreaks!

A morning at Cley with Brian was relaxed and enjoyable: nothing rare to chase after, so we had a long walk in the sun and photographed some common - but beautiful - birds.

From the centre hides we enjoyed watching a Little Egret catching sticklebacks: he had to flip them round to swallow them! Also on view were several Little Ringed Plovers, a few Godwits and lots of Avocets.

The Eye Field held lots of Wheatears, including one that might have been a 'Greenland' type. The Whinchat was still there, while a White Wagtail remained irritatingly distant in the heat haze! Much closer were a number of dapper little Meadow Pipits and Reed Buntings.

On the way south, we stopped on Salthouse Heath where, after a bit of a search, we found two Green Hairstreaks.

Just north of Norwich we took a walk around a small reserve that Martin told us about. The scrub was too dense for good views of anything, but we heard - and briefly glimpsed - a Nightingale.

This evening the male Turtle was purring from our Sycamore: first time we've heard him this year!