Rarity is, of course, relative: today we were visited by a Green Woodpecker - only the fourth time in thirty-something years! This delightful juvenile spent a few minutes assessing the lawn and feeding station, allowing both Linda and me reasonable views through the kitchen window!
Just a short video clip of some of the nine Great White Egrets that visited Pat's Pool on July 23rd
The usual early start saw Brian, Norman and me scanning Simmond's Scrape before 8.00am Nothing much at first, mainly because two guys were strimming in front of the hide! We walked round to Bishop's, where a few waders were lurking: Ruff, Black-tailed Godwits, Dunlin and hundreds of Lapwings. After an hour or so (the strimming still going on!) we walked out along the East Bank, enjoying the antics of the Sandwich Terns and catching glimpses of a number of Great White Egrets out on the reserve.
The walk back for coffee gave us close views of a fly-over Spoonbill, which seemed to land on Pat's: accordingly, we walked back to the centre hides and spent a few hours enjoying a flock of four Whimbrel, several Common Sandpipers and two Green Sandpipers: the Spoonbil had joined another on an island and gone to sleep!
With nothing else to see we decided on another coffee: as we drank this on the terrace a flock of nine Great White and two or three Little Egrets flew in to the back of Pat's. Finishing our coffee, we scuttled round and took a few photos, before leaving for home.
Sue, Peter and Sue's charming sister Heather met Linda and me at Hemblington Church to carry out this month's survey. I took along pheromone lures for Hornet and Lunar Hornet Clearwings (although I suspected it was a little late for the former) To our delight a Lunar Hornet Moth came to the lure almost immediately: the first time I've encountered the species!
Birds were a little thin on the ground, but there were a few butterflies to keep us interested!
A few shots from a terrific gig at the Humpty Dumpty brewery last night: a total full house that stayed until the end, dancing and singing along with the choruses!
Last night the ISS drifted over Norfolk through a nearly cloudless sky: at magnitude -3.8 it was incredibly bright, despite the twilight. There are just a few more passes before the end of July. so take a look before this amazing space station is 'de-orbited'
Having seen my earlier post, old friend Paul drove all the way across from Derby to join Linda and me in a run down to Westleton Heath and Dunwich Forest. In just a couple of hours we found the following (asterisk means photographed!)
White Letter Hairstreak *
Purple Hairstreak
Small Heath *
Meadow Brown
Small Copper *
Grayling *
Gatekeeper *
Dark Green Fritillary
Silver-washed Fritillary *
Large White
Small White *
Comma *
Peacock
White Admiral *
Red Admiral *
Small Skipper
Speckled Wood
Ringlet *
Silver-studded Blue *
Common Blue *
Holly Blue *
Not a bad haul!
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Brian and I drove down to Minsmere to look for the long-staying Red-backed Shrike: it had departed overnight! There were enough interesting species to make the trip worthwhile, however: Kittiwakes, Common & Sandwich Terns, a pair of dozy Spoonbills and a good selection of waders: I don't recall seeing Knots at Minsmere before.
