Chalkhill Blues!

Not the name of a Robert Johnson song, but a beautiful butterfly that can only be seen in this part of the world at the Iron Age fort at Wareham. After a successful early visit to Cley (details tomorrow) Norman and I headed westwards, turning inland at Wells. Almost the first butterfly we saw was a Chalkhill Blue, followed by perhaps another 30 or 40, looking particularly stunning in the bright sunshine. Other species included Holly Blue, Common Blue and all three of the expected skippers, all being enjoyed by a delightful couple of lady afficionados...

Spectacular conjunction in the dawn sky

I crawled out of bed at 3.30 this morning to catch the conjunction between the Moon, Jupiter, Mars and the bright star Aldebaran (in the constellation of Taurus) The Pleiades (Seven Sisters) were also close to the Moon. Just to the south Uranus was visible with binoculars.

Nightjars on a north coast heath

On our way home from Cley on Friday, LInda and I stopped for an hour or so at our most reliable site for Nightjar. We weren't sure whether we'd left it a bit late (we usually visit in June) and wondered if the surprising number of family groups cycling along the paths or the incredibly loud music from a nearby campsite might prevent us encountering any Nightjars. In the event, as soon as the sky grew really dusky - around 9.30 - we began hearing 'churring' all around us. Even better, at least five birds flew around just in front of us, some perching within a few metres...

Pensthorpe and the North Coast: Egrets galore!

Friends Sue and Peter had a double ticket for Pensthorpe wildlife park that they couldn't use: since it expired on July 31st, they kindly passed it on to Linda and me. Theoretically not the ideal time to visit, with all the ducks in eclipse, but we had a thoroughly enjoyable afternoon. The Crane breeding area was delightful, as were the various woodland and wetland walks, where two Great White and three Little Egrets were noteable, as was a year tick in the form of a Mandarin - as wild as any in the UK are!

After supper at Byfords in Holt we drove up to the coast, parking at the end of the East Bank for the short walk to Bishop's Hide. As we approached, we flushed another Great White from Carter's Scrape, but were unprepared for the twelve Cattle Egrets that lounged in two groups on Pat's Pool. These were mostly breeding-plumaged adults, but there were a few juveniles among them: after five minutes they flew off, spooked by a Marsh Harrier. Other good birds included two Green Sandpipers and a largish flock of Dunlin.

Nest of wild Honey Bees

A rare bird in the garden...

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!

 

Great White Egret flock at Cley

Just a short video clip of some of the nine Great White Egrets that visited Pat's Pool on July 23rd

Two year ticks at Cley NWT

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.

A new clearwing on today's Church survey!

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!