A few overdue year ticks at Cley and Kelling Quags

With still most of the good stuff being in the western counties, the best bet seemed like Cley, starting at the Coastguards. Almost the first bird we saw was a Wheatear, followed quickly by a second, Little else apart from Stonechats and Mipits, so we parked at the Reserve Centre and walked out to Bishop's. Lots of Black-tailed Godwits and Avocets, as well as two pairs of Little Ringed Plovers and a few Ruff. Marsh Harriers were all over the place, one of which put up a pair of Bitterns (which we missed!) While we were drinking our coffee four Spoonbills flew in and landed on Pat's: despite a rapid reorientation to the centre hides, they'd gone when we arrived! Nice to bump into demon ticker Tina and her chums!

We decided to move on to Kelling, parking by the cafe and following the brook down to the Pool. Several Chiffchaffs and a Blackcap were calling, and a passage of Hirundines was taking place, with Swallows and Sand Martins passing through continuously. A walk to the ack-ack guns failed to produce the hoped-for Ouzel, but Linnets and Stonechats were confiding for once!

After a cup of tea we returned to Cley, where we finally glimpsed two of the Spoonbills prospecting for nest sites on the Hangs. And so home!

Hairy-footed Flower Bees!

Among my favourite insects, these delightful creatures are among the first bees to appear in the Spring. The dark females are particularly striking and both they and the tawny-coloured males have incredibly loud 'hums'! They're very fast and erratic flyers, so these photos surprised even me!

Lunar 'X' and 'Y'

Classic examples of chiaroscuro (patterns created by light and shade) are the two letters that appear along the terminator of the first quarter moon: they are quite apparent in this photo.

Venus: the 'Morning Star'

Having rounded the Sun, Venus is now visible in the east just before dawn..

The Moon and Mars

Close together in the constellation of Gemini tonight...

Spacerocks UK

Just a month or so until we wind up our 25-year old meteorites business! For most of that period Linda and I were the UK's only full-time meteorite and tektite dealers: a lot of the presentations, display and jewellery you see on the online auctions were originally our idea - particularly the 55mm 'photo boxes'. Still, imitation is the sincerest form of flattery and all that!

A combination of the new punitive tax laws and reporting processes, shortage of decent, reasonably priced material and the stress of driving the UK's motorways these days all contributed to our decision to finish at the end of May. We still have plenty of decent meteorites available, from lunars and martians and polished slices. If you've thought about owning a piece of outer space, drop us a line on info@spacerocksuk.com: plenty of bargains to be had!

The Moon and Jupiter

The waxing crescent Moon continues its voyage along the ecliptic: last night it passed close by the giant planet Jupiter, while on the 5th April it will be very close to Mars.

The Moon crosses the Pleiades

Last night the waxing crescent Moon passed in front of the famous 'Seven Sisters' cluster (AKA: the Pleiades) It was a pretty spectacular sight - particularly if you're an Astronomer!

Garganeys, Dartfords and a Spotshank!

A sunny but cool day out for Brian, Norman and me began in Bishop's Hide at Cley. Still plenty of Avocets and Black-tailed Godwits, as well as a Ruff and a fly-through pair of Spoonbills, but nothing to set the pulses racing. A typically skulking Cetti's Warbler was good to see.

After coffee we moved to a nearby heath, where a walk around gave us views of Dartford Warbler: this being nesting season, we didn't hang around for 'better photos'. Lots of Linnets and a gorgeous Yellowhammer were welcome additions to the day's list.

Final stop was Hickling, where Brian and Norman finally connected with Garganey: two drakes and a duck. A spotted Redshank was a new bird for the year, and a Crane flew over the visitor centre as we left!

A day with friends in Walsingham

Great friend Margaret (Peter's sister) had decided to rent a beautiful, old house on the edge of the delightful pilgrimage town of Little Walsingham. She kindly invited us up for the day, enjoying the company of several of her chums who'd traveled up from all over the country. Sue & Peter were staying too, so it was a very joyful and relaxed gathering.

We made several long walks (totaling nearly ten miles!) both around the sites associated with the Marian tradition and through the beautiful surrounding countryside: raptors were everywhere, as were Chiffchaffs!