Don't forget: you can click on an image to enlarge it!

Friday, 23 May 2025

A lifer and a year tick in the Brecks

One of the rarest breeding butterflies in Norfolk (and the smallest UK species) is the Small Blue. I'm pretty sure I've seen a few when visiting Stokenchurch to  look for Silver-spotted Skipper, but I certainly have never photographed one. Old acquaintance Mick Saunt was kind enough to give me the location of a colony he'd recently visited near Mundford: having a morning free, Linda and I drove down after breakfast to try our luck. To cut a long story short, we found at least thirty individuals in one small area of woodland ride! They were so involved in mating that they were completely oblivious of us: a couple even landed on Linda's jeans! Lots of Small Coppers, Common Blues and Orange Tips too.

A move to Santon Downham still failed to produce the usual suspects, but a Song Thrush was good to see. A nearby forest clearing added more Small Coppers and a Small Heath as well as a year tick in the form of a distant, singing Tree Pipit. A large accipiter drifted over: I'm pretty certain it was a Sparrowhawk.

























No comments: