Little Gulls: an early morning visit to Buckenham

An early start saw me at Buckenham Marsh by 6.00am, in hope of yesterday's reported Green-winged Teal. On the way around to the ruined windpump a scan of the somewhat distant 'main scrape' revealed not only a good selection of waders (Green- and Redshank, Grey Plover, Wood Sandpiper, Avocet and Ruff) but also two 1st Summer Little Gulls.

Lots of Reed and Sedge Warblers, Marsh Harriers, Red Kites, Buzzards, Cuckoos and so on, but no sign of the Teal, despite an hour's scrutiny of the pools.

I stopped off at Strumpshaw on the way home and finally managed a single photo of a Spotted Flycatcher deep in the woods...

Spoonbill morning at Cley

With just a morning free, Brian, Norman and I assembled at 7.00am and headed north to Cley. The weather was more like February than June: cold drizzle and a chilly north-easterly seemed to hold little promise, but in the event we enjoyed some decent birding. 

Spoonbills flew back and forth from their nest sites on North Foreland, occasionally carrying full loads of reeds and twigs: a sight that would have seemed incredible ten years ago. Despite the cold breeze, Bearded Tits were much in evidence: mostly juveniles, but the occasional adult put in an appearance. A large flock - 200+ - of tundrae Ringed Plover were chased around Pat's by the Avocets, occasionally joined by a big flock of Black-tailed Godwits.

On the way home we stopped off at Kelling Heath, where a Turtle Dove began purring loudly from an Oak tree just above our heads: we caught a glimpse as it flew onto the Heath. Last bird of note was a Spotted Flycatcher on a roadside wire near Edgefield.

Garden Buzzards!

Linda and I enjoyed a quiet afternoon of R&R in the garden, being entertained by 'our' beautifully-marked pair of Buzzards displaying overhead. The sunshine also brought out the usual suspects - Swifts, Goldfinches, Stock Doves and so on - but this Greenfinch looked particularly stunning in the bright sunlight.

Pied Flycatcher a kilometer from home!

No photos - I was driving - but as I returned home from Sainsbury's along Belt Road (just past the 'Brick Kilns') a male Pied Flycatcher flew across the road just ahead of me: it perched briefly as I slowed down before heading south.

I've only ever seen a single Pied Fly in the Yare Valley: that was at Brundall Gardens some years ago...

Strawberry Moon and the 'Rival of Mars'

Late last night the Moon rose above the south-eastern horizon in the constellation of Scorpius, very close to the bright star Antares. Greek scholars will know that this name means 'Rival of Mars', referring to its obvious red colour. 

Coincidentally, because of its proximity to the horizon, the Moon itself was also a striking orange-red. Apparently the June full Moon was known to native Americans as the Strawberry Moon, since it coincided with the ripening of the first wild strawberries. In the UK it was more frequently referred to as the 'Honey Moon'.

Peregrine but no Turtles yet...

There is a site in the Yare Valley where Turtle Doves have bred for a number of years: sinve Linda and I were in the area this morning, we thought we'd have a quick check to see if they had arrived. Sadly, there was no sight nor sound: the best we managed was a photogenic Robin!

A few miles away are the much more dependable Peregrines at Cantley Sugar Factory. Today just one (out of the possible five!) was visible, perched about as high and distant as it coulkd be!

Snatched half-hour at Ranworth

Now that Linda is back home from her stay in hospital she suggested I made a visit to Ranworth to see if yesterday's Black Terns were still present. Since she was resting and I knew I'd only be gone an hour I grabbed my gear and left!

Perhaps predictably the terns had departed, but I was in need of some exercise and did manage a year tick: a pair of delightful (but frustratingly coy!) Bullfinches. Other interesting birds included half a dozen Common Terns, two Marsh Harriers and dozens of all three Hirundines, as well as a few Swifts.

The mowed reedbed near the floating centre held half a dozen immaculate Southern Marsh Orchids, while a field of lavender near Pedham was unusual...

Amphibians and Reptiles: a talk by renaissance man Garth Coupland!

A date for your diary! As well as being an amazing blues harmonica player and my co-vocalist in Synergy, Garth is a leading expert in the field of herpetology. He's travelled all over the world to seek out, study and photograph amphibians and reptiles, suffering for his art in the swamps of the southern USA and the forests of Queensland. He is an incredibly gifted artist: the paintings below are just a small sample of his amazing artwork.

Garth will be joining me at Hemblington Church on June 10th to give one of his entertaining illustrated talks: I, in turn, will be giving tips on how to see more birds: lots of photos, maps and insider information! And all totally free!