Cley and Beeston Common: something out of very little!

July can be a disappointing month: the wader return migration hasn't really begun and resident birds have generally stopped singing and displaying. Under these circumstances our default location is Cley, where one is guaranteed Spoonbills and Egrets with just the chance of something unexpected.

We began the day in the centre hides at around 8.00am: as expected Little and Cattle Egrets were immediately obvious, as were three then four Spoonbills. The only other bird of note was a juvenile Yellow Wagtail in amongst a flock of Pieds. A move to Bishop's Hide added Green Sandpiper, Greenshank, lots of Ruff, Black-tailed Godwits and Avocets and a distant Common Sandpiper.

After coffee we took a walk out to the sea along the East Bank: lots of Terns, including a probable Arctic, but little else, so we headed east to Beeston Common. A long stroll gave us good views of Broad-bodied Chaser and Emperor Dragonflies amongst others, and fleeting views of a Purple Emperor and Purple Hairstreak among the oaks.

The Hummer video!

Hummer

Yet again a beautiful Hummingbird Hawkmoth visited the Buddleia while I was preparing dinner (a Caesar salad!) This individual stayed longer than usual - a good three minutes - so I actually managed a few shots and a short video.

The Moon and Venus

I had to crawl out of bed at 03.30 to beat the clouds, but (if you're into celestial; spectacles!) it was worth it to see the thin crescent Moon and Venus close together in the dawn sky. (Nearby were the bright stars Aldebaran and Capella)

Purple Hairstreaks at the car boot!

Now that the Harford CB has shut for good, Linda and I visited the local event at Hoveton. As we walked back to the car, we noticed two Purple Hairstreaks flitting around the oak tree we'd parked under!

Cathedral Peregrines

While Linda and I were 'on Safari' yesterday, we visited the Cathedral Close - there were half a dozen animal sculptures in and around the Cathedral precincts and Tombland. The constant screeching of young Peregrines made me wish I'd brought my 'long' 400mm lens: nevertheless, I managed a few record shots with the 135mm.

On Safari in Norwich

As has happened several times in the past, the streets of Norwich are playing host to a colourful collection of animal sculptures: Elephants, Lions, Gorillas, Giraffes and Rhinos - 51 in total. Since it was a beautiful Summer's day, Linda and I drove in early and spent four hours seeing how many we could find. We didn't intend walking outside the city centre on such a hot day, but nevertheless managed to photograph 32!