Country Lanes

Saturday June 15

After a week of rain and a full day of gardening yesterday, it was lovely to be out looking at what the countryside had to offer. All the rain did mean that the ground was perfect for planting leek seedlings. Hessayon says that the plants should be pencil sized, mine were biro refills. Adrian did all the hard work, aided by Pam. My contribution was preparing the 70+ leek plants and sowing the peas in the usual guttering. That means that the mice and Pheasants don't eat the seed and I can plant out a ready made double row of peas. The Runner Bean, Sweetcorn and French Bean plants are also ready to go out in the ground.......

Meanwhile, we went out for the day. Two more Painted Ladies nectaring on the front border gladioli did not hang around whilst I located my camera. We had two specimens yesterday, There has been a general influx along the east coast. 

Remarkably little traffic considering that it was a June weekend. Our first stop was Sculthorpe Mill car park in the hope of seeing Spotted Flycatcher. No luck, neither were the Grey Wagtails present. Here has always been a gimme for that species. The Ebridge Wagtails have been frightened away by the continuing work on the lock gates so that's two of our sites gone.

We always explore a country lane in the Harpley area. It entails a sharp turn right over a double yellow line in the hope that oncoming traffic allows it. The lane is as I remember from my youth. Traffic free, hedges and verges untended. The verges do not contain as much plant variety - yet anyway - but froth with wild carrot, Cow Parsley, Hogweed, Veronica, White Bladder Campion, Mullein, vermilion Poppies and Dog Roses.

Two more Painted Ladies nectared busily, plus a good number of bees and hoverflies. 

 
I was photographing through the driver's window from the passenger seat throughout the day. Everything seemed to appear on that side. 

At the road junction near the cottages, whilst watching the House Martins zooming about, I noticed a movement near a muddy deposit on the road. There has always been a House Martin settlement in these cottages and this year is no different. Pam rolled quietly forward and parked opposite the mud. We spent the next ten minutes trying to photograph these hyperactive little fluffy-thighed twitterers, collecting mud for their nests. Most enjoyable, if not totally successful.

Still high on this experience, we drove across the road and Pam saw two Turtle Doves on a roadside wire. They flew as soon as we stopped but a short reverse brought them into view again, they hadn't gone far. So few around this year, I'd almost given up hope of seeing one.

We'd intended driving to Snettisham where Ian saw Turtle Doves and then, trying Titchwell again if we failed. As that was unnecessary, we took the Abbey Farm back lane, where we saw Bullfinch and Red Kite, before driving north to the sea. 

We lunched in Holme NOA car park before driving back to try and photograph the Common Spotted Orchids. I have some shots but they are all partly obscured by tall grasses and not completely sharp.

 We'd heard a tremendous frog chorus coming from the pools on the way out but couldn't see any.  I'd suspected the identity of the perpetrators. Listening to an online recording of Natterjack Toads in full chorus confirmed it. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GT8srHReGGo 

Brilliant. A new experience.

Ramdomly parked, and too many, cars at Brancaster Staithe saw a quick turn-round and on to Wells pools.

Not excellent viewing from the car park but better than not at all. Eight Spoonbills fed distantly. Most unusual to see them doing anything other than sleep.

We couldn't see the reported Wood Sandpiper. Not surprising as the pool edges are well vegetated and almost impossible to see any from that distance.

Full of flowers, birds, butterflies and contentment, we drove home to watch the highlights of England thrashing the Windies in the cricket World Cup.