Cats, Tiger and Very Little

Sunday July 31

We'd planned a barbecue so I spent much of the afternoon making marinades, rice salad and bean salad. At 2.30 a phone call from Sue asking ' why aren't you here' sent us hurrying to Cley Centre. I'd missed the What's App group messages re David N bringing a Scarlet Tiger to the centre as from 2.00. He kindly said that he'd wait for us and was in the car park as soon as we arrived, carrying a a beautiful Scarlet Tiger he'd trapped in the Brecks at the weekend. A special event had been arranged at a previously untrapped wood.

In the pot, closed

On the gravel, wings open showing scarlet underwing

Thank you thoughtful Sue.

Cat Update

We think that they are growing a bit every time we look at them ! To-day, they had to be fed three times. Here is a very short movie of one munching.

I hope it works......IT DIDN'T so I removed it.

By the evening, two of the biggest were rampaging about, throwing the earth tray contents around and burrowing under the lining paper. Time to pupate ?

 Monday July 1

Despite an early start and a warm and mostly sunny day, birding was very slow indeed. The worst this year. The highloghts were a Turtle Dove at Snettisham chalet park, Great White Egret and Spoonbills at Holkham and at North Pools Wells and so many handsome Black-tailed Godwits. A hundred of the latter at Snettisham, almost as many scattered at Holkham and about fifty at North Pools, Wells.
A female Stonechat at Holme was a surprise. The Natterjack Pool was invisible, just a carpet of green vegetation where the horses were feeding. A few Pyramidal Orchids amongst the Spotted. On the flower front, the Phaselia rich field edges are now a mass of blue Chicory  with a few yellow Rattle.
Raptors were missing too. Three Kestrels, one Red Kite, two Marsh Harriers - no Buzzards, usually the commonest.    .