A few June Moths - Ongoing

Silverlines Green

Poplar Hawkmoth

Buff Tip

Buff Tip Face

Pebble Prominent

Wainscot sp

Clay

Clouded Border

Elephant Hawkmoth

Treble Brownspot

Dark Arches

Privet Hawkmoth

Marbled Minor

Willow Beauty

Buff Ermine

Burnished Brass

Coxcomb Prominent

Peppered Moth

Mottled Pug

White Ermine

Common White Wave

A Buzz

Sunday June 8

I've had a Beepol Lodge since Christmas plus a voucher for a nest of Bumblebees. I sent the voucher off to :

www.dragonfli.co.uk on return from Scotland. The plastic carton full of bees arrived on Thursday afternoon, buzzing like mad. The van driver was intrigued and a bit concerned. He'd been instructed to keep them on the seat beside him until delivered. I think it was the constant noise which disturbed him.

Doing our bit for wildlife.

After leaving them to settle for a couple of hours, I opened the Lodge lid, placing the container inside, Pam opened the escape hole, I latched the lid and, we retreated.

Checking before bed, the bees had found their way in and out. great. They are situated near our wild flower bank, orchard and veggie bed so should have plenty of food - and do us good at the same time.

A short trip to Cley this morning, mostly to enjoy the AC in the car on a very hot morning, a Growbag for Pam's cut and come again lettuce plants which I shall grow on the patio, and, a respite after two days gardening off and on.
Parking at the Beach Road car park we saw two Spoonbills on Billy's Wash. When I got home, I received a Twitter message saying that they are breeding there. Good news.

Fledging Time

Thursday May 5

A phone call from Barbara sent Pam hurrying across the road - in her nightie, shirt and jeans on top - carrying her camera. The blue Tit family had started emerging from the nest box. The first two had gone soon after 7.00 a.m., the last was still there at dusk, gone by the morning.

Agony and Ecstacy

Tuesday June 3

Maybe we should have left at 4 - when we woke - it was a couple of hours later. Departure is delayed by servicing the propagator, watering tomato plants and feeding a demanding cat. A Barn Owl near Sculthorpe and a Red Kite over Wells added interest to the drive.

Oh no, as feared, nowhere to park near the track down to Gun Hill. Fortunately we were able to pull off completely onto a grass verge along the single track road south.

We last walked the track to Gun Hill in 1994 to see a Siberian Thrush. Much older, fatter bruised and battered since then. The style was a challenge as the bottom step was much too high for my knees, the ground beneath worn away. I allowed a  hurrying Penny, late for work, she'd been out there since 4.15, to climb over first,  whilst  I had a little think. I sat on the top step and got up and over from there. 

At last the climb up the hill to the coast path from Burnham Ovary Staithe. And........birders in sight, looking like stick people in the distance, clumped on the dunes. 

Find the birders.....line up the green clumps

Same photograph, enlarged

We'd been warned by a puffing man that it was a fair old distance. It didn't look too bad.....until we got near the end of the straight and found the path taking a massive dogleg to the east. At the end of the eastern straight, oncoming birders alerted us to two Spoonbills flying overhead from the west and the news that the Warbler had flown into the sueda in front of us - somewhere. It was being hassled by several Meadow Pipits - and was singing well. We stopped here with several others, seeing and hearing only Reed Bunting, Linnets and a very noisy, distracting Sedge Warbler. It was here that I discovered that my binoculars were not around my neck! The first time ever. What a mistaka to maka. And I'd not carried my scope, knowing that the walk would be taxing for my bruised knees (I caught my foot in a nettle last Friday).

Bob C had a chat on his way back and then Jax and Dave joined us. Jax received a call to say that the bird had returned to its original sueda swathe along the dunes. Off we staggered, along with Alan, still walking in the 'wrong' direction until we got to the end of a short stretch of boardwalk. Would we ever get there? Yes we did.

With the aid of Jax' binoculars (thank you so much), and patience, we saw the second Spectacled Warbler for Norfolk perched, flying and heard it sing. The first was in 2011 on Scolt Head and suppressed - despite many trippers being present. It was my third UK record, Pam's second, the first was at Landguard in 1992, where Pam objected to queuing to look through a scope.She caught up by seeing my second on Tresco.

The walk back was painful, over 4 miles round trip is a lot for us. We met John and Jane ambling out, knowing that they were late because we were on the way back ! 

I was feeling light-headed by the time we reached the style. I stayed there whilst thoughtful Pam fetched the car. I was concerned that I might keel over - heat, lack of food and a Eustacian tube problem. Very minor.

My favourite quote of the day from many passing birders was ' it's much better when the pager says, showing well in the pub car park'.

Alan, enquiring after Brenda said that she occasionally phoned to give him her latest bird droppings.

A successful twitch is always a good twitch. It was difficult to respond to the frequent question of ''Was it worth it?'' from passing birders though. Pam's favourite response was ''Probably''.
In future, if necessary, I shall walk from Burnham Ovary Staithe. The car parking is better and the path along the sea wall is flat and even all the way.

Not Such a Big Day

Sunday June 1

Going birding at 5.15 a.m. after two hours sleep does not augur well for a big list. Various parts of both of us are very painful at the moment too. Couple of old crocks - the spirit remains strong.

Such a beautiful early summer morning, it was a pleasure to drive through the countryside on near empty roads. We had seen 40 species by the time we reached Flitcham. Grey Wagtail at Ebridge, Tree Sparrows at Valley Farm Lane. Our gamekeeper friend came to talk to us, he will now recognise our different car. Too early for the Red Kites he told us about, not for the  Buzzard hopping about in the ploughed field at the top of the lane, looking for breakfast worms. What an undignified meal and hunting method for a raptor.

Still no sighting of a Spotted Flycatcher at Sculthorpe Mill, we must spend more time here and make a concerted search. 

One Little Owl from Abbey hide, not much else. Much of the view was hampered by mist rising from the ground, lending an ethereal quality to the blue sky scene.

One Gannet off Hunstanton Cliffs -  it needed two passes to get Fulmars rising along the edge.

Bob C was standing at the newly filled bird feeders near his caravan,  on the Holme NNT road. He left the owner and came to have a chat. There had been Turtle Doves at the feeders before they were filled !! Bother. He'd seen a male Garganey at Redwell the evening before too but 'nothing much around, the place is empty'. We walked the Paddocks area without any luck but heard Turtle Dove purring as we approached Redwell Marsh hide. And as we left........couldn't see it though.

Pam noticed a large patch of Orchids on the landward side of the track to the Centre. These are purple rather than the pink of Marsh Orchid, have a smaller flower head and a shorter stem. What are they? Must look them up. They were a much darker colour than this in reality and really did look purple !! My editing suite has compensated too much for the dark green background.
I've decided that they are probably Marsh Orchids after all.............

As we neared the end of the track on the way out, a Turtle Dove made a display flight, landing in the top of a well leafed tree. Great. 

It was a 6 foot tide this morning, it was at its height when we got to Thornham, hence full creeks and no waders. We even gave Titchwell a miss to-day, driving to Choseley Barns for a birdless Brunch.

What chance Brancaster Staithe on a sunny Sunday at high tide with its myriad boating enthusiasts? It was empty of parked cars at the end where we view. Amazing. Adding the delightful sprite-like Little Terns and the - by comparison - sturdier Common Tern, we decided to make our way home. At mid-day? Unheard of. No wonder we ended up with a list of only 77.

Maybe a dry Black-headed Bunting would give us better views. Greeted by Dot,  Steve  and their friend JP, we stood chatting until I'd had enough standing and left. The bird appeared 'showing well' half an hour after we'd left......

Perhaps the Golden Orioles would play ball, Bob had seen them yesterday. We managed 45 minutes here before giving up. Will try again early morning later in the week.

Home to water plants, dig potatoes and mull over missed birds.

Wet Success

Thursday May 29

Was it still there? A quick look at the RBA website confirmed the bird's presence, we drove in to West Runton disused pig farm at 9.45. 15 parked cars indicated a small crowd of birders, huddled beside the buildings, gazing at a hedge running north towards the sea. This gave them some shelter from the light but persistent rain and cold easterly wind. We joined the overflow, standing on the rain flattened grass alongside. 

Bad news, the bird hadn't been seen since 9.00. Keith D and Peter M had been lucky enough to see it as soon as they arrived and were fairly convinced that it had flown west. Oh well...

An hour and a half later, the aforementioned Great Yarmouth Bird Club members - don't know who was first - re-located the female Black-headed Bunting perched low down in the hedge a fair distance away. A Norfolk tick for us and many others.

Keith kindly beckoned us over to look through his scope but it was too high for us.The friendly man next to us let us look through his whilst getting my scope on to it. Brilliant. Thank you, kind man. It was still difficult to see. Distance meant the focusing had to be critical,  in addition to the poor, wet and bedraggled, bird's perch,  hunched at the back of some bramble. We had good and prolonged scope views before leaving her sitting there.I tried digiscoping, the results are woeful and not printable!

We'd intended going on to bird elsewhere, so turned towards Sheringham. Passing the Maze nursery and cafe, I mooted a welcome hot drink. Diet gone, we enjoyed the best bacon baguette I've ever had. Unsmoked, very lean and thick-cut bacon - lots of it - in a self-baked baguette. Delicious. 

News that the Red-backed Shrike had gone and a lack of 'hwyl' re tramping Kelling Heath in wet trousers (I hate the waterproof sort) and coat, meant no more birding to-day.

Short Surge

Sunday May 24

A phone call from James A got me out of bed in a hurry. He'd heard a Golden Oriole  nearby.  We tried but failed. It had either moved on or become silent. Thank you James.

Back to gardening. Lifting the black plastic which lines the Runner Bean trough (for weed suppression and moisture retention), I found 4 ants nests and a very dark toad trying to dig its way back into darkness. Comfort, breakfast, lunch and tea in bed gone. I waited for the ants to disperse before feeding the soil, replacing the plastic and putting the bamboo canes in place. I hate the tying up, arms stretched at a painful distance. To-morrow's job.