Disturbance

Thursday 23rd July I walked down to Kessingland North Beach, the shore pool on first sight looked as if it had several interesting waders but a family walked around the perimeter and spooked the lot, 3 fine summer plumaged Dunlin and a Ringed Plover returned but the others didn't! I didn't try and photograph them as I thought they would be easily disturbed. On the beach it was lovely to see groups of 40, 20 Little Terns gathering, especially with quite a few immature birds (about 20) but every few minutes they were flushed by runners running past. Dark cloud quickly enveloped the sky and I gave up.

A summer of no wildlife?

With the complete destruction of Fallowfields, garden wildlife sightings are at a premium now. Although it appears we have gained some displaced Hedgehogs, their is a sudden increase of Hedgehog scat around the garden. A look in Corton Woods, mid afternoon for 2.5 hours somewhat inevitably failed to reveal any sightings of any Fritillaries or Hairstreaks (3rd time I've tried), despite the former being seen well in the morning. A Brown Hawker, juvenile Blackbird by the path, Willow Warbler, 2 Gatekeepers, 3 Ringlets, 5 Peacocks, 4 Large Whites & 2 Red Admirals seen plus a Large Skipper briefly.

Comet Neowise seen under the Big Dipper (the star constellation not me!)

On Tuesday 21 July, I tweeted just after 10pm that I hadn't seen Neowise despite several attempts continuing my terrible dipping sequence of late. I am very grateful to both Robs Will & H for saying they had already seen it tonight (albeit fainter than their Monday night's sighting) So looking under the plough/ Big Dipper (the star constellation and not me for once!) I did see the excellent Neowise Comet with a slight tail, I even managed to get it in the scope and got Jenny onto it before a big dark cloud enveloped it.

Grim day for Fallowfields and no Cuckoo/s

Monday 20th July was a grim day for Fallowfields when they completely cleared the rest of the bushes in a ten metres perimeter from our fence, all wildlife systematically and indiscriminately destroyed, a crying shame and it breaks my heart. I decided to lift my spirits by twitching 2 juvenile Cuckoos (always difficult to see I am very keen to see jug Cuckoos again after only ever being 2 along the North denies a few years ago) which were showing well down at Covehithe, thanks to brilliant directions from Jane F I found the spot and a lovely walk to the farm, but scanning the powerlines and walking the vegetation failed to reveal any Cuckoos albeit on a cool evening with dark clouds. The farmer had positioned a water sprayer to irrigate the crops but unfortunately it covered the footpath over to Covehithe Broad and try as I might very time I tried to cross the path, the sprayer switched back to spraying the path and potentially drenching me and my optics. Even though it was set to spray areas at regular intervals it had an uncanny innate sense immediately move back to spray the path as soon as I tried traverse the area! So I gave up and went home! Walking back 2 Herons flew over and a male Brown Hawker was buzzing around the garden just before dusk, maybe my last ever sighting in the garden?

No sign again

When the sun finally came out again on Sunday 19th July at Corton woods, I didn't see either the mega elusive SW Fritillary or the White- letter Hairstreaks despite a 3 hour vigil. Over the weekend, a Wren was heard singing in the garden. Up to 8 Peacocks (all on the Buddlea) and 3 Red Admirals (including 1 tatty individual), 1 Gatekeeper and 1 Holly Blue seen. Plus a Shield bug in the garden.

Another poor day

Saturday 18 June, I headed to several local churchyards for Spooted Flycatchers but failed to see any, in the afternoon I headed to Corton Woods, where I saw James W who had just found a Silver washed Fritillary, an extremely difficult butterfly to see in Suffolk (did see my first 2 at Theberton last year) True to form it did't show for me, but did briefly show again from both James & the newly arrived Andrew E, I was looking elsewhere and missed it, I went back to look for it and then they found a WL Hairstreak a butterfly I haven't seen for 8 years when I went back to look for the Fritillary! A further 2 hours failed to reveal it. Lots of Peacock butterflies seen though, c50.

Probably the worst week of dipping, ever!

In a new low in my wildlife watching, a dreadful week dipping on everything meant, I missed 2 Suffolk ticks in a day, and both an avian and butterfly megabird. Not feeling like blogging until now, I managed to miss the Sooty Tern (a real megabuck I was particularly keen to see) at Sizewell, I missed it by only 10 minutes, on Wednesday 8th June having half a day off work, a Peregrine flying past Sizewell Power station wasn't enjoyed as much as I normally would. A calling Whimbrel flying south and c300 Kittiwakes on the rigs was the sum total of my trip. A trip to Carlton Marshes revealed some lovely Barn Owlets at a certain location lovely to see them out. A Greenshank on the pool by the new Tower hide but still no Night Heron. The following night I returned with my long lens, still no Night Heron, and this time the Owlets stayed inside the box, But a local family of Mute Swans was entertaining the local dog walkers! Several Barn Owls were hunting. On Wednesday afternoon 15 July, I tried for the Large Tortoiseshell at Strumpshaw Fen. wasn't sure which Cherry tree to concentrate on but checked all 3 especially the one by reception. But the overcast sky and recent rain shower meant conditions were completely against me. Several Blue Tits seen and a showy Heron by the Pool but that was it, another dip of a much wanted Butterfly. I then tried a location nearby for Turtle Doves that I always managed to see and hear but again no sign, there seemed to be an inordinate number of Wood Pigeons, c30, instead.

Night Heron remains a Suffolk bogey bird

After receiving a tweet from Robert H saying he had sensationally seen a Night Heron flying into roost at Carlton Marshes accompanied by a fabulous picture. This was a big bogey bird for me in Suffolk, I had missed the one that had famously been on Buss Creek marshes, Southwold that Ricky saw in the 1980s (I was working in London then), I was hoping my luck would change. So I was up on Tuesday 7th July at 3am and down on the marshes by 3.40am, I wasn't sure where it roosted but guessed at the Egret roost on Whitecast marshes and decided to view from the ramp overlooking both the old scrape and Peto's Marsh. 38 Little Egrets came out of roost as did a fine Great White Egret early on that flew over my head. I also saw Hobby fly out and hunt early too (my first of the year) and a distant Common Tern on Peto's (NW corner also a first for the year). It was pleasing to see 2 fairly mature young Avocets on the old scrape and both Green Sandpiper and Whimbrel heard only too. It was equally nice to be buzzed by 7 Swifts on the bank, the only unfortunately thing was I needed my absent 100-400mm lens ( I can't carry everything!)On the walk back several 5 Sedge Warblers, 3 male Reed Buntings seen closely (and a close Chinese Water deer fed down a path but also eluded the camera) but all although close were obscured by vegetation so no pics. Carlton Marshes I find a really difficult place to photograph anything my last decent picture here were of the Little Owl at the now pulled down building to make way for the new Visitors centre. A female Green Woodpecker was in the trees at the far end and she flew out and flew back again. So no sign of the Night Heron at Carlton Marshes albeit with the following caveats: I was not sure where it roosted, could only check publicly accessible area reachable only from the main path going west (so couldn't check Spratts water, no time to walk the Whitecast marshes path), so could only check Car park scrape, N side of old scrape and the Se corner of Peto's marsh, I was also time limited as I needed to prepare for an appraisal at work at 8.30am.

Med Gull Little Owl & Catchfly

On Thursday a Mediterranean Gull heard over the garden 59th on the lockdown list. on Sunday 5th July, a fine Little Owl was seen at a local churchyard, on a very windy day, no sign within but checking various Oaks there was one on the outer perimeter of the churchyard in the north- east corner and one was seen perched out at long range briefly. My first for almost 2 years, the last I saw in September 2017 when they still used the run down building as a breeding site, and was pulled down to make way for the new visitors centre at Carlton Marshes. I am withholding the exact location of where I saw today's Little Owl as I have seen toggers hassle this species (at Lound) and they disappeared for ever from what was a traditional site for them. Other traditional sites around Lowestoft have drawn a blank over the past couple of years so this is a precious new area to see them. Having received direction of Small flowered Catchfly at Gorleston, I easily found them and managed a few record shots of this diminutive species which was flowering in several clumps in an area south-west corner of a local landmark.