Dark Green Fritillaries & another reasonably obliging Hummer

Its been a while since I last saw Dark Green Fritillaries so on Sunday 26th June, I drove to the Horsey Nelson Head track, took the mile walk down to the end, seeing Small Skipper and Small Tortoiseshell as I walked down as soon as I got to the end, I headed south and immediately saw quite a few Dark Green Fritillaries, they were very flighty and in the brisk breeze, they weren't allowing any close approach. I decided to walk to a group of flowering bramble bushes around 200 metres south and this strategy paid off as the Dark Green Fritillaries were regularly attarcetd to the bramble flowers. I also saw a Hummingbird Hawk Moth too. Many thanks once again to Jane & Paul F for the detailed directions.

Photographing local Orchids & then mad dash to Minsmere

On Saturday 25th June, I was out locally checking to see if I would see the fledgling Green Woodpecker which I didn't but plenty of yaffling Green woodpecker calls which is encouraging. Then I went to another site to photograph 2 Pyramidal Orchids. Then a cycle ride to another local site, which yielded 1 Pyramidal Orchid along the entrance path and a Bee Orchid a metre beyond it. Then just over the fence, a further Pyramidal Orchid, 3 Pyramidal Orchids in the usual area further on then incredibly a wonderful total new colony of 42 Pyramidal Orchids. Around 20 Bee Orchids seen here too. Then news of a Caspian Tern and I cycled back home and transferred to the car, once confirmation the bird was back. I got to Minsmere about 6.30am and by 6.45pm, I was in the hide and the bird, a fantastic Caspian Tern, was on one of the spits reasonably close to the hide. Initially obscured by BH Gulls and an adult Mediterranean Gull, a drake Shelduck was bullying all and sundry and the bird was then in clear view. It then flew to the spit just south of the one I originally sighted it on. I walked over to the other side of the hide and nice to see John R, here the bird was soon flying and then it flew to the next spit south again and slightly further away. Kevin then appeared and we eventually got him onto the bird, where it was paddling in the water. It then flew up and headed towards Island Mere, but within 10 minutes it was back. Something put all the birds up and the bird flew over to the east scrape before eventually touhing down in the northg- east corner and out of sight. One alarming sight was of 3 dead BH Gulls one just beside a nest and this has been confirmed as bird flu.

Rescuing Master Yaffle

On Friday 24th June, an invite from Rob H and I was over at his house by 6pm specifically to photo 3 Elephant Hawk Moths, which showed well, one was powering up its wings and soon flew off, all 3 were in pristine condition, all a garish pink. There was also a Silver Y and a Cockchafer present too and a rare micro moth. It had become cloudy and the light wasn't very good so I was confined to using fill in flash and photographing them side on. Many thanks to Rob H for this wonderful vand very local opportunity to photo such stunning creatures. Always a pleasure to see them. I then cycled to Tesco Petrol station and then was confronted with the incongrous sight of a young fledgling Green Woodpecker sat on the pavement right next to the busy road to Tesco Gunton Petrol station! It wasn't moving and you could walk right up to it. It sat in a damp area by its behind, but on closer inspection, it wasn't bloodied and didn't appear injured in any way, it didn't look like it had contracted avian flu either, but I am no vet. I took a few very quick pictures with my 100mm macro lens (the only camera I had with me as I was on a different photographic mission! By wrapping my hands in a plastic bag for for both infection control purposes and to make sure I didn't leave my scent on it either. I very carefully picked it up and put it in a brown box. It leapt up and sat on the very top edge of the box where it inquisitively poked its head around, I had my hands full but coyldn't take any more pics of it, the priority was to get the bird safe. It was clear it had to be moved to the glassy mound beyond where I could hear the yaffling calls of its parents. As I lifted the box over the fence it took to flight, a short flight anti- clockwise over the road and then over the fence to the grassy knoll beyond where I left it. POSTSCRIPT I am delighted to report that half an hour later, James C was in the area, saw the same bird taking short flights here and then last saw it, it flew up into a tree, so good news all round for this little master Yaffle bird! (it showed a hint of red in the sub- moustachial area).

Orchids, Crossbills & garden purple patch continues

On Thursday another Bee Orchid came up at the Paget by Southside and on Thursday evening I cycled to a very local area, 25 Bee orchids, 150 Spotted, 2 Pyramidal Orchids seen and over by Corton woods, an adult Green woodpecker & Song thrush, both feeding, plus 7 fantastic Crossbills by the western side of Corton woods, chip chipping away and settling in Pines just Sw of the wood, seen perched with crossbills and then they flew west. Nearby 4 Bee Orchids, 2 Hybrid (Spotted X Southern Marsh) & 12 Spotted Orchids seen when I arrived home later in the evening, a Hummingbird Hawk Moth seen briefly on the fuschia bush & Hairy Hawker Dragonfly did 4 clockwise circuits of the garden before it too was off, a wildlife bonanza.

The Elephants weren't Tongue tied

On Wednesday 22nd June, I had a half day off work and then drove into very deepest Suffolk, to see a rare Lesser Tongue Orchid (now sadly not considered wild but still nice to see) a place with sev Spotted orchids seen here too. The Lesser Tongue Orchids were caged and just by the side of a path just 20 metres up from a gate. Sadly one of the plants had been nibbled by something and died but the second plant was in robust health. I then drove to Hemsby, a terrible journey as I had to divert via Wroxgham where I sat in a traffic jam for 25 minutes to see John H, who had kindly trapped 2 Lesser Elephant Hawk Moths (a new species for me, almost a third smaller than the Elephants(, 5 Elephant Hawk Moths & 1 Privet Hawk Moth.

Broadland Orchids

On Tuesday 21st June, the longest day, the sun was still gloriously sunny after work so I headed off deep into the Norfolk broads and in the usual place I was fortunate to quickly find a fine Fen Orchid, a well work path led out to it and I managed to obtain a few shots. The Marsh Helleborines were only just out around 15 seen, and quite tiny in stature but none were in sunny areas. Despite checking in the right hand area I failed to find any other Fen Orchids! Finally a call in to Filby & specifically the Ormesby Little Broad I failed to see the RT Diver.

Local Spotted orchids & garden Meadow Brown

On my local Orchid Meadow, lots of Spotted orchids and still some Common Twayblades seen on Monday 20th June. Also in the early evening a fine Meadow Brown butterfly on plants near the garage, the butterfly even flew into the conservatory and lounge before flying out again and wasn't posing for the camera sadly.

Swallowtails at Catfield Fen & further hummer visits

On Sunday 19th June, I drove over to Catfield, heading for the church just south of the village down school road, past the school on the left and just past the Church on the right and then taking Fenside road (don't take Lodge road) until it became a drivable muddy track, past Hubbard Cottage & then past the beautiful Rose Cottage and parked by the deep water sign walking past the house on the left and forking right through the woods and walked out onto the Fen, immediately seeing a close Hobby, my belated first of the year, fly overhead. A Painted Lady was briefly on brambles on the right. Further down ultimately I saw up to 4 Swallowtails, the first a smaller immaculate one and then later a larger more normal size one frequently visiting the brambles but often in feeding flight so opportunities for photography were limited. A Sedge Warbler perched high up in the reeds briefly. Walking back another or the same Painted Lady seen too. Later on in the faternoon on our garden there were further Hummingbird Hawk Moth sightings on our Red Valeian in the garden at 4.30pm and 7.50pm both brief visits.

Breeding Bee-eaters & Hummer in garden

On Saturday 18th June, although I have seen several groups of Bee-eaters in recent years, as recent as 8 last year at Great Yarmouth, I have never seen a breeding colony so when on Friday the PSPB announced 7 where nesting on the NE coast of Norfolk I was keen to see them. Just after 8am I drove through the village of Gimmingham and just after that on the left was a sign saying RSPB Bee-eaters I paid my £5, parked up and looked intoa sandy quarry where immediately I heard then saw Bee-eaters flying around. 2 were perched in a bush over the far side and at one time, 5 were seen up in the air together. Just down from the track a fine Bee-eater was sat inside the nest hole. Further along a Bee- eater was perched on the wires and then it frequently flew and caught several unfortunate Red Admirals which it golluped down and then later it caught a Bee living up to its name admirably. Later in the afternoon, on Saturday 18th, in the garden a fine Hummingbird Hawk Moth fed for 5 minutes on Red Valerian in our Parkhill garden at 3.05pm.

Garden goodies

On the 4th June, the Painted Lady butterfly was still in the garden but was very camera shy and I also found a Zebra Jumping Spider found on the Red Valerian plants. Also on the 4th June, at 5.05pm, a Lesser Whitethroat (a now very unusual garden record) called its scolding call 5X from the top of the bushes to the right/ west side of the garden but flew south when I approached the back doorway! The Wood Pigeons were still building a nest in the variegated Holly tree too. 5th June a Grey wagtail flew just NE from the front of our Parkhill house at 5.35pm, on the 7th June, a second Bee Orchid seen flowering at the James Paget Hospital barely 4 feet from the first! On Friday 10th June, a hunting Norfolk Hawker (first record for the garden) seen hunting around the back garden from 11.30am onwards and it briefly alighted on our Fuschia bush. on the 11th June at 8.10pm, Jenny saw a Hummingbird Hawk Moth by the purple flowers in our central circular flowerbed in the back garden lawn.

First Painted Lady of 2022

On Friday 3rd June, I was delighted to find a Painted Lady in the garden by the flowering bush which is good for bush crickets later on in the season. It spent its entite time here usually at the top of the bush and seen for the most of the day, a very welcome garden visitor!

Elusive Frog Orchids

On Thursday 2nd June evening i drove out into deepest Suffolk, for the traditional Frog Orchids site, always wonderful to be here in this idyllic spot, we could see many gone over Grren- winged Orchids and a few Pyramidial Orchids just started to come into flower. I was fortunate that Matt S was already looking for them but we couldn't find them. As ever we relied on the excellent directions of Jane F and finally we saw 2 very small plants just starting to flower either side of the "ditch." Our thanks yet again to the ever sgharp Paul & Jane F, much appreciated.

The Karra Karra bird

On Thursday 2nd June, I was keen to see the Great Reed Warbler at Wild Ken Hill, Snettisham, so I joined John H and Tony S, up on a ride back to Snettisham, where we parked up and walked out along the main path, as soon as I we passed some srub and a pine tree we heard and saw a fine Turtle Dove purring perched on a branch by the main bend of the main trunk, a great start. We walked the mile walk to the kissing gate and just before we saw Stephen H who told us it had been showing well and best to go back 50 metres to the bend and look along the dyke where it could be seen more distantly. This proved to be excellent advice as we could hear it singinging its distinctive loud "karra karra chee chee" song but couldn't see it. We walked past the kissing gate and looked back and it could be seen, the fine Great Reed WEarbler, distantly perched up in the reeds the nearside of the dyke where it couldn't be seen directly opposite. It flew over the dyke and nearer to us but disappeared before it flew back to its original spot. Later a chap had gone back to the kissing gate and when he reached for his camera I went back and got some slightly obscured shots. As we stood here, 2 fine Turtle Doves flew left in front of us. When we walked back a further Turtle Dove seen perched atop of a tree, too.

Very local Orchids

On Wednesday 1at June, the Hospital orchid was starting to flower. In the evening, in gorgeous golden evening sunlight, the local orchid meadow this evening, a fine pink/ white Green- winged Orchid near the middle bushes seen about 9 inches tall, a really fine specimen and not stunted like the earlier ones viewed, and another one a purple and typically stunted, seen by other side of the main path, so now up to 6 Green- winged orchids seen at this site this year, although just 2 seen this evening. Loads of 100+ Spotted Orchids were just starting to flower another visit will be in order in a few days time. However, an incredible tally of 19 Common Twayblades seen at this site, my highest count to date. The local Long- tailed Tits heard in the Hawthorn bushes.