Saturday 27 May 2023

Oriole singing, Stonie, Hobby & Greater Butterfly Orchids

On Friday 26th May, I drove down to Minsmere but a Whats App stating a Golden Oriole was calling from Clay Lane, Minsmere and I was only 3 miles away meant I diverted to the first crossroad as you entered Minsmere parked up and walked down the lane for around 3/4 mile before taking the path up to the left up the bank into a wonderful oak mature woodland, the wonderful flutey calls of the Golden oriole were heard constantly, occasionally interspersed by cat like screech call, at 11.15 a medium sized Oriole like bird seen to fly back and right through the canopy, it stopped calling for sometime and was later heard further back by the edge of the wood, so that was probably it. Later on it was really nice to catch up with Lenny & his wife and Ali, and finally I saw a distant Hobby over the wood, my much belated first of the year. I also went to another secret location looking out on a field with a dip and sorrel beyond that to the right, from distance, I saw an excellent Stone Curlew walk past the tall weeds and nettles out of view. I also heard a Willow Warbler singing. At another location nearby, I went to the traditional Greater Butterfly Orchid sen on the edge of the wood near a meadow and was pleased to see stick had been arranged to protect from any Deer, particularly Muntjac. There were 5 Greater Butterfly Orchid plants in total, the closest one was on its own, with 3 together and 1 at the back by the ditch flowering in all its true glory.

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