Holy Blue, Ural Owl (!!) & a flock of 45 Med Gulls

A Holly Blue was on one of the bushes in our front garden this afternoon and posed briefly nicely but had gone by the time I retrieved my camera. A visit to the excellent Myhill garden nurseries out at Fritton this afternoon, where I picked up a new top for the bird table, a bug hotel, some new plants including Strawberry plants, some Buster James and Queen CDs at at the fleamarket and a visit to the Owl sanctuary where it was good to see Geoff W with a fantastic Ural Owl on his arm. A bird we heard but didn't see in Estonia but I have seen a wild one in Finland. The Owl Sanctuary takes in unwanted captive birds which can't unfortunately be released back in the wild. At 5pm, I saw a large flock of 45 Mediterranean Gulls flying over the garden probably feasting on flying ants. Nearly all, 43, were adult birds with 1- 2nd year bird and 1 juvenile bird. The interloper in this flock was 1 Black- headed Gull, they then drifted north.

Fabulous Nightjar at Minsmere

On Sunday 25th August, after an initally perplexing tweet saying there was a Nightjar at Minsmere showing near Reception by the time was 8 minutes in the future so I initially disregarded it, it was only after 2 pics were tweeted from David W & Tim O. that I leapt into action and took 4 different camera set ups and drove down to Minsmere arriving just after 1pm. I've always wanted to see and photograph a daytime Nightjar, I have never seen them during the daytime since I have had my cameras (1997 onwards) and only seen one once during the daytime at mid distance at a locality not far from Minsmere with Ricky in the early 1980s. At Reception, I was warned there was quite a crowd and the path was the one between the toilets and the old car park. But it wasn't too bad with a few people perched on the bank opposite and there was a gap between Chris D. and Andrew M., so I set up the tripod and the 500mm lens with 1.4 converter and after Chris kindly stated exactly where it was, the fantastic female Nightjar, barely 10 metres away on a dead pale branch and showing extremely well in the sunshine. It was facing left and was facing right almost head on, it was asleep then it opened its eye and occasionally stretched its head. Later on its streteched its wing and moved right briefly before regaining its normal pose. Another time it yawned showing and extremely wide gape adapted to hover up all the flying insects and then suddenly at just after 3pm, it took off and flew north- west and out of sight over the trees. I then struggled with all the camera bags to the pond and almost immediately 2 young Water Voles were swimming around and feeding on their dreys. I managed a few shots and then a crowd gathering at the beginning of the boardwalk revealed a greenish Common Lizard on the wooden ridge showing well so I obtained a few pics before finally I saw a second Common Lizard be the wooden path leading west. I also saw a Small Heath butterfly, my first of the year. News of a Little Stint seen from the East Scrape would normally have me walking over promptly, but I just couldn't carry all 4 cameras & lenses over there, so it was back to the car.

Caspian Gull at Ness Point

On Saturday 24th August around midday, I saw the fine 1st winter Caspian Gull on the groyne by Bird's Eye Factory just north of Ness Point, that Andrew E. had seen earlier, my first of the year. Viewing conditions were poor, albeit in steady rain, so no chance of pics, which was a shame as the bird was on one of the closest posts of the groyne, it flew in and settled on a post for all of 4 minutes before it flew south.

Now 4 Elephant Hawk Moth larvae

On Tuesday 20th August, back at Roger Connor's Bradwell garden, he again contacted me to say the Elephant Hawk Moth was back, at 5.20pm I checked by the side of the garage and there were an incredible 4 (FOUR) Elephanh hawk Moth larvae in his garden on Rosebay Willowherb which I learnt were food plants for caterpillars of this species, great to see. On Wednesday 21st August a trip to Buxton Heath in Norfolk, I sawa Green Woodpecker fly away and then seen 2 more times. I saw a nice male Keeled Skimmer in flight with powder sky blue abdomen seen but unfortunately it didn't settle and no sign of a flora species I was keen to see. The weather was cloudy with a breezy wind, not ideal conditions for the Skimmers, disappointing really.

Elephant Hawk Moth larvae & North Beach Gulls

On Monday 16 August, there was an Elephant Hawk Moth larvae in Roger Connor's Bradwell back garden. It was exposed on some grass so I moved it underneath a Privet hedge near a Fuchsia bush to give it some cover. Many thanks for Roger for letting me know and keeping an eye on it until I could arrive after work at 5.20pm. Later on I looked around the North Denes and saw 3 Mediterranean Gull, 1 2nd year bird and 2 adult birds including the return of old friend Stumpy, the bird with only 1 leg. Rob H came cycling down the sea wall and as we were talking I saw the Little Gull over the sea flying towards Ness Point. Nice to see some birds after drawing a blank on everything along Link's Road car park, North Beach and Ness Point recently, I don't blog these often often birdless/ lack of wildlife trips- the last 3 had been like that. On Wednesday 18th August, a Devil's Coach Horse beetle, was again found by Misty on the back lawn at 5.24pm.D

Pipistrelle Bat & female Meadow Brown in the back garden over the weekend

On Friday 9th August, a fine Pipistelle Bat whistled past my ear in the back garden flying around then it flew north and away. On both Saturday 10th August and Sunday 11th August, a fine female Meadow Brown requented the central circular flower bed in the garden for the weekend and posed nicely on occasions. A nice reward in this butterfly scarce summer. I estimate butterfly numbers are down by at least 80% compared to normal.

Hobby & Privet Moth larvae in the garden again

On Sunday 4th August a fine Hobby flew west over the back of the garden and above the roof of the new house at the back of us and west towards Parkhill Hotel at 8pm. On Wednesday 7th August 2024, in the evening in the flower bed near the fish poind again I caught Misty interested in something, it was the Privet Moth caterpillar agian, but this time the top part of the 'body' of the larvae was brown rather than green, I think it was about to pupate and transform into chrysalis? Where hopefully it will bury itself in soil and all being well, hatch out next spring. I left it to crawl into deep foliage to complete this cycle. Also in the garden was a female Migrant Hawker, flying around and only settled once briefly. Plus 1 medium sized Frog and 1 tiny brown Frog.

Privet Moth larvae in the garden

On Saturday 3 August 2024, our Cat Misty was taking an interest in something by the flowerbed directly opposite the kitchen window, I went to investigate and I could see a large green Hawk Moth caterpillar which was flicking from one side to the other. It was a lime green color being 3 inches in length or 7.5cm long and its girth was about 2.5cm long. The sides of the body and pink and white stripes akin to the pink and white stripes in a stick of rock! Near the rear end of the larvae a large 'spike' pale yellow spike near the tip it was black as if dipped in ink. I moved Misty away and checked to see which species it was a Privet Moth caterpillar, a first for the garden and a first for me too! I raed that one of the food plants was lilac, so I moved it onto the leaves of a Lilac bush we had in the garden. Around 30 minutes later, I noticed it crawling quickly over the grass to the back flower bed.

Peacock butterfly in the garden

On Wednesday 31st July, early morning before work, I was pleased to see this Peacock in the garden. Nice to se the 180mm macro lens for this one. Not a lens I have used very much since I bought it last November as the weather has been so bad (on my days off!)