Adders & Garganeys

At Lound by the overhead wires, 2 Swallows were seen perched. On this brilliantly sunny day I couldn't resist another visit to the usual woods. I found 5 male Adders in total, 4 in the usual spot, all were males. 1 even slithered up the bush to look at me and I stepped back when it's face was only a foot away from my face! I missed the great shot but was playing it safe! A lemon yellow Brimstone butterfly flew past the path here. 3 Grass Snakes were seen here also plus a Vivaporous Lizard. At the bottom by the end pylon, literally just north of it, I heard a slithering sound (often a really good way to see Adders is to listen for them moving and wait for them to come out by a sunny spot) and a male Adder wriggled across the path. This time, I decided to stay put and he slithered past barely 2 foot from me and I got the shot! A Willow Warbler was also heard in the silver birch. Whilst a confiding Chiff- Chaff sang from the lower branches of a Pine right by the now traditional Adder site.

Back at Bure Park, Great Yarmouth the male Garganey swam out of the reed area very close to me but I had just arrived and the camera wasn't set up. I walked round and saw both the male & female Garganey that swam past me and left. A family was walking round and even decided to feed the ducks (but not the shy wild Garganey that swam quickly away) so I went back to my original spot and both the male & female Garganey were just left of me (behind them was a fine summer plumaged Little Grebe) and a newly arrived Peter A kindly guided them over to me.I managed to get some nice photos. Firstly of the female swam which towards me and disappeared into the reeds and then the male swam my way before swimming left again.

Evening Surprise

With flights grounded across the whole country due to the Icelandic volcanic dust cloud over the UK & Europe it seemed if the birds were respecting the no fly zone too. Yesterday (Thursday 15 April) There were no Sand Martins over Corton Cliffs, the only birds seen were 7 Redwings which flew from the bushes west of the old Corton Sewage works. 19 Sky Larks were seen feeding on the grass north west of the Sewage works, a large "t" had been carved out the grass, an ominous sign of development?

This evening, a call from Roger C had me driving to Bure Park, Great Yarmouth and I parked and walked over to the stretch of water which initially only had Mallards and Tufted Ducks on it but first, a female Garganey and then a male Garganey swam out. They fed by the edge then swam out and when they upended showed no rings. They also took to flight when people got too close and were a very smart pair of diminutive ducks. They then swam to the far end before again venturing closer on the water before going back into the reeds. Roger C, Morris B, Peter C, John H and Phil H all arrived.

I drove to Ashby Church and saw Rob W, Andrew E, Justin W & Roger C and we looked down a hedge row, 2 fields south of Ashby Church, initially we couldn't see our quarry until late on Andrew E spotted it hop out a super male Ring Ouzel with silvery wings and white crescent on it's breast. It then dived back into the hedge and flew towards us on the other side of the hedge before flying up and briefly perched reasonably close showing the white gorget on it's breast and the silvery wings briefly before it flew down onto the field for a minute before it flew back and disappeared behind a large tree.

As we started to walk back the seven whistler call of a group of 4 plus 2, 6 Whimbrel in total flying directly overhead northwards concluded this evening's birds.