Two Migrant Hawkers in the garden

This evening all evening, Thurs 7th August, there were 2 Migrant Hawkers resting along the top wooden rung of the pagoda.

Dragonflies at the Vicarage garden

A very pleasant walk on Sunday 2nd August around the gardens of the Vicarage Garden just shy of Happisburgh revealed a fine female Emperor Dragonfly regularly oviposting from what appeared to be the underside of the 4th segment up. She even oviposted on a leaf very close to the path where I was able to obtain several shots. Around 5 Migrant Hawkers were seen and 1 posed nicely for the camera although a Painted Lady butterfly appeared briefly on a bush before flying off.

Hummingbird Hawk Moth again

On Friday 31st July At 8.07- 8.09am a Hummingbird Hawk Moth (16th visit to the garden) was feeding on the flowers of the Buddlea bush this morning. at 8.37am, a party of 10 Cormorants flew over heading due south. There were also a Peacock, Red Admiral and 5 Large Whites.

Broad- leaved helleborines

Thurs 30th July I had to look at the entrance to Gunton Wood, where 7 Broad- leaved Helleborine plants were flowering, none in the usual area but a further Broad- leaved Helleborine plant right of the path half way into the wood. I went back to the ones near the entrance and tried to get some pictures but it was sunny after a recent downpour and the midge were biting me.

Devil's Dyke butterflies at Newmarket

Tuesday 21 July Newmarket after a work meeting I decided to walk down Devil's Dyke opposite the July race course. It was a long trek being around 2 1/2 miles. There were lots of Blue butterflies, particularly at the start of the walk, a lot of them were Chalkhill Blue butterflies, scrambling down the bank I managed to obtain some shots of one perched on a plant stem but the best shots were of one perched on the path, which even opened up its wings. Near the start I also saw 3 Pyramidal Orchids well past their best. I counted around 100 Lizard >Orchids again well past their best in the usual spot 3/4 of the way down past the break in the dyke. A little further along by the bank, just past the Lizard Orchids, I spotted up to 2 Marbled White butterflies flying in more grassy banks typically alighting on Thistle flowers. They were very flighty and didn't allow any kind of approach until I discovered if I kept my head down underneath the grass line I could crawl down to them and I eventually managed some reasonable shots.

Garden catch up

Saturday 18 July Garden 2day Hummingbird HawkMoth 9.33am (15th visit!), Painted Lady, 2 Small Skipper, 2 Bullfinch (h), 2 Brow

Bee-Eaters at Leiston & Lesser Emperor at Filby

Sunday 5th July Bee-eaters aplenty! Driving to Leiston an initially unsure of where to go I met Dave H by the Sewage work/ Water works and he said there were seen by the just off the road leading into Leiston. I parked at a building works and spent quite a bit of time trying to work out where to go until I bumped into some birders and went off up a track past some fields. There was a huddle of birders in the left hand field and looking to the far hedgerow on a bare bush, perched first 1 Bee- eater, the 2, then 3, then 4. Looking around up to 7 Bee- eaters were eventually were seen perched in a large tree to the left. Eventually all 10 Bee- eaters were up in the air flying around and they gradually flew south. An incredible sight especially for the UK! Driving back to the Sewage work, all the spaces were taken so I had to park 100 yards further back and walk down th road to a large field on the right where several birders gathered and all 10 Bee- Eaters were seen perched on wires in the company of Starlings. 6th July Male Lesser Emperor Dragonfly seen 6X in flight 1.50 - 2.30pm viewed from viewing platform overlooking Ormesby Little Broad, great to see