Ness Point and Carlton Marshes

A quick look at Ness Point confirmed the Painted Ladies were no longer there, as I arrived at Carlton Marshes a female Whitethroat seen briefly and walking up the central path, I retraced my steps when I saw a Barn Owl hunting really close to the western path to Whitecast marshes. The Barn Owl flew and perched on a post close to the car park. But flew off east when a cape tried stalking it. I looked around Carlton Marshes couldn't see any Raft Spiders on the Scrape the young Lapwing were still around as were 3 Black- tailed Godwits in faded summer plumage. Whilst up along the river wall, 2 Wall Browns, 3 Small Tortoiseshells and around 4 male Scarce Chasers. 1 of the Chasers posed nicely for the camera. Male and female Banded Demoiselle seen too.

Ness Point wildlife

Adult Black Redstart seen at Ness Point on Sunday afternoon in the murk. On Monday 29th on asunder evening, 2 Painted Lady butterflies flying around the Red Valerian mostly settled on the path on the south side of the Orbis Energy centre.

Grounded

What seems like the third spring/ summer bank holiday (Easter & August last year) on the trot with car problems I was restricted to wildlife jaunts within walking distance. On Sunday 28th May at about 10.34am- 11.15am a fine Small Copper butterfly was seen on the Red Valerian in the garden (definitely not far to walk there!), it spent most of its time on here posing nicely for the camera but had occasional jaunts over to other flowers too. At around 3pm in the afternoon, our cat Comet was interested in something in the bushes and I went to investigate and an Eyed Hawkmoth suddenly flopped onto the ground, I saw it for around 10 seconds before it flew off unscathed and it therefore sadly eluded the camera. On Monday, at around 11.30am on Fallowfields, I saw an initially wary female Broad- bodied Chaser but eventually she settled on a perch and posed very nicely for the camera.

At a packed Carlton Marshes tonight!

At a packed Carlton Marshes tonight, I drove up seeing a chap hanging around the barrier by the deserted building, yet another one the 300/400mm brigade. He told me the Little Owl had been perched on the building but had flown back to trees by the silo. I saw the super Little Owl perched on an ivy clad branch. I walked around and saw the Owl again perched on a branch. Meanwhile a rather faded Painted Lady, I heard Cuckoo and walking up to the scrape I heard a Yellow Wagtail and saw it perched on the overhead power line. On the scrape around 3 Lapwing chicks were seen along with 2 adults. Meanwhile looking back over Share marsh, a Barn Owlflew along the eastern edge. Back on the scrape 9 Black- tailed Godwit all fine summer plumaged birds flew around. By the western edge of the scrape first one and then 2 Hare were seen. A Cuckoo was seen perched on powerlines enabled a quite close approach the only problem was the light was fading.

Priory garden at East Ruston

On Sunday 21st May, I took Jenny to the fine Priory garden at East Ruston. There is always some wildlife to see here. I was delighted to see a male Smooth Newt in one of the ponds (bricked round edge. that Jenny originally spotted it simply swam out from under a leaf then disappeared under it again. Another more natural looking pond with boarded viewing area one side actually showed around 8 Smooth Newts and 3 males and around 5 females seen swimming around. 1 male and 1 female were often quite close to the surface. 2 swam together for a while. At a third bricked edge pond another 3 Smooth Newts seen and 1 swam up the edge close to the waters edge by a large Ramshorn Snail. Also by some Lavender flowers up to 4 flighty Painted Ladies and 1 Red Admiral plus a brief male Orange Tip flew past. A Swallow perched on top a new aviary and a male Dunnock sang constantly atop a gated pillar.

Potter Heigham Marshes at last!

Just after 4pm on Saturday 20th May, I decided to take a look at Potter Heigham marshes. I took the track immediately after (north) of Potter Heigham Bridge which was just about drivable but the first part of the track was a little hairy and the way I went back (kindly advised by Rob & Andrew) taking a track north half way along the straight bit and coming out past the farm and at Potter Heigham Church was a much better route. Everyone who had kindly advised me where to go had been correct and I had wrongly assumed the scrapes were west instead of east of Potter Heigham bridge. I parked the car at the end and took the 20 minute walk wandering around in a circular route. This was a really impressive area of habitat and we hope Carlton marshes extra scrapes will be like this and host a similar spectacular amount of birds too. 3 big scrape areas were seen and by a spit, it was obvious that the fine Caspian Tern was stated albeit a sleep. A big tern dwarfing even the BH Gulls, it promptly work up sporting its big carrot orange bill which it defending itself from birds flying low overhead. 3 fine Spoonbills stood at the back and I was just about to look at them when the heavens opened and I had to take refuge under some bushes just by the path. There were breeding 4 Lapwings here and 1 or two young Lapwing chicks were seen. I met Jeremy G by a group of people and as we walked to check out the first Scrape, a Painted Lady butterfly flew and perched in a hedge opposite which was it preferred resting place as it kept returning here. Jeremy also spotted a fine distant Kingfisher perched on top of a metal post which I saw through his scope. Also here was a rather drab looking male Garganey swimming at the back, Plus on the first pool around 8 Ringed Plovers and summer plumaged Dunlin. I also heard the calling "chuff-iff-iff" of a Wood Sandpiper but sadly not seen. Walking back to the original scrape, a resplendent male Ruff in all his finery in black and chestnut fancy ornate plumage dressed like a Tudor begarbed noble, stood by the edge of the spit by the Caspian Tern and 2 Reeves stood near him. Immediately a Barn Owl flew past really close along the dyke but alas too quick for the camera. It was later seen flying out of bushes as I retraced my steps on the path back. As I drove back I saw Jeremy G watching a flash in the field north of the track, I heard the 7 note call of a Whimbrel but alas also not seen. A really impressive area but access is a little difficult and parking strictly limited too.

Foulden Common, Weeting & Santon Downham

On Saturday 20th May a trip to Foulden Common, with the gold old team of John H, Tim H and the very welcome addition of Bob C (directions to the common: travel past the village and the public house and from the outskirts of the village its a 1/3 of a mile or 1/4 mile from the village sign travelling past an open area and then wooded area by the first bends park on the left in a bowl shaped grassy area which can take 5 sensible parked cars- using your bins you should see the Foulden Common sign around 50 yards away) by the village of Foulden a fine Red Kite circled low over the buildings here. We walked out into the common lots of grassland bordered by bushes looks a great place. After we had walked around 100 yards I was lucky enough to spot the first of our 2 target species, a pretty Grizzled Skipper perched on a bright yellow buttercup! A really attractive little butterfly brown with creamy specks on the wings. As it was still fairly early around 9.30am the sun hadn't yet broken through the partially cloudy sky, the Skipper posed nicely for the camera before it flew a short way further along, where John, Tim & Bob caught up with it. By the far side around 500 yards walk from the entrance we saw our next target, a fine Dingy Skipper, a fairly non- descript brownish butterfly but nice all the same. Then 2 Dingy Skipper flew up together in circling flight. Whilst a tattier Grizzled was seen in the corner. We walked over to the side by some flowering gorse and 2 fine Green Hairstreaks. Not to be outdone, a Small Copper posed nicely at the side. More Grizzled & Dingy Skippers seen half way back and near the entrance first one then 2 Grizzled Skippers seen and first 1 then 2 Dingy Skippers seen. First one then 2 Brimstone seen near the entrance rounding off a super first trip to this site. Next stop was Weeting Heath, where saw a locally rare micro moth. In the car park, 2 Goldcrests were twittering and perched on weeds by the entrance, whilst an adult and a fledgling Mistle Thrush were seen high up in the the tall one trees just right of the car aprk. The Stone Curlews weren't on the usual field. If we looked opposite the car park, we eventually saw a fine Stone Curlew moving slowly be a small gorse bush where it promptly disappeared. After 10 minutes it popped out again and showed well albeit distantly. A quick look at Santon Downham walking from the car park, literally 30 yards along first one the 2 Wood Larks flew away from the track showing in the rough ground giving good scope views. Not wishing to disturb them, we moved further on. John found a 'Wasp Hoverfly' which I photographed. Cuckoo heard almost constantly, but no sign of any hoped for Tree Pipits.