First Painted Lady of 2022

On Friday 3rd June, I was delighted to find a Painted Lady in the garden by the flowering bush which is good for bush crickets later on in the season. It spent its entite time here usually at the top of the bush and seen for the most of the day, a very welcome garden visitor!

Elusive Frog Orchids

On Thursday 2nd June evening i drove out into deepest Suffolk, for the traditional Frog Orchids site, always wonderful to be here in this idyllic spot, we could see many gone over Grren- winged Orchids and a few Pyramidial Orchids just started to come into flower. I was fortunate that Matt S was already looking for them but we couldn't find them. As ever we relied on the excellent directions of Jane F and finally we saw 2 very small plants just starting to flower either side of the "ditch." Our thanks yet again to the ever sgharp Paul & Jane F, much appreciated.

The Karra Karra bird

On Thursday 2nd June, I was keen to see the Great Reed Warbler at Wild Ken Hill, Snettisham, so I joined John H and Tony S, up on a ride back to Snettisham, where we parked up and walked out along the main path, as soon as I we passed some srub and a pine tree we heard and saw a fine Turtle Dove purring perched on a branch by the main bend of the main trunk, a great start. We walked the mile walk to the kissing gate and just before we saw Stephen H who told us it had been showing well and best to go back 50 metres to the bend and look along the dyke where it could be seen more distantly. This proved to be excellent advice as we could hear it singinging its distinctive loud "karra karra chee chee" song but couldn't see it. We walked past the kissing gate and looked back and it could be seen, the fine Great Reed WEarbler, distantly perched up in the reeds the nearside of the dyke where it couldn't be seen directly opposite. It flew over the dyke and nearer to us but disappeared before it flew back to its original spot. Later a chap had gone back to the kissing gate and when he reached for his camera I went back and got some slightly obscured shots. As we stood here, 2 fine Turtle Doves flew left in front of us. When we walked back a further Turtle Dove seen perched atop of a tree, too.

Very local Orchids

On Wednesday 1at June, the Hospital orchid was starting to flower. In the evening, in gorgeous golden evening sunlight, the local orchid meadow this evening, a fine pink/ white Green- winged Orchid near the middle bushes seen about 9 inches tall, a really fine specimen and not stunted like the earlier ones viewed, and another one a purple and typically stunted, seen by other side of the main path, so now up to 6 Green- winged orchids seen at this site this year, although just 2 seen this evening. Loads of 100+ Spotted Orchids were just starting to flower another visit will be in order in a few days time. However, an incredible tally of 19 Common Twayblades seen at this site, my highest count to date. The local Long- tailed Tits heard in the Hawthorn bushes.

Eleonora's & Red- foot plus 'worthy" bonus of Marsh frog

On Sunday 29th May, I had arranged to go with John H & Tony S for GRW at Snettisham, but the twitchable Eleonora's had changed things and John & Tony picked me up at half past midnight and just after 4 we were at Worth Marsh, taking the country lane to a field where there were already 6 cars, we walked up the track for about 3/4 of a mile hearing the very audible Marsh Frogs along the way. From a gate overlooking hedgerow in bushes at the very back at 4.30am, 2 Welsh borders thought they had the bird and yes it was the incredible 1st summer male Eleonora's Falcon, which sat there larger and more elongated than Peregrine with dark black back and white the brownish belly, I watched it for a few minutes before it suddenly took to flight, it showed a distinctive and fantastic slow languid almost Nightjar-like flight as it flew towards us and then directly over our heads and just 10 foot above us and it flew behind the great wood and then I saw it flying very low above a field flying over to right where I lost it to view at 4.45am and not seen again by us. Despite 3 and half hours of waiting we didn't see it again. Too quick and poor light and too distant when perched for any pics, story of this year really! We saw a Cuckoo fly into the wood, plus 2 Red Kites and walking around to the river wall, we caught up with JP again and saw distantly but briefly the fine very white-headed female Red- footed Falcon. Always a pleasure to see, but again after a few minutes it disappeared from view! Whilst walking back, a Great White Egret seen in a field, Avocets on the marsh and a brief close Redshank through the hedge. I could hear more Marsh frogs, again very audible I was about to get picture when the tripod and telescope toppled into the dyke. I managed to retrieve before it got emersed and only the fabric was fortunately, but the formerly posing Marsh Frog in the middle of the dtke beautifully lit by the sun had now long gone, it showed an orange stripe down the middle of its green back! LIBRARY PIC

Quail and GBOs

A walk around the North denes early morning for Rob's quail was initially not very successful although singing Whitethroat and Blackcap seen, then walking towards the compound, in a thick swathe of Alexanders, the Quail called 3X its famous wet my lips call, I stood near a path through them in the hope it would through it didn't. But it must have run through to a patch behind me later on when Paul & Jane F arrived it was even louder coming from an area and of course we didn't see it. Later on in deepest Suffolk Paul & jane F showed me 3 fine Greater Butterfly Orchid plants 2 close together and one close by, with one non- flowering one. Close by we saw another 2 flowering plants plus another 2 non- flowering ones totally 8 in total.

Bee Orchid found at the Paget

On Friday 27th May, as I was walking over from the Library to the Hospital I found the stem of a Bee orchid. Obviously in danger of being cut down by the Grounds Maintenance Team, I put wooden kitchen utensils around it in the interim I rang and then e-mailed our fantastic Estates department and within the hour paul came over and put a circular over it attached to a concrete post.