Return of the Bee-eaters at Trimingham

On Tuesday 4th July, I took my cousins Mel & Hilly to see the 3 Bee-eaters at Trimingham Norfolk returning to the quarry where they had previously nested the year before. We have to wait around 20 minutes before I heard the 3 chortling Bee-eaters and they were seen in the quarry returning to the nest hole. Then 1 & then 2 Bee-eaters seen perched on wires behind the old building. The birds were seen for around 20 minutes on 5 occasions. Also seen was a juvenile Cuckoo flying left over the top of the quarry and a Fox that wandered up the quarry too.

Lesser Scaup at Colney Pits

On Wednesday 27th June, after work, I travelled to Colney Pits travelling just off Chapel Break road. I parked at Hempsted Mews and walked over to a gap in the hedge where 2 birders were talking. On Saturday, 1st July, I went back and the moulting male Lesser Scaup was swimming over the Pit and then swam right. It had a bobble shaped head with pinched in part in the middle which was a Lesser Scaup feature and the head looked a deep purple colour.

First Hummer

In the back garden, on Sunday 24th June, a Hummingbird Hawk Moth was briefly on the Red Valerian before flying south 8.42pm.

Silver-washed!

On Sunday 26th June, I drove down to Westleton and on the Minsmere approach road parked at the side of the road and in the usual spot saw several Silver- studded Blues as well as a male Common Blue. They were very active so I carried on and looked by the quarry a Cuckoo flew over to a bush and several more Silver- Studded Blues seen.

Drake Ring- necked Duck at Carlton Marshes

Hearing the RND was back at Carlton, I divertedf from my intended destination for SSBlues and drove to carlton. Parking up as I walked down I met ali R leaving and then Andrew E but there were still 4 birders scoping Cormorant island from a 1/3 of the way down the bund. I picked up the fine male Ring- necked Duck asleep then swimming on the water showing slightly smaller size than nearby Tufties, with black bobble on its head, white/ black tipped bill and rear flanks grey looking compared to the white flank area bordering the black breast, it then swam to the water's edge and walked out on dry land showing the legs were unringed, it flapped its wings showing a full compliment of flight feathers and then settled down and fell asleep between 2 Tufted Ducks and a Little Egret was directly behind it to.

More Bee Orchids!

On a work visit to Hellesdon Hospital on Friday 23rd June, on a tour of the Grounds, I spotted 13 Bee Orchids on a grassy verge opposite the W building at the back.

Chlorantha Bee Orchids are back!

On Monday 19th June, directly after work, I showed Izzie where the Clorantha Bee Orchids were at a site north of Lowestoft, there were some 318 Bee Orchids and incredibly 8 Chlorantha Bee orchids with 68 Pyramidal Orchids.