Elusive Ring- neck but nevertheless a good Carlton Marshes visit

On Saturday 8th July, looked from the Spider bridge, aagin no Spiders. I walked down to Peto's as I approached the first gate along the bund, incredibly I could see a juvenile Cuckoo perched on it, it was looking into the light and I wanted to carefully manoeuvre round by going down the bank in order not to disturb it. I looked around and as is always the case, someone was coming down close behind me, this time an an elderly jogger and he did stop but was reluctant to wait, he flushed it but fortunately it flew down the bank to posts just along the southern edge and I managed a couple of shots before it carried on towards Whitecast marsh. Further along the bund, a Hare ran out from the side and ran down the path away from me! From the part of the marsh looking along from the western bund, I saw 3 Black- tailed Godwits feeding on a watery scrape and walking down to North Hide I met a birder who had just seen it saying it was in eclipse and it had been in the dyke before North Hide but was swimming towards it. When I arrived, I saw a Pochard and a striking beetroot brown coloured female Wigeon but the male eclipse Ring- necked Duck was very elusive mainly hiding behind islands and was distant but I did see it on 3 occasions as it swam between the islands. 3 Common Terns seen on an island also plus 2 Swift overhead, I walked back along the Whitecast Marsh in the hope of seeing the juv Cuckoo again, I didn't but an adult Cuckoo did fly out and away from me. Plus a Barn Owl was hunting over the marsh too.

Triple Emperors!

On Saturday, in mid Suffolk it was good to meet up with Sam & Tim and the Purple Emperors put on a good show, with at least 4 seen, flying around the tops of trees and then settling on the ground initially on a piece of dog's dirt but lack further down the track. They had a pot full of Emperor Moth larvae, with at least 5 caterpillars, quite big and green with the males showing black ring bands and the females didn't. A walk down the ride just before the High seat, where a Bees nest was seen, revealed an Emperor Dragonfly going up and down the ride. By the pond, Sam Tim & saw a Silver- washed Fritillary too. and what looked like a Migrant Hawker back where the Purple Emperors were. A Purple Hairstreak flew past us and settled over to the tops of trees, a Ringlet seen, plus Essex Skipper and Small Skipper and a Red Admiral on the track too.

The next generation

On Friday 7th July, the 2 young Herring Gulls seen on the roof of the Buttage Centre and a look at a local wood revealed the Broad leaved helleborine plants were in bud but unfortunately 6 had been strimmed, particulalry disappointing as this was in the area which had been caged in the previous year.

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.