First 2023 Painted Lady

On Saturday 29th July, delighted to see my first Painted Lady of 2023 in the garden, mostly seen on the flowers of the Buddlea bush, there were also 4 Peacocks, 4 Red Admirals, a Gatekeeper and a Large White.

Common Scoter at Ness Point

On Friday 28th July a tweet about a close male Common Scoter at Ness Point, had me driving down just after 6.15pm, Andrew E drew up to and I hadn't spotted the bird but then saw it around a quarter of the way out, a fine male Common Scoter, black with distinctive black knob near the base of its bill and orange on the top middle of the upper mandible, I pointed it out to Andrew. It was initially overcast and the Roger drew up and now there were 3 cameras trained on the bird. The bird lifted itself up and flapped its wings and eventually the sun came out beneath the cloud and its was begiing its descent and the bird swam a little closer. I managed to get a few pics but it would have been really nice for it to have been really closer but very greatful for the illuminating sunlight. Before swimming back again. A flock of of its bretheren, 17 Common Scoter flew north (9 females and 8 females) and a succession of Kittiwakes flew south including several immature birds too.

Green- flowered Helleborine & Broad- leaved Helleborines

On Tuesday 25th of July at a North Suffolk location, I found the fine Green- flowered helleborine, with the help of the fergusons, the flower was growing on an upturned root of a tree with the stump of a second plant next to it. At another locality I saw around 12 Broad-leaved Helleborines.

Butterflies at East Bergholt

Travelling down to East Bergolt, after hearing of 10-20 Queen of Spain Fritillaries, in a wildflower meadow. I drove down only trouble was each road to the site hadf signs saying road closed! East Bergholt Lane was closed so I drove back along the A12 then exited there and again the road to East End Lane was closed, I carried on saw a public footpath sign and walked round there, didn't look quite right so I looked back at the message and the pin on the map suddenly gave me directions to the site less than a mile away. I carried on around to a road where the houses finished and parking opposite 2 Ivy Cottages. I walked out past a Children's Playground through a field and then into a dip by a line of trees then suddenly there were people a young lady from Norfolk and another older chap. I was in the right area and the butterflies had been seen! Suddenly a Fritillary flew and settled on the ground just a few feet from the path through the field. This was a fairly dull indvidual with a "bite" out of its lower left forewing. This was repeated and up to 10 Queen of Spain Fritillaries seen flying around, sometimes 2 seen together. They would fly a little way and then settle. It was difficult to see the white bubbl under forewing but I did see this feature several times. The right side of the field a pale and very tatty Clouded Yellow flew and settled and I maaged a few pics. Alkso I saw on the left side of the field I spotted a second brighter Clouded Yellow.

Black- winged Kite at Braydon Marsh Hickling/ Horsey

On Thursday 20th July, I drove up really early to Horsey hoping to catch the BW Kite before work 5pm there was thick mist but it slowly started to clear and by 6pm I drew up into a crowded Horsey Mill car park paid the £4 parking fee and slowly made my way along the path by 6.30pm I met a birder who said the Kite was showing and still there!!! It was about 3/4 mile and I literally ran as fast as I could (I didn't take my big lens, so no pics) and met several other birders who confirmed it was still there at the time of leaving. I was advised to go to the second group for views but the first group, they confirmed the bird was till there and it was sitting on top a group of 3 bushes. The left hand one had the absolutely magnificent Black- winged Kite perched on the left hand site of the bush. It was no bigger than a Wood Pigeon being about Hobby- sized and slimmer than the Wood Pigeon perched beneath it, useful for comparison. A real stunner of a bird and it was giving good scope views being closer than I expected. It had a white head, face and breast/ underparts, the striking red eye, had a black- brow above it with pale grey upperparts with dark slate/grey/ black forewing and black wing-tips. It perced on a branch stem showings its bright yellow legs it was constantly looking about and one stage popped down to another stem where it flapped its wings showing the dark slate/grey black wedge on the primaries and secondaries. I looked at the bird for around 10 minutes then walked to the second group where I joined Rob h and could slightly clearer set up my scope and wathced it for a further 50 m inutes. I thought it would be distant but it was closer than expected although it would have only have been poor record shots if I had had my camera with me. This is the first bird of this specis seen since 1999 in China and I have also seen them in the Algarve in Portugal too, a real stunner of a bird! By 7.30pm I had to leave to get back to work.

Dipped the Kite

On Wednesday 19th July, by 3pm, I drove up to Horsey but the time I had there was marred by steady rain and despite the Horsey strait being lined with birders no sign of the BW Kite.

Green Woodpecker over the garden

On Wednesday 18th July at 5.40am, whilst taking a stroll at the front, i saw and heard a fine Green Woodpecker that flew south- east and over the back garden towards the new accursed Fallowfields development, a first seen in the garden for many years!