We have lost our beautiful boy, Comet

Very sadly, we have lost our beautiful boy, Comet, a 10 year old black and white cat. It has been terribly sad news as we was a much loved member of our family. Unfortunately he was diagnosed with mouth cancer back in May and by August 2 we had to take him to the vets and have him euthanised as the cancer hasd advanced. We were both with him at the end and he was such a beautiful and brave boy. He had a wonderful disposition and temperament. He loved raising on his hind legs and giving you a friendly head butt! We were introduced him first as a kitten, barely a few weeks old initially he was part of a ball of black and white Kittens at the Cats Protection League and we had gone along in August 2013 after we had lost our previous much loved cat, Cleo. We had initially chosen Haley an 8 year old cat, housed separately, who had come from a difficult home but she had started clawing the furniture and when we brought home Cosmo, a little while later, our incerdibly cute Tabby kitten, we had our 2 cats. Unfortunately, Haley kept attacking Cosmo after 3 supervised introductions and we had to take her back. A choice had to be made, no contest, as we chose Cosmo. Fortunately the CPL still had a few kittens left from the original 2 litters and Comet was quickly chosen by us. When we brought him back, despite being no bigger than a watchstrap, he was full of energy, and we wanted an astronomical related name for him, so Comet fitted the bill perfectly! Cosmo came over and started licking him and he licked Cosmo back, the brothers remembered each other and were very pleased to be reunited. In the early days, they would sleep together as kittens and would often sleep on the bed together or bookend the conservatory sitting chair together. He was a lovely marked black and white cat, with white mittens on his front legs and white boots on his back legs with a lovely black patch on his right back leg. He also had 3 distinctive eye brow whiskers too. He had a wonderfully long 15 inch tail and we often affectionately called him Comet long tail, where he would curl his long tail around his legs and back again! He was a very loving cat, especially with Jenny and I, but always hid up when visitors or workmen called. He used to love jumping up and headbutting you and would always sleep on the bed, making his nest first before flopping on your hand. He caught very few birds fortunately but once did did bring through the cat flap a young Magpie which was bHe felt the cold and on one particularly freezing night outsight he snuggled up all night under the duvet with me, like a papoose cat! He loved going out in the garden and marking his territory and would always run back quickly back into the house. He was a very cautious cat, never ever any trouble, Comet was a highly intelligent Cat and we set him some puzzles, with various cat toys, where the prize was devouring a special biscuit food treat and he always solved those conundrums very quickly and even showed Cosmo how to do it, when poor old Cossie was trying to figure it out! RIP Comet, our beautiful, lovely boy, he is much missed by us all.

Little Gull at Links Road car park

On Monday 31st July, after work at 6.30pm, I drove down to the Link's road car park, initially no sign of the Little Gull, although there wwere 2 adult W Mediterranean Gulls, a juvenile Black- headed Gull and out to sea a group of 7 fishing Sandwich Terns. Also 15 Common terns seen some on groynes and some fishing. Finally, at 7.10pm the fine Little Gull flew in from across the North denes and settled on the car park and using the car as a mobile hide, I waited until the sun came out and managed a few pics before the sun went in again! The bird was still there when I left at 7.40pm.

Painted Lady again

On Sunday 30th July, the Painted Lady was still around in the back garden.

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.