Another seawatch from Baker's Score

On Sunday 1st September at Baker's Score, Corton, I settled down and at 9.20am a fantastic Sooty Shearwater was flying south. Probable LT Skua TBC. I also checked Ness Point waling north from the Coastguards where I saw a Linnet flock c15 Linnets, couple of their numberb perched on the seawall as did a Wheatear, 3 seen in the former Semblamarine SLP yard. Later on I checked Corton OSW, 2 Wheatear were around the Broadland Sands Holiday Camp area, 1 on the cliff fence and 1 in the actual Holiday camp.

Usual seawatch success then turned on its head

On Saturday 31st August, I had a disastrous seawatch at Ness Point missing 2 X Cory's & LT Skuas, all I saw was a female type Black Redstart in the now de-fenced turbine yard by the concrete cross panels (at the time the Cory's went by). All I saw moving out to see was 1 Common Scoter south, with apologies to the Scoter a pitiful return especially with the riches being seen a few hundred metres south of me and few hundred metres to the north of me. I gave up and decided to go to Corton Baker's Score, this turned out to be an inspired choice!!! TBC

Single Autumn Ladies Tress(es) in Norfolk

On Friday 30th August, I arranged to drive up to a location in Norfolk, where for the final time this yearb the last flowering Orchid of the year is the Autumn Ladies Tresses. I met up with Paul & Jane F. at 10.40am, they had already seen it but I went to see a single Autumn Ladies Tresses, a cane was next to it on the upper ledge of the grassy site on the right hand edge. Sadly the plant was in a poor state with the main stem very thin and kinked and it was very floppy so I had to rest it against the cane, not good for photography but this was best for the plant.

Whinchat & Greenshank at the North Denes

On Thursday 29th August directly after work, I looked around the North Denes, where there is a lot of tall vegetation, by the usual spot where the Alexanders are (the south- east part) I soon spotted the trio of Whinchats that showed well when the sun was out and went to ground when the cloud blocked the sun. As I walked back to the car, I checked the sea for Terns but didn't see any. A succession of Mediterranean Gulls flew north, 11 in total, 9 adults, 1 2nd winter and 1 immature. I heard a "chew- chew- chew" and was looking for the Greenshank but initially I couldn't see it and then I suddenly saw it flying low north- east over the car park and out to sea.

Neighbourly Bush Cricket

On Wednesday 28th August on a particularly sunny early evening, I was talking to Leon our neighbour and he said he had a 'large Grasshopper' which he picked off his side of the fence and handed it to me and I said "Oh, its a Conehead" and I put in our garden for a few pics and here they are. It is of course, a Speckled Bush Cricket, and not a Conehead & I put it on some Clematis where it soon crawled out of sight. POSTSCRIPT: My thanks to Rob J. who kindly corrected my rather senior moment, of course its a Speckled Bush Cricket and not a Conehead! We have them regularly on a bush in our garden in the late summer

Holy Blue, Ural Owl (!!) & a flock of 45 Med Gulls

A Holly Blue was on one of the bushes in our front garden this afternoon and posed briefly nicely but had gone by the time I retrieved my camera. A visit to the excellent Myhill garden nurseries out at Fritton this afternoon, where I picked up a new top for the bird table, a bug hotel, some new plants including Strawberry plants, some Buster James and Queen CDs at at the fleamarket and a visit to the Owl sanctuary where it was good to see Geoff W with a fantastic Ural Owl on his arm. A bird we heard but didn't see in Estonia but I have seen a wild one in Finland. The Owl Sanctuary takes in unwanted captive birds which can't unfortunately be released back in the wild. At 5pm, I saw a large flock of 45 Mediterranean Gulls flying over the garden probably feasting on flying ants. Nearly all, 43, were adult birds with 1- 2nd year bird and 1 juvenile bird. The interloper in this flock was 1 Black- headed Gull, they then drifted north.

Fabulous Nightjar at Minsmere

On Sunday 25th August, after an initally perplexing tweet saying there was a Nightjar at Minsmere showing near Reception by the time was 8 minutes in the future so I initially disregarded it, it was only after 2 pics were tweeted from David W & Tim O. that I leapt into action and took 4 different camera set ups and drove down to Minsmere arriving just after 1pm. I've always wanted to see and photograph a daytime Nightjar, I have never seen them during the daytime since I have had my cameras (1997 onwards) and only seen one once during the daytime at mid distance at a locality not far from Minsmere with Ricky in the early 1980s. At Reception, I was warned there was quite a crowd and the path was the one between the toilets and the old car park. But it wasn't too bad with a few people perched on the bank opposite and there was a gap between Chris D. and Andrew M., so I set up the tripod and the 500mm lens with 1.4 converter and after Chris kindly stated exactly where it was, the fantastic female Nightjar, barely 10 metres away on a dead pale branch and showing extremely well in the sunshine. It was facing left and was facing right almost head on, it was asleep then it opened its eye and occasionally stretched its head. Later on its streteched its wing and moved right briefly before regaining its normal pose. Another time it yawned showing and extremely wide gape adapted to hover up all the flying insects and then suddenly at just after 3pm, it took off and flew north- west and out of sight over the trees. I then struggled with all the camera bags to the pond and almost immediately 2 young Water Voles were swimming around and feeding on their dreys. I managed a few shots and then a crowd gathering at the beginning of the boardwalk revealed a greenish Common Lizard on the wooden ridge showing well so I obtained a few pics before finally I saw a second Common Lizard be the wooden path leading west. I also saw a Small Heath butterfly, my first of the year. News of a Little Stint seen from the East Scrape would normally have me walking over promptly, but I just couldn't carry all 4 cameras & lenses over there, so it was back to the car.