Vicarage Gardens Odonata

On Saturday 31st August, at the Vicarage Gardens at Happisburgh this afternoon, 2 Southern Hawkers seen including one by the entrance "Emperor Pond" patrolling the walkway and when we walked past on the way out it was hunting over the pond then briefly settled on a stem. A male Common Darter seen by the pond where several Newts seen previously although this now choked with invasive Parrots Feather. At the ornamental pond with concrete side several water Boatmen seen c8, and what looked like a Common Darter nymph.

Butterflies at the Paget

On Friday 30th August at the James Paget Hospital at 1pm and just after, I saw a Common Blue butterfly on the walk outside past Ward 17, a third of the way along (my first for the site). Also seen 20 minutes later were 2 Painted Ladies, a Small Tortoiseshell on the Buddlea outside Dermatology and 2 Small White flew outside the Sandra Chapman centre.

Wilbur(ina) the Whimbrel

On the evening of Thursday 29th August, a walk down to Kessingland sluice only revealed a Wheatear which suddenly popped on on the path just before the sluice. Going over to the Benacre side, there was no initial sign of the Whimbrel, I rang Jane F and she mentioned that could hide in the tall weeds along the Benacre sluice. A dog walker promptly disturbed it and it flew from the north- west corner of bencher Pit and right over my head I saw it settle on the path along the northern, Kessingland side of the river. I quickly ran round taking a circular anti- clockwise route around ensuring the sun was behind me and crawled on all fours round the side of the bushes to ensure the bird wasn't disturbed and the fine Whimbrel was busy feeding, it had an especial preference for probing the deep rabbit holes. It was usually around 30/ 40 metres away, but at one point it walked straight towards me and at its closest proximity was only 10 feet away and fed here away for several minutes before it suddenly took off and flew over to the other side again. Along the Benacre sluice I could see it feeding again, checking the Pit for potential migrants revealed little along its western side. A Little Grebe was seen on the Pit.

Bedstraw Hawkmoth at Hemsby

On Wednesday 29th August, I received a text from John H stating he had just trapped a Bedstraw Hawkmoth and I could pop over after work to see at 8.10pm. Only 3 days previously we had been talking about precisely this scenario and how keen I would be to see and get pictures of such a stunning moth! So at 8.10pm on the dot, I was outside John's house in Hemsby and John brought the stunning Bedstraw Hawkmoth into the kitchen. I t did not disappoint it was a real stunner. The kitchen worktop was the lightest source (always nbest photographing Moths in full daylight rather than artificial light)in the house and I managed to get a few pics of the Moth on an egg box and a special bit of wood I had brought until disaster, my 7D SLR camera electronics suddenly failed. John later released it outside, we thought it had flown but it was perched in the doorjam and John very carefully removed it to a safer area where it finally flew. I was extremely grateful to John for the shout on this one and a real privilege to see such a fine beastie!

Benacre evening

On Tuesday 28th August, an evening walk to Benacre Broad (nice to see Rob & Erin) first revealed 2 Barnacle Geese flying south, the eastern most one was escorted either side by a pair of Oystercatchers! On the Broad itself a nice flock of close Dunlin were seen. around 20 Black- tailed Godwit seen, plus in a more distant flock of an additional 30 Dunlin a fine clean slightly bigger, taller, longer legs and white rump of a fine Curlew Sandpiper, also a faded brick red plumage pointed out that it was a summer plumaged Knot.

Winterton & Corton woods

A walk up to the Northern most Toad pool with a nice surprise half way up. just beyond the tank traps failed to reveal either Scarce Blue- tailed or Southern Emerald Damselflies, instead 7 Emerald Damselflies and 7 Common Darter were seen. Half way up from the path, a female Dartford Warbler seen briefly by a bush. At the water filled Toad pool by the "Chinese Hills' a male Emperor Dragonfly was busily patrolling whilst a female was ovipositing in the water along the northern end. c400 Painted Lady seen and around 6 Graylings seen too. On the walk back, a fine male Yellowhammer was feeding on the path and was reasonably confiding but sadly not close enough for the 100-400mm lens I had with me! After the long walk back, I drove onto the grassy area just south of Corton woods entrance and had up to 5 mostly worn Brown Argos butterflies, my first confirmed ones in the UK fore several years, although I had seen one at the same spot earlier in the year which I suspected was one. The weedy areas were the most productive.

Flycatchers & Chats at a productive Gunton

On Sunday 24th August, a look around the Gunton area revealed 2 Pied Flycatcher along the Gunton ORT one on the track itself half way down in an Oak. One walking back along the Pitch & Putt 1/4 way along from the north, one flew up into tree. A fine Spotted Flycatcher was seen in trees either side of a "Dogs must be on lead" sign. It was perched near the very right top of a tree before flying across to another and out of sight. Joining James W along the Woodland burial, we eventually saw a pair of Whinchats, the smart male on the left and the female on the right of the park bench. At Chantry Park, Ipswich, whilst queuing to get into the Ed Sheeran concert, a Small Heath butterfly seen by a circular fenced off wild area with signs about Stag Beetles sadly none of these were seen though.