A Five Falcon day

On Sunday 7th June, I started off locally and saw a juvenile Peregrine Falcon at the very top of the Silo, it walked over to the north-east corner and spent most of its time here occasionally calling and an adult male Peregrine Falcon sat half way up on the east side of the Silo. Later on the female Peregrine Falcon was flying just west of the Silo. The juvile then flapped its wings on 3 occasions and then flew down to the railings by the 3 cylinders but quickly disappeared behind a tank. After hearing the RFF was still at Walberswick, I parked at Hoist Covert and walked along by the path just before the Mill, a Moth larvae seen on the path I then walked to the Bund by the high gate looking west over Westwood Lodge marshes, as I walked down I saw Richard D. and who said it was still there. At the end I saw Steve A. who said it was still about but had just gone missing. Forty minutes later still bno sign, whilst we were sorting through 5 Hobbies flying over, with one browner immature bird. Steve A. the said he had it, but as the sun strenghthened the heat haze got a lot worse and a browner bird flying at the back with more flappy flight indicated this might be the RFF. It was only when it clouded slightly that the browner bird with a cream head was indeed the fine female Red- footed Falcon that would often hunting just over or just below the reeds. It was then seen around 5X, once flying constantly for 15 minutes or so. Maurice B. and Dave H. arrived. As we walked back, lots of Peacock buttefly larvae seen on the path, so I moved quite a few of these into the dsafety of other vegetation. As we walked though Hoist Covert woods, a fine female Broad- bodied Chaser seen flying away. Later on I went back to the Peregrines, the juvenile Peregrine was again right at the top of the Silo and a male Peregrine Falcon was sat up half way up along the North side, I took 2 shots of it before it flew. Finally a 2nd juvenile Peregrine Falcon was seenn on the east side of the Silo. On the way back at Nick B's I saw a Norfolk Hawker perched on Buddlea in his back garden.

2 imm Peregrines at the Silo

On Saturday 6 June, I had a look early morning on the Suffolk coast and saw 2 immature Peregrine Falcons around building but they were perched half way up and the light was awful, so no pics. It then started raining so I left. I tried again in a brief sunny interlude in the afternoon but this time there were no Peregrines on show.

Early morning PL and late afternoon Heath Spotteds

On Wednesday 3rd June, a Painted Lady was posing nicely on the flowering Raspberry bush in the garden before work 7.10am and I managed a few pics. Being early finish day I went into the wilds of East Anglia and located a fine colony of c150 Heath Spotted Orchids in a slightly boggy area just off the reserve at 6.30pm and managed to get a few pics. I managed to dodge the frequent rain showers fortunately.

Mating Painted Ladies & visits by HBHM to the garden

On Sunday 31st May, an eventful evening in the garden revealed 2 mating Painted Ladies disturbed as I watered the hanging basket by the pagoda and they flew up and over to the plastic garden chair by the back door and settled by the plastic watering can! Slightly later on a Hummingbird Hawk Moth very briefly visted the Red Valerian at 6.36pm again gone by the time I raised my camer but I was ready for it when it came back at 6.40pm and spent 3 minutes feeding from various Red Valerian plants before flying opff north-east down the passageway. PTBA

Gull-billed Tern at Minsmere

On Sunday 31st May, having been woken at 4.20am up by Andrew's tweet that the GBT was still at Minsmere, I left and arrived at Minsmere at 6am. I saw Andrew walking down the path and I doubled back to view from Whin Hill, where I could see the fine Gull- billed Tern flying around the Island Mere. There were also a couple of Bittern flying too. I walked down Whin Hill and entered the hide, Jon E. and were there. Maurice, John G. arrived later. The Gull- billed Tern woulfd fly around the Mere several times and it flew the far side by the west of the Mere and it flew south. TBC 1st year Little Gull close by the bund Roseate tern then the pair of Roseate Terns seen by the 2nd bund from the left as viewed from the public hide, heard Gropper but disappeared 20 seconds before I arrived by the bench along the boardwalk. I then went into deepest Suffolk and found 2 fine Greater Butterfly Orchids plus a Red- legged Partridge crouching very close under branches. TBC & PTBA

2 Painted Ladies in the garden

On Saturday 30th May, in the early afternoon, I saw 2 Painted Ladies high up in the trees by the rear fence, too high up to photograph.

Painted Lady fluttering around

On Thursday 28th May, in the early evening, a fine Painted Lady was seen fluttering around in the front garden directly underneath the Longe window but was off before I could photograph it, unsurprisingly!