Finally an HHM

On Monday 30th June in the garden at 7.30pm, Misty our Cat was looking very intently at the summer flowering Jasmine now fully out in bloom with white flowers and I immediately spotted a fine Hummingbird Hawk Moth that hovered darted in and out of the flowers gentling probing the flower heads with its probiscus, within a minute like a willo o wisp it was gone having flown north-west down the passageway and out of sight. A belated first for 2025.

Should have stayed in the garden!

On Sunday 29th June, in the early evening, the sun came out and a pristine Red Admiral showed really well and posed beautifully for the camera near the wildlife pond and I was pleased with my shots of the Red Admiral. Large White and Small White seen too. Leon from next door came around with another of my Frogs in his bucket (he has already been around with 6 + 3 + 3), I thanked him and put the Frog near the wildlife pond, it hopped out onto the grass and it also posed nicely but briefly for a few pics! Very pleased to get these precious Frogs back, as they all originate from the Frogspawn Ricky bought over all those years ago and have great sentimental value for me. I also like a healthy Frog population in the garden as they keep down the Slugs and Snails and 2 are currently in the runner bean patch doing a sterling job. I also want to spread some of the Frog spawn (I hope to have next March) over to Rob H's garden, to spread the gene pool and have 2 healthy populations. At the same time in the Fish pond were 4 adult Frogs, as well asat least one in the wildlife pond. Meanwhile, the monster Southern Marsh Orchid , old faithful and 3/4 metre high (!) was in flower as were 2 other Southern Marshes in the back garden with 1 left to flower.

Dragon triple dip day

On Sunday 29th June, it was cloudy, parking up produced almost the best sighting of the day, a Spitfire that flew north and I made my way to Carlton Marshes where it was rather disappointing, Gavin D. had kindly opened the gates for the rare Dragonflies spotted along the Share Marsh trial. The weather didn't look too promising and a few Emperor Dragonflies, Black-tailed Skimmers , Four spotted Chasers and along the top pool I also noted a Norfolk Hawker (my first this year) and several female Common darters but no red-vein for me but no sign for me of any Vagrants, lesser Emperor or Red veins. 4 Little Egreyt seen in flight plus a Red Kite. I walked back and tried the original pool where a fine male Red- veined Darter hovered in mid air so close I could see the blue in the eye confirming that it was a Red- veined. No sign of Andrew's Keeled Skimmer (but not sure if I was in the right place?) along the coastal path at Kessingland either.

Minsmere trip

On Sunday 22nd June, I had a very enjoyable, but hot, trip to Minsmere. I immediately walked over to the Public Hide and saw Jon B, but immediately spotted on the southern most girder sat a 1/3 of the way back on the left side was the fine Roseate Tern, almost all black bill with red at the base and very white plumage, after only a couple of minutes it flew but it soon flew back and settled again back in the same place. Quite a few c40 Sandwich terns seen. A Red Kite flew in from the north and headed west towards the Island Mere area, I don't recall seeing a Red Kite at Minsmere before? A Spoonbill flew in from the south and settled somewhere on the west Scrape area. Also seen were around 60 Black- tailed Godwit at the back of the east scrape area, together with 9 Spotted Redshanks together and all asleep. Good to see John G too. As I was looking around between the East Scrape and Public hide just west of the sandy path, I saw a fantastic fairly pale Clouded Yellow buttefly fly south and then into the grass but I couldn't relocate it. I walked around in the increasing heat and saw 2 Small Copper butterflies and 1 Peacock butterfly caterpillar crawling vigorously amongst one of the northern most concrete tank traps. From the East Scrape hide, I saw an adult Kittiwake perched briefly on the bench. I headed to the woodland just before the path to West and South Scrape and saw a fantastic female Tawny Owl, perched right out in the open, I also see Barry B, Carl's brother really good to see him as the last time I saw him was at the Taiga Bean Goose at Hen Reedbeds during Covid!

Common Blue Damselfly in the garden

On Wednesday 18th June, a Common Blue Damselfly seen in the garden in the mid afternoon, directly after work 3pm, just beyond the conservatory it was quite shy and I only managed a few pics before it flew off.

Green Shield Bug

On Saturday 14th June, in the afternoon a Green Shield Bug seen on the Patio. Not seen for long as it scurried into nearby vegetation, but I obtained a few record shots.

Meadow Brown butterfly rescued from the utility room

On Friday 13th June, I rescued a Meadow Brown butterfly that was fluttering away in the Utility room and I managed to safely retrieve and released it outside where it flew strongly (and unharmed) north- west on its release. I was hoping it would settle in the garden for some pics. No pics as I was concerned about the safety of the butterfly.

Bee Orchids & Scorpion Fly

On Thursday 12th June, immediately after work I took pics of the Bee Orchids flowering at work. Then later in the evening, about 8pm, I saw a Scorpion Fly initially on my car roof that then flew onto next door's brick wall.

Lizard orchid

On Wednesday 11 June, a trip to deepest Suffolk revealed a giant Lizard Orchid at the side of a farmers field, my thanks to Jane & Paul F for the great directions. A real monster, it was wonderful and even smelled of a goat! A real privilege to see this wonderful Orchid, only my 3rd Suffolk one away from the traditional site.

Frog Orchids

On Tuesday 10 June, in the early evening straight after work, a trip to deepest Suffolk revealed up to 10 Frog Orchids.

Trip to Wales

A trip to Wales primarily to see family meant little birding time but I did see Red Kites along the M25, one or 2 at Reading and Newberry and some in Wales near Cross Hands on the journey over on Thursday 5th June. On Friday 6th June, I drove over to Dinas as I was driving through a narrow stretch of road with Oal woodland one side and a gully stream the other I did briefly hear the trill of a Wood Warbler, but there was no way of stopping safely sadly. AS I travelled down the road to Dinas, I could hear a Tree Pipit singing but alas again nowhere to stop and investigate. I parked at Dinas car park, which they have put gravel down which is a vast improvement for parking. Signs up at the beginning of the walk meant part of the woodland trail would be inaccessible as they were replacing part of the boardwalk. I walked down and immediately I heard the familiar 5 note call of a singing male Pied Flycatcher. Moving very slowly along the boardwalk it was singing at the top of a bush just by the boardwalk but then flew back a little. It then settled on the rope 'handrail' briefly before again flying back. I next spotted it on dead bush branches which became a regular perch. It was singing away and I moved carefully using foliage as cover and was able to get a number of pics from this location, including the bird singing. It would regularly fly back to the stream and even visit a very close nest box where it was joined by a female Pied Flycatcher too. Just back from them a fine male Redstart was seen too and joined by a female and they were regularly visiting a hole by the top of a dead tree stump and I managed pictures of these too. A Willow Warbler briefly alighted on the floor very close but I missed the picture as I was focusing it flew sadly.

Skull in the garden and Bee Orchids at the Paget

On Tuesday 3rd June, whilst digging the runner bean patch in the garden I discovered this skull, some 3.5cms long which I initially thought was a Greenfinch (a regular visitor to the garden) which turned out to be the skull of a House Sparrow (I have only seen 2 sightings of this species in this garden in 24 years!), my thanks to Daniel W and his girlfriend for the ID. Wednesday 4th June, there are now 14 flowers on the Bee Orchid plants at the James Paget Hospital, I have caged them all and watered them during this exceptionally dry spring. Here is the reward.

Garden Frog

On Sunday 1st June, in the afternoon, tt is encouraging to see Frogs around the garden including this one in the water fountain.

Now a pristine Hornet Moth

On Sunday 1st June, Rob H had found a fine female Hornet Moth on the same Poplar tree. I drove over with Jenny and saw James W. already there and we saw the single clear-winged female. I took a few pics and soon the wings were whirring and she flew up the tree.

Burnt Tips finally

I travelled over to the Chilterns recently to look for Burnt Tip Orchids, a species of Orchid I have not seen before having missed a single plant at in Wiltshire, 13 years ago. Whilst passing through Cambridgeshire villages, I saw a Corn Bunting perched on wires. After 2 and a half hours I thought, I had found the right spot and travelled down a private road and fortuitously bumped into a Field Club group who told me exactly where to find them over the hump of the distant high hill I could see. I drove back near a house where there was a parking spot for 2 cars, where I parked up and walked back down the road some 500 metres, then took a right turn taking a well worn path through a crop field. Then up some steps, bordering a beechwood and I walked left until the path opened out to hedgerow and field, I walked up to a sign saying Private road, so I turned right and up a hill bordering the reserve, I walked further up where I saw 2 young women sat near a turnstile, they kind stated I had to take the path left skirting the hill go over the hill and in the lee of the hill where the sheep were resting by the hedge was where the fenced off Orchids were. I walked up the steep slope and saw various coloured flags marking differing plants, I recognised the beginning of flowering Fragrant Orchids. Later on I came to the stone wall hedge where the ship were resting and directly to the left of that was a circular fenced off area with white stick marking the Burnt Orchid plants, around 40. seen in all. All were flowering and were quite tiny, whitish with the red burnt purple colouration at the top of their plant giving them their name. I managed to get a few shots. There was also a couple outisde the cage near a lower path, I also heard the jangling keys call of a Corn Bunting, but I couldn't see one, I also heard Yellowhammer and the call of a flying Lapwing but again not seen. I also found a further few Fragrant Orchids plus an unidentified Purple flower. As I walked back just before the entrance turnstyle on the left of the path a group of around 30 Spotted Orchids were seen. As I walked back I saw a decidous wood that looked perfect for helleborines I followed the fenced around for some 150 metres, I saw a wooden gate, climed over walked a further 30 metres and by the wood fence, I saw 5 White Helleborine plants, 4 flowering ones and 1 non- flowering one. Using the flash and darkening the exposure to -1 and 3/4 I managed a few pics. As I walked back to the path, I saw a Yellowhammer perched on wires singing away, too. As I drove back, I heard a further 3 Corn Buntings and saw 2 singletons on wires again along the Cambridgeshire roads.

Garden Goodie then local Hornet mimic

First thing on the morning of Saturday 31st May, our cat Misty was looking at the side wall and I immediately spooted a pristine probably young female Black- tailed Skimmer perched on the wall. She stayed for long enough for me to obtain several shots of this unusual garden visitor, I don't recall seeing a female BTS in the garden before. I then received a What's App message stating 2 conjoined Hornet Moths were on a Poplar along Corton Road at the junction with Links Road, so I drove over and immediately saw them low on the tree.

Paget Bee Orchids are now flowering

During the latter part of the week, Thursday 29th May when the first flower buds appeared and then by Friday 8 flower buds had appeared and one flower had completely on the Paget Bee orchids, sadly 2 plants had died and a further 2 had disappeared but there is still a good number about. TBC