Purple Hairstreak

As you can tell from my lack of blog posts its been a quiet time on the patch and ive not had time to do anything else what with moving into my new house. Bird wise dead but my new garden list is creeping up with Green Woodpecker, Jay, Kestrel, Stock Dove, Long tailed tit and Tawny Owl being my best birds so far. Dragonfly's being just 1 a Brown Hawker and Butterflies being Red Admiral, Ringlet, Large White , Small Tort and Meadow Brown.
The patch has produced just  Emperor Dragonfly,  Brown Hawker Large red eyed Damselfly, Blue tailed Damselfly and my first Purple Hairstreak of the year today. On the one pine tree were 3 Green Woodpecker and a Great Spot.
At work last week a nice female Banded Demoiselle. in one of my work gardens.

Pink Stink

So its June and things are getting very quiet birdwise but on the patch 3 Red Eyed Damselfy and 2 Emperor Dragonflys.  The Weekend was a complete loss when it came to birding as I was moving to my new home just up the road. We had been renting until now, brought a home just 300 yards away with a  a great garden and a Raptor watching bedroom window  Sunday though started to hot up a little with a Rose-colored Starling turning up in Lowestoft. I was in no rush as I was still unpacking but after tea I decided id like a look. I got down to the Harbour and watched the bird with a few thousand European Starlings, unfortunately though it was very distant. Now to Monday the Starling had been found again in a birders garden feeding on fat balls so I just had to have another look after work. Stunning looking bird, almost a full adult. I did manage a handful of shots. Still quiet on the patch all week, good job footies on although bye bye England!

Spectacled Warbler finally.

This is one of those times where I hear bad stories about bad photographers and bad birding harassing a bird. This has put me off twitching so I didn't really want to see this long staying Spectacled Warbler at Burnham Overy until the crowds had died down. Today though I awoke with a fresh perspective and a spring in my step Spectacled Warbler here we come.
A late start but a steady drive towards Norfolk passing Pensthorpe Wildlife Park and picking up 2 Raptors in the air, 1 was a Common Buzzard the second a beautiful adult Honey Buzzard, we couldn't stop on the buzy main road but turned around only to find it had drifted through and disappeared.
We arrived at Burnham Market at 12 and decided to have lunch first then move to Burham Overy. Walking along the bank it was nice to watch Little Tern and then and Adult and a 1st summer Spoonbill high in the sky.

Arrived at the spot where the bird was and immediately hear it singing away, cross between a Whitethroat and a Dartford Warbler I found. It took a good 20 minuets before it showed itself and singing as it reached the top of a stem only to fly when it got out in open. It did this a frustrating number of times but I was occasionally quick enough to rattle off some digiscoped shots.

 

We enjoyed the bird for an hour or so before heading off to do Rachel's stuff, my birding was complete.

 

 

Patching is where its at.

Yesterday took the scope with me on patch but didn't really need it, surprise surprise, mind you I did find a patch tick in the form of a Broad Bodied Chaser in a ditch by the New Sewage Works so did use it to get a couple of pics. Willow Warbler was still singing and the Bee Orchids were looking superb.

Long legged Buzzard

so Jeff has kindly let me have the picture he took of our Long Legged Buzzard or hybrid we saw in La Janda Spain a couple of weeks back..click to enlarge.
Thanks Jeff.

Red Backed Shrike

Now every patch goes through a dry patch and since the Bee eater its being very quiet until today. Walking along the coast patch I put my bins up in the direction of the Old Sewage works, perched was a very large Spotted flycatcher, that's a bloody shrike. So I got a slight bit close and yes a female Red Backed Shrike BINGOOOO. So I put the news out and had to run back home to pick up my camera and scope DOH.... So picked up my gear and drove back and luckily it was still present. Great to see the locals turning up. Love it when birds stop about for all to see.

 

So this lifted the spirits somewhat so went on the hunt for something else, there was a long staying male Northern Wheatear around the New Sewage Works and a Willow Warbler singing away now this is a rarity here. after this not much but I still love my patch..

North Norfolk.

So Rach n I packed the Tent Saturday morning and headed for Kelling Heath, our favourite place in the world :-). On the way down we stopped into the old pig farm at West Runton for a female Black Headed Bunting but waited an hour and dipped so I wasn't wasting my day on a possible escape. Anyway got to Kelling Heath and put up the tent.

After this we had lunch then the Bunting was reported again, I left Rach and headed back to find out it was only a flyby and 1 observer got it, so I headed back to the campsite again to meet back up with Rach and wander around the heath.
Tried for the  Bunting just once more before dinner but still no luck 3 hours and nothing to show for it, what a waste Twitching can be.
Anyway back on the Heath we had stunning views of Common Crossbill, and Dartford Warbler as well as the commoner Linnet. Eventually distant views of Woodlark were had.

We were now getting hungry so went for something to eat n a few pints then headed back out to the heath about 9pm for Nightjar, as soon as I reached the heath I could hear the Nightjars singing and calling, then noticed 4 in the air at once wing claping and displaying this was all in pretty good light, boy do I wish id taken my Camera! I also I another 3 Churring so probably 7 in pretty much one small area. This is why I love Kelling Heath.
Returned to the tent and all through the night we could hear the Nightjar churring and calling, Watched them for a good hour into darkness before going to bed.

Next morning awoke to the amazing sound of birdsong, it had been some years since we camped at Kelling as we usually stop in our friends Static Van, if ya want the number its a great van please Email me here.  Anyhoo, birdsong were a dozen or more Crossbill, Whitethroat, Garden Warbler, Blackcap and the usual common stuff.
Took dogs out for a walk about 7am, target today was the Turtle Dove and bingo heard it straight away as I reached the Heath, it was sat in a dead tree cooing, just lovely, so I moved around for better views. A Woodlark was in the area too.

On the walk back I spotted a nice Adder.

Got back to the tent only to find Rach had already packed it away so we went for a nice Brekky before taking another go with the Black Headed Bunting. Woohooo took a while but 4th time of asking with initially really crap views through massive heat haze but it did sit out for a short time before it disappeared back into the hedge, that's it im not wasting anymore time, im off to do something fun instead. Crap pic of the Bunting through the heat haze. its in the middle honest.

Anyway went n had fun, it was baking ;-)

Unfortunately time for home after another fantastic weekend.

Last week on patch no birds as such but I did find Common Spotted and Bee Orchid.