Hickling Broad.

So I  once again started on the local patch (Corton) but it was very quiet so I headed for Hickling Broad. It was generally a day of slow walking to see what butterflies I could find. The usual suspects really until whilst sat in one of the hides a Swallowtail flew past. It was the only one I would see all day. So onwards spotting dragons such as Black-tailed Skimmer, 4 Spot Chasers, Broad Bodied Chasers, Common Darters  and Ruddy Darter, Blue tailed and Emerald Damselfly's.

 

Black-tailed Skimmer

Emerald Dam 

Ruddy Darter?

Red Admiral

 

Back at the visitor center I found a first for me, the Caterpillar of the Swallowtail Butterfly, excellent looking thing.

 

After snacks I headed for the Bittern hide, no Bitterns here but 3 Green Sandpiper 1 Greenshank and an incredible 6 Water rail, 4 Juvs and 2 adults. Eventually I got views of 4 Common cranes bingo!.

Adult Green sand

Juv Green Sand

Juv Marsh Harrier

 

 

 

I headed home after this but stopped in at Breydon Water picking up 4 Spotted Redshanks and the usual waders and gulls.

Then finished at Carlton Marsh's, here a good selection of stuff again, 1 Wood Sandpiper, 2 Green Sandpiper 6 Greenshank a Little Egret and a Chinese Water Deer. A great finish to a long day.