Orchids

So ive been and come back from Lesbos, awesome trip by the way but my next blog should be about that. For now Blogging about the Green Winged Orchids i managed to see before and after returning.
13 spikes From Gunton Meadow before i went away and 90+ when i returned. i usually miss these but made the effort not to this year.

Also some Ground Ivy

After a poor week and weekend on the patch i decided a quick visit to Potter Heigham Marshes but that was disappointing too.

1 Little Stint

1 Sanderling

6 Dunlin

5 Tundra Ringed Plover 

1 Ruff.

1 Crane

Very poor pics of the Little Stint

Just see about see the grey trailing edges to the tail.

Lesvos Trip list for 5th-12th May 2018

1	Common Shelduck	Tadorna tadorna
2	Ruddy Shelduck	Tadorna ferruginea
3	Garganey	Spatula querquedula
4	Eurasian Wigeon	Mareca penelope
5	Mallard	Anas platyrhynchos
6	Chukar Partridge	Alectoris chukar
7	Scopoli's Shearwater	Calonectris diomedea
8	Yelkouan Shearwater	Puffinus yelkouan
9	Little Grebe	Tachybaptus ruficollis
10	Great Crested Grebe	Podiceps cristatus
11	Black-necked Grebe	Podiceps nigricollis
12	Greater Flamingo	Phoenicopterus roseus
13	Black Stork	Ciconia nigra
14	White Stork	Ciconia ciconia
15	Little Bittern	Ixobrychus minutus
16	Black-crowned Night Heron	Nycticorax nycticorax
17	Squacco Heron	Ardeola ralloides
18	Grey Heron	Ardea cinerea
19	Great Egret	Ardea alba
20	Little Egret	Egretta garzetta
21	Dalmatian Pelican	Pelecanus crispus
22	European Shag	Phalacrocorax aristotelis
23	Great Cormorant	Phalacrocorax carbo
24	Western Osprey	Pandion haliaetus
25	Short-toed Snake Eagle	Circaetus gallicus
26	Bonelli's Eagle	Aquila fasciata
27	Levant Sparrowhawk	Accipiter brevipes
28	Northern Goshawk	Accipiter gentilis
29	Western Marsh Harrier	Circus aeruginosus
30	Hen Harrier	Circus cyaneus
31	Long-legged Buzzard	Buteo rufinus
32	Common Buzzard	Buteo buteo
33	Water Rail	Rallus aquaticus
34	Common Moorhen	Gallinula chloropus
35	Eurasian Coot	Fulica atra
36	Eurasian Stone-curlew	Burhinus oedicnemus
37	Black-winged Stilt	Himantopus himantopus
38	Pied Avocet	Recurvirostra avosetta
39	Spur-winged Lapwing	Vanellus spinosus
40	Grey Plover	Pluvialis squatarola
41	Common Ringed Plover	Charadrius hiaticula
42	Little Ringed Plover	Charadrius dubius
43	Kentish Plover	Charadrius alexandrinus
44	Ruff	Calidris pugnax
45	Curlew Sandpiper	Calidris ferruginea
46	Temminck's Stint	Calidris temminckii
47	Sanderling	Calidris alba
48	Little Stint	Calidris minuta
49	Great Snipe	Gallinago media
50	Common Snipe	Gallinago gallinago
51	Common Sandpiper	Actitis hypoleucos
52	Marsh Sandpiper	Tringa stagnatilis
53	Wood Sandpiper	Tringa glareola
54	Slender-billed Gull	Chroicocephalus genei
55	Little Gull	Hydrocoloeus minutus
56	Mediterranean Gull	Ichthyaetus melanocephalus
57	Yellow-legged Gull	Larus michahellis
58	Gull-billed Tern	Gelochelidon nilotica
59	Little Tern	Sternula albifrons
60	Common Tern	Sterna hirundo
61	White-winged Tern	Chlidonias leucopterus
62	Black Tern	Chlidonias niger
63	European Turtle Dove	Streptopelia turtur
64	Eurasian Collared Dove	Streptopelia decaocto
65	Eurasian Scops Owl	Otus scops
66	Little Owl	Athene noctua
67	Long-eared Owl	Asio otus
68	European Nightjar	Caprimulgus europaeus
69	Alpine Swift	Tachymarptis melba
70	Common Swift	Apus apus
71	Pallid Swift	Apus pallidus
72	European Bee-eater	Merops apiaster
73	Eurasian Hoopoe	Upupa epops
74	Middle Spotted Woodpecker	Dendrocoptes medius
75	Lesser Kestrel	Falco naumanni
76	Common Kestrel	Falco tinnunculus
77	Red-footed Falcon	Falco vespertinus
78	Peregrine Falcon	Falco peregrinus
79	Red-backed Shrike	Lanius collurio
80	Lesser Grey Shrike	Lanius minor
81	Woodchat Shrike	Lanius senator
82	Masked Shrike	Lanius nubicus
83	Eurasian Golden Oriole	Oriolus oriolus
84	Eurasian Jay	Garrulus glandarius
85	Western Jackdaw	Coloeus monedula
86	Hooded Crow	Corvus cornix
87	Northern Raven	Corvus corax
88	Coal Tit	Periparus ater
89	Sombre Tit	Poecile lugubris
90	Eurasian Blue Tit	Cyanistes caeruleus
91	Great Tit	Parus major
92	Woodlark	Lullula arborea
93	Crested Lark	Galerida cristata
94	Sand Martin	Riparia riparia
95	Barn Swallow	Hirundo rustica
96	Common House Martin	Delichon urbicum
97	Red-rumped Swallow	Cecropis daurica
98	Cetti's Warbler	Cettia cetti
99	Long-tailed Tit	Aegithalos caudatus
100	Willow Warbler	Phylloscopus trochilus
101	Common Chiffchaff	Phylloscopus collybita
102	Eastern Bonelli's Warbler	Phylloscopus orientalis
103	Wood Warbler	Phylloscopus sibilatrix
104	Great Reed Warbler	Acrocephalus arundinaceus
105	Sedge Warbler	Acrocephalus schoenobaenus
106	Eurasian Reed Warbler	Acrocephalus scirpaceus
107	Marsh Warbler	Acrocephalus palustris
108	Eastern Olivaceous Warbler	Iduna pallida
109	Olive-tree Warbler	Hippolais olivetorum
110	Icterine Warbler	Hippolais icterina
111	Eurasian Blackcap	Sylvia atricapilla
112	Eastern Orphean Warbler	Sylvia crassirostris
113	Subalpine Warbler	Sylvia cantillans
114	Sardinian Warbler	Sylvia melanocephala
115	Eurasian Wren	Troglodytes troglodytes
116	Eurasian Nuthatch	Sitta europaea
117	Krüper's Nuthatch	Sitta krueperi
118	Eastern Rock Nuthatch	Sitta tephronota
119	Short-toed Treecreeper	Certhia brachydactyla
120	Common Blackbird	Turdus merula
121	Mistle Thrush	Turdus viscivorus
122	Spotted Flycatcher	Muscicapa striata
123	Rufous-tailed Scrub Robin	Cercotrichas galactotes
124	Common Nightingale	Luscinia megarhynchos
125	Collared Flycatcher	Ficedula albicollis
126	Blue Rock Thrush	Monticola solitarius
127	Whinchat	Saxicola rubetra
128	European Stonechat	Saxicola rubicola
129	Isabelline Wheatear	Oenanthe isabellina
130	Black-eared Wheatear	Oenanthe hispanica
131	House Sparrow	Passer domesticus
132	Spanish Sparrow	Passer hispaniolensis
133	Rock Sparrow	Petronia petronia
134	Western Yellow Wagtail	Motacilla flava
135	Citrine Wagtail	Motacilla citreola
136	Tree Pipit	Anthus trivialis
137	Red-throated Pipit	Anthus cervinus
138	Common Chaffinch	Fringilla coelebs
139	European Greenfinch	Chloris chloris
140	Common Linnet	Linaria cannabina
141	European Goldfinch	Carduelis carduelis
142	European Serin	Serinus serinus
143	Corn Bunting	Emberiza calandra
144	Cinereous Bunting	Emberiza cineracea
145	Cretzschmar's Bunting	Emberiza caesia
146	Cirl Bunting	Emberiza cirlus
147	Black-headed Bunting	Emberiza melanocephala

More Migrants

Back on patch tonight a Swift feeding along the cliffs was a nice surprise, Wheatear on the fence but nothing else
Corton Dis Railtrack as i approached the bridge a female type Common Redstart disappeared  into the trees. Blackcaps, Chiffchaffs and Willow Warblers singing, up to 5 Willow Warblers was a great count. A Pied Flycatcher called from the west belt of the railtrack.
Over to the NSW mound 3 Wheatear and a Sedge Warbler Singing. patch year tick and not common.
Whitethroat and Lesser Whitethroat too.
Think that was about it.

Best day of the year patching

So finished work and headed for COSW. A Lesser Whitethroat was singing from the hedge close to the allotments. Moved onto the cliffs where a cracking Summer Plumage Littoralis Rock Pipit flew up and around out of site. On the wet area by the OSW i picked up 2 pied and a White Wagtail. Someone had seen 6 Yellow Wagtails earlier so i waited hoping they would come back. Just 1 did a few circuits of the pools and eventually landed. 1 will do but i did hope it would have been a Blue headed Wagtail.

2 Wheatear was it otherwise here.

Moved through the churchyard where it was far too quiet onto the Dis Railtrack where it really hotted up. Found a cracking 1st Summer Male Pied Fly and possibly a 2nd with it and it wasnt until James and James turned up that 2 were confirmed. Adult and 1st Summer.

To add to the Flycatchers a Brambling was calling from the trees above, and at least 2 or 3 Willow Warblers then a rare for me Garden Warbler.

Moved through to the NSW pond where a 3rd Male Pied Flycatcher was showing. Amazing really as the spring has few records here.
James then found a Whinchat at the NSW Entrance, When i turned up there were probably 4 Wheatears and then 2 Whinchats together then the female Ring Ouzel was still around and flew past James and I.

Lastly Hobby over and a Greenshank calling as it flew past distantly.
Best Day of the year so far, Awesome.

Fungi etc......

24th a great garden tick as a Tree Pipit flew over calling as i was checking the moth trap.
Patch has been boring all week so nipped for a walk around Carlton Marsh. 6 Swift, Yellow Wagtail over and a Grasshopper Warbler. Whimbrel over too.

Avocets breeding too,

More Stuff in the garden but this time a rareish Bee Andrena fulva.

Had the weekend in the tent at Kelling Heath, Awful weather so managed very few birds. Woodlark, Yellow Hammer, Reed Bunting and a very close Red Kite.

Over at Cley again very quiet so took some pics of Gadwall and Avocet.

A pair of Little Ringed Plover Wheatear and Redshank too. Otherwise that was it.

Back on Kelling heath i had to make do with some Fungi. Tremella mesenterica

Byssomerulius corium

and Trametes hirsuta

Thats very much it this week... Soon be off to Lesbos for the week.

Migrants are finally back

Firstly the American Bittern is still at Carlton Showing well now for the masses.

Back in Corton migrants are finally arriving but the garden as always this time of year can be productive. Wednesday a Lesser Whitethroat was singing from the tree down the bottom of the garden whilst checking thr moth trap. It was still about when i returned in the evening.
A Male Brambling visited feeders showing up on my feeder cam. nice surprise.

Lots of Siskin going over too and small flocks of Sand Martins and Swallows too.
On patch Wheatear and Stock dove
April 18 a Ring Ouzel flew over COSW and on the sea Porpoise and Common Scoter
April 19th Beefly and Brimstone butterflies in the garden but no Lsr Whitethroat, it does seem to have moved to CNSW as there is now one singing there.

Also my first Common Whitehroat of the year, infact 2.

Common chiffchaff and Blackcap everywhere.
April 21st 2 Lsr Whitethroat CNSW, at COSW another Lsr Whitethroat and a Snipe and then a 4th Lsr Whitethroat singing from the playing field hedge on my road on my way back
Today more of the same and a female Ring Ouzel at the CNSW and a Yellow Wagtail over COSW.
A Marsh Harrier flew over CNSW and a patch year tick Willow Warbler was singing from the edge of Furse wood.
Very nice weekend weather wise but very little reward for many hours on the patch.

Weekend Birdng

12th April Back on the patch or even from the garden Woodcock from the service rd of the NSW.
13th April Red Kite over the Garden pursued by a Common Buzzard. Garden tick. It was a warm evening so did some nighttime vis mig. Moorhen, Grey Heron and lots of Redwing with a few Song Thrush Tawny Owl calling from the woods and a flock of Wigeon over.
14th April started on the clifftop at COSW a brief Black Redstart. Met James as we were hoping some daytime vis mig would happen, it didn't and the 2 Spoonbill that had been seen heading north past Kessingland didn't come past either. Oh well i gave the area a little longer and managed to find a Yellow Wagtail as it flew inland, also plenty of Meadow Pipits, 3 White Wagtail and my first Reed Bunting of the year here. Swallows and Sand Martins are now plentiful.

The rest of the patch wasn't much cop either although plenty of Chiffchaffs and Blackcaps in now.
A Kestrel was it.

Back to COSW 2 Wheatear on cliff top and a cracking male Ring Ouzel flew over the track toward the Church. Brambling flew over the Dis Railtrack on my way back home.
After lunch, headed to Potter Heigham. I was hoping for a Drake Garganey and that is what i got. Very little else however.

Today thick fog so nothing of note. 
This Witches' Butter, Exidia glandulosa was the only thing i could take a picture off.