Spoonbill and Semi p

Quiet again all week on the patch except for 2 Hobby. Yesterday 3 Lesser Whitethroat, 2 Blackcap and a Fulmar at COSW. Nipped into Minsmere for a distant Semipalmated Sandpiper, i only had my spare bins with me so it was kind of someone to lend me there scope briefly. Id been out all day without my gear.
Come to think of it Tuesday i found a Ring necked parakeet in Ipswich as i was looking around some new sites at work.

Today i was out fairly early on the patch highlight was a cracking Spoonbill over the sea. Gannet, 16 Swifts and a Sparrowhawk and Hobby hunting Sand Martins.

Nipped to Minsmere again for the day for a better look at the Semi p. Also onsite a Great White Egret, Black Tern at sea, plenty of Spotted Redshanks and Little Gulls, Common Lizards, and 3 Wasp Spiders.

Really need the patch to up its game..

Minsmere

Sorry ive not any updates lately but its been very very quiet except for 2 Juvenile Pied Flycatchers in the garden on the 3rd August and another on the patch on the same day. There had been a nice fall. Then August 7th another on the patch, also large bat species.
August 4th a Greenshank over and 151 Med gulls on the NSW roof.
Almost forgot the Osprey over the Garden on the 3rd.

Anyway back to today Parked up at Dunwich beach carpark and walked along the beach to Minsmere, couldnt go on the reserve because we had the dogs but the public platform was good enough for views over the scrapes, 1 Black Tern, 1 Arctic Tern 2 Sandwich Tern, 4 Little Tern and plenty of Common Terns. 20 Little Gulls including a few offshore. 1 3rd Summer Yellow Legged Gull and 7 Spotted Redshanks. Green Sandpiper and 5 Whimbrel were nice bonus's.
Lastly i managed to find 2 cracking Wasp spiders.

Kelling Heath AGAIN

Spoonbill at Potter Heigham Marsh was the highlight, also a Wood Sandpiper.

Another Weekend at a wonderful Kelling heath, Sat supping beers outside my tent and watching hunting and Displaying nightjars.

Back on the Heath Woodlarks feeding another brood and Silver Wash frits very active.

Disappointed not to find any White Admirals. Plenty of Yellow Hammers a family of Stonechats and a Tree Pipit again.

Kelling Heath

A very nice weekend at Kelling Heath starting at Cromer on the Friday evening after work stopping in for the Pied Crow. A Cracker whatever its Origin. Found it straight away outside the Number 1 Fish and Chip Restaurant but it moved onto the Larger Carpark where i was able to Photograph it.

Onto Kelling heath for the weekend where the Nightjars showed superbly in the fading evening light.
Next morning a nice find was a displaying Tree Pipit but just here for the morning unfortunately.

Woodlarks were great and there were plenty, young birds at a guess. Stonechats were about, 6 Crossbill flew over and a Woodcock flushed from the path around the railtrack. No Turtle Dove or Dartford Warblers this year.

Silver Studded Blues were everywhere.

A nice weekend was had by all.

Buff Breasted Sandpiper

After work tonight had a trip over to Potter Heigham to see the Buff Breasted Sandpiper that had been found last night. Although it didn't get reported until this morning.
Anyway Walked the River bank and found the bird pretty much straight away, haven't seen many of these so it was nice to get good scope views until the bird flew further away to the far bank.

A Curlew Sandpiper and 2 Drake Garganeys were an added bonus.

Weekend Birding

Had a nice weekend walking Breydon Water on the Saturday, not too much to shout about but nice flight views of 2 Bittern. Avocets and a Barn Owl.

Sunday we walked around Westleton Heath, Turtle Dove, Nightingale and Dartford Warbler all New for the year. Woodlark all over and a shed load of Silver Studded blue Butterflies.

Didnt actually touch the patch as im so bored of it. Massive lack of enthusiasm for the patch ive had since being here.

 

Minsmere

So the patch has for me been very quiet, missed a flyby Red Rumped Swallow and a brief Icterine Warbler but did twitch a Marsh Warbler on North Denes. Patch tick.  Yellow Wagtail over Corton church, a Guillemot on the sea. Wheatear in the OSW. Imm mute swans flew out to sea and landed. Cuckoo distantly calling.
That's all Ive manged since returning from Lesvos.

It was Works Conference Tuesday and i couldnt make it so took the day off to visit Minsmere.
Started at Island Mere with great views of many Bitterns flying to and from there nests. A nice male Whinchat too apparently first of this year here. Hobbies on a few occasions and lots of Swift.

3 Otters showed briefly too which was great.
Over at Bittern Hide more Bittens and good views of the Marsh Harriers.

Made my way around the other hides where it was pretty quite but from the platform on the East bank a 1st Summer Little Gull was nice

Only Waders were Blaack Tailed Godwit, Knot and Ringed Plover. Avocets too of coarse.

From the path of east hide a Drinker Moth Caterpillar.

From the East hide i had time to practice some digiscoped shots of the Common Terns and Sand Martins.

Lastly plenty of Mediterranean Gulls.

Plenty of Northern Marsh Orchids

On Returning to the patch no birds but Emperor and Norfolk Hawker Dragonflies.

Wall Brown Butterfly was it otherwise

Back in the garden my first Broad Bodied Chaser to the pond.

Thats it for another week.