Norfolk 22 - 26 May

Snettisham. A very vocal and obliging Sedge warbler at the entrance to the RSPB car park.

A rather hazy Turtle Dove Snettisham

25 May.Holme.Orange Tip Butterfly. A spell of seawatching produced an impressive group of 15 Gannets and a surprise in the from of 6 striking black and white Auks- almost certainlty Razorbills. Titchwell on the 23rd had offered a close female Montagues Harrier, 2 rather distant and hazy Temminks Stints, a pair of Gargeney, and nice views of a singing Cettis warbler and parties of Bearde Tits flitting around the Reeds by the path.

24 May.Green Hairstreak Butterfly Snettisham Coastal Park. 1 of 3 flitting about in the morning sunshine. 2 patch Ticks for the price of 1 when stopping to listen to a Nightingale singing deep in cover

Bug Species !! A striking combination of Black and Yellow.

Holme. 16 May. Green Hairstreak Butterfly and Roe Deer in off the Sea !

16 May. An obliging Green Hairstreak sunning itself on the Sycamore in the NWT Car Park

Roe Deer. 16 May. The biggest surprise of the day and a distraction from the 10 Gannets that had just flown past ! Watched from a considerable distance out to sea, they emerged onto the Beach at Thornham harbour, where they stayed for for several hours.

16 May. Little Terns on the beach at Thornham Harbour

16 May. Racing Pigeon. a striking bird by the observatory.

Stonechat and Privet Hawk Moth

Privet Hawk Moth. Holme 15 May. The First of the season

Snettisham Coastal Park 15 May. The male being rather more obliging for the camera than on previous visits. The mornings visit also produced Cuckoo and the first Turtle Dove in the park

Oriental pratincole frampton marsh 11 May

A morning visit to priory had produced a lone arctic Tern, but news of the Oriental Pratincole continuing to Linger at Frampton Marsh meant a diversion to Lincolnshire to complete the Pratincole Hat trick. having seen Collared and Black winged pratincoles in Norfolk, Oriental Pratincole - very much the rarest of the 3 in Britain - was the missing link. The day turned out to be cold and windy, with the bird spending most of the time sheltering on the ground. Late afternoon sunshine eventually produced superb flying displays .


Oriental Pratincole 11 May

Weatear 11 May. Part of the supporting cast that included Whimbrel, little Gulls, Yellow Wagtails and the surprise of the day in the form of a bobbing Jack Snipe

Broad Bordered Bee Hawk Moth

This scarce moth was the surprise of the day. Discovered inside the observatory building, it was photographed and released - after which it fed on the Budliea and wallflowers outside the building before departing

Ring Ouzel Holme 9 May

Female Ring Ouzel Holme Dunes 9 May. After reasonable views of 3 ouzels in the same area last week-end it was nice to have a bird that showed well. An earlier stop at Redwell Marsh had produced Wood and Common Sandpiper and a Summer plumaged Spotted Redshank. The sea offered a group of 3 Gannets and 6 common Terns

7 May An obliging Song Thrush - Bedford Riverside

A particularly obliging Song Thrush

A Green woodpecker feeding on the other side of the River

Grey Wagtail. Still there - but not quite as close

Bedford River 5 May

Wren Bedford river

Common Tern Bedford River 5 May.

After enjoying excellent views of arctic Terns at Priory the previous evening the Grey Wagtails failed to perform this morning. It was left to the Terns and a very loud Wren to pose for the camera instead.

Norfolk 30 April - 3 May

Red Legged partridge Snettisham - feeding within feet of the car

Red Crested Pochards Titchwell

Stonechat Snettisham

With Spring movement finally in full flow, a chance to fill in some of the missing links ? After finding 3 Black Terns in Bedford at Priory on friday morning, Snettisham produced several Cuckoos the next day - as well as at least 7 Weatears and 3 striking Winchats and good numbers of whimbrel. Not to be outdone a visit to Holme on Sunday produced 3 ring Ouzels, more Weatears, and a pale phased Arctic Skua on the Sea with Gannets and Little, Common, and Sandwich Terns. An afternoon visit to Titchwell gave up 2 Black Necked Grebes, a drake Gargeney and 3 Red Crested Pochards.