My last call on the way home was to Weeting Heath, for the Stone Curlews, of which I saw five birds from the West Hide, along with a couple of Curlew, lapwing, Woodpigeon, Stock Dove and Buzzard.
Down on the feeding Station were Blue Tit, Great Tit, Goldfinch, and Chaffinch, all present until, a male Sparrowhawk came thru. other things I noted were Meadow Brown Butterfly, Mother of Pearl Moth, and a Cinnabar Moth.
After Weeting I decided on a call to Paxton Pits, my final stop before home, what I thought was going to be a good visit turned out to be a disappointing one, Common Blue Damselfly, and a Variable Damselfly plus a single Common Darter,
The end of my holiday
Lists for Weeting Heath
Bird List : Blackbird, Blackcap, Blue Tit, Buzzard, Chaffinch, Chiffchaff, Curlew, Goldcrest, Goldfinch, Great Tit, Lapwing, Pheasant, Skylark, Sparrowhawk, Stock Dove, Stone curlew, Swift, Woodpigeon
Butterfly List ; Meadow Brown
Moth List : Nettle tap Moth, Mother of Pearl, Cinnabar
A short video of the weeks highlights can be seen HERE, and the species list can be seen HERE
The weather has played a big part in my holiday week this week and today was no exception, with a mixture of sunny periods with wind and heavy rain showers.
I arrived at Minsmere at about 10:15am, checked in at the hub and made my way of course to the Dragonfly pool, which is near the Sand Martin bank. I soon picked out a Male Variable Damselfly and a Blue tailed Damselfly, numbers were very low, it was also good to see a couple of Four spotted Chasers, nothing else was found, the biggest surprise was no action at the Sand Martin bank.
On then to North Hide, here I saw plenty of Avocets, Black headed Gulls, Common Tern, and Sandwich Tern. After visiting the North Hide, I made my way back to the visitor centre and the cafe for dinner, stopping at a bramble patch on route, finding more Damselflies, mainly Blue tailed but also Azure Damselflies, also plenty of Helophilus pendules Hoverflies about too. On reaching the cafe area, I was greeted by a young Robin and a few Chaffinch.
After dinner I found a different bramble patch, along a footpath near to the visitor centre, I looked along, taking my time, all the way down to the Dragonfly pool, finding a new Hoverfly for the day Sericomyia silentis, but the star find was a male Norfolk Hawker, a real beauty and so close, I enjoyed watching it for quite a while. On then to the pool again and here was something I’d never seen before a Water Vole, and so close, a real treat.
My next port of call was the South Hide, it looked like the rain was slowly moving in again, the bird highlights from the South Hide were Oystercatcher, Little Egret, Black tailed Godwits, Redshank, Common Tern, Sandwich Tern, and Sand Martin. Moving back on to the path, I scanned the skies towards the Bittern Hide, a good place for Hobby, I saw two birds in the air, although distant, the rain had moved thru and the sun had come out hunting, I decided on better views and headed out towards the hide. On arrival the hide was rammed of photographers, of course it would be, and they all seemed settled in, so I headed downstairs and got some great views of the Hobbies hunting dragonflies, they were having better luck then me. After getting some great views downstairs, some of the photographers left, so I went back upstairs and found a seat, a good move on my part as another band of rain moved thru, after the rain moved thru, I hung around for a while only getting brief views of the Hobbies.
It was now 4:30pm, so I decided on leaving, a great day, my first Water Vole and super views of the male Norfolk Hawker, nature always throws in nice surprises.
Bird List : Avocet, Barnacle Goose, Blackbird, Blackcap, Black headed Gull, Black tailed Godwit, Blue Tit, Canada Goose, Carrion Crow, Cetti’s Warbler, Chaffinch, Common Tern, Coot, Cormorant, Dunlin, Dunnock, Gadwall, Great Black backed Gull, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Great Tit, Greylag Goose, Herring Gull, Hobby, Lapwing, Little Egret, Magpie, Marsh Harrier, Mute Swan, Redshank, Reed Bunting, Robin, Sand Martin, Sandwich Tern, Shelduck, Swallow, Swift, Woodpigeon
Dragonfly List : Azure Damselfly, Blue tailed Damselfly, Four spotted Chaser, Norfolk Hawker, Variable Damselfly
I always like to take in a new reserve and Pensthorpe NP was only 15mins up the road from the Bed and Breakfast, so I gave it a go.
The entry fee was a staggering £13.95, a £1 off for the £14.95 for over 60’s, so being a new place I didn’t know my direction of travel, so started off in the bird collection area, just to settle in with the camera for the day. A few nice species in here including Black winged Stilt, Avocets, Ruff, Redshank, Black tailed Godwit, and Bearded Tit.
Black winged Stilt
Having a look at the map, I decided on making my way around to the Dragonfly bridge and the Meadow Trail, on my way to the areas were Common Tern, Black headed Gull, Swallow, Oystercatcher, Blue tailed Damselflies, and Common Blue Damselflies. Having reached the Dragonfly bridge, and once again the River Wensum, I found more Banded Demoiselle’s ♂♀, after watching these I walked thru to the Meadow Trail to find a few Ringlet Butterflies and a nice surprise was a few Black tailed Skimmers littering the broadwalk, male, females and Immature Males, along with the Skimmers were also Common Lizards, a nice couple of hours ensued, taking photos etc, then the rain started, a que for coffee and cake
I was stopping at a Bed and Breakfast in Great Ryburgh, near Fakenham, and the River Wensum runs through it, a chalk stream, one of the Damselflies I wanted to see this holiday was a Banded Demoiselle, I put two and two together, fortunately I got permission to wonder over one of the local farmers fields, on a nice sunny morning, for a change.
On my way down to the stream thru the fields I saw plenty of Swollen thighed Beetles on Ox eye Daisies and Buttercups, hoverflies included plenty of Helophiles pendulus, a Mother Shipton Moth was a nice surprise, Blue tailed Damselflies along with Common Blue Damselflies were common in the field, after a few wrong turns to get down to the stream, I finally found a Banded Demoiselle, I was on the right tracks.
After a further ten minutes or so I finally found the stream and plenty of Banded Demoiselle’s, I settled in to a comfortable position and watched and photographed for a few hours, walking away with a few hundred photos on the card and a smile.
I was back, it was proving to be a different week to what I had planned, thanks mainly to the weather, so I returned to my favourite place in Norfolk.
The day remained cloudy and with a cold wind, which resulted in me seeing no Butterflies at all today, a few Damselflies were about Azure, Common Blue and Blue tailed, alas no larger Dragonflies today, so it turned mainly into a birding day.
Heading out onto the reserve, I moved around the Dragonfly loop first, seeing nothing more than I’ve already mentioned, I did find other insects, Hoverflies, Eristalis balteatus, Helophilus pendulus and a Anasimyia contracta. Other insects were a Snipe Fly (Chrysopilus cristatus} and a few Potter Wasps.
The bird species virtually remained the same as previous days, I think mainly due to the time of year, I did make the effort to go down to the beach area, in doing so I found a good number of Bar tailed Godwit along with Knot and Turnstone, hopefully tomorrow will be a better day.
Bird List : Avocet, Bar tailed Godwit, Blackbird, Blackcap, Black headed Gull, Black tailed Godwit, Canada Goose, Cetti’s Warbler, Chaffinch, Chiffchaff, Common Tern, Dunnock, Gadwall, Goldfinch, Greylag Goose, Herring Gull, Kestrel, Knot, Linnet, Long tailed Tit, Mallard, Marsh Harrier, Mediterranean Gull, Moorhen, Oystercatcher, Pied Wagtail, Red Kite, Redshank, Reed Bunting, Reed Warbler, Ringed Plover, Robin, Sedge Warbler, Shelduck, Shoveler, Song Thrush, Starling, Stock Dove, Swallow, Swift, Tufted Duck, Turnstone, Woodpigeon, Wren
Damselflies : Azure Damselfly, Blue tailed Damselfly, Common Blue Damselfly,
Day 2, Titchwell Marsh, always feels like coming home when I visit Titchwell, plan of attack today was to do the Dragonfly loop first then onto the reserve for the birdy part.
The day again was cloudy, with the occasional sun break, but it felt more like October/Novembrer than June, with the temperatures and the wind, not to be disheartened, I got my gear together and off I went exploring.
It was full stop, I hadn’t really left the car park, when I was distracted by a Robins and Blackbirds, these birds were so close it was hard not to stop, I ended up taking a few photos. After a while I moved on to the hub, to check in, and then onto the reserve, where I was soon distracted again, but this time by a young Wren and Blackbirds. I tore myself away and headed off onto the reserve and the Fen Trail.
Along the Fen Trail near the screen, I came across Reed Warblers, the sun had now come out a bit and I found a Wall Brown Butterfly resting on the bramble patch, Meadow Brown and Common Blue Butterflies, along with Common Blue and Blue tailed Damselflies. The sun decided on hiding again which resulted in me finding little else, so I decided an a lunch break.
After my lunch break, I headed down towards the see, along the East Bank footpath, the sun had once again come out and I stopped at a nettle patch, finding Azure Damselfly and soon after a Hairy Dragonfly, which finally settled for a while, great, photos galore. I finally made it to the Island Hide, after getting distracted again, this time it was a Reed Warbler, this one was in the bushes near to the footpath.
At the hide, I viewed, Black headed Gulls, Avocets mainly so decided on moving, and make my way down to the Parrinder Hide. There seemed to be more action from this hide, here I saw Little Tern, Common Tern, Meadow Pipit, Linnet, Ringed Plover, Red Kite, Buzzard, Marsh Harrier and Mediterranean Gull.
Finally I made it down to the beach, down here I saw Oystercatcher, and Black tailed Godwits, not much down here so I had a final walk around the Dragonfly loop, seeing little for my efforts
My Wildlife holiday started at a new site for me, in Lincolnshire, Messingham Sand Quarry run by the Lincolnshire Wildlfe Trust.
I arrived at 11am, to cloudy skies and a temperature of 10° C, it wasn’t going to be a good start for insect hunting. Having got me gear together I set off from the small car park, which is found at the end of a small track, after going thru the gate at the road side.
My first sighting was of the Marsh Orchids, the sound of Cetti’s Warblers, Blackbird and Reed Warblers. I eventually found a place where the sun had broke thru and found, Azure Damselflies, Blue tailed Damselflies and a couple of Scorpion Flies, Volucella pellucens and Helophilus pendulus hoverflies.
Having wondered about a bit, I eventually came across a hide, Duck Hide, from here I saw Gadwall, Mallard, Shelduck, Black headed Gulls, Mute Swan and a Common Tern, nothing much else to see so I moved on. I didn’t come across anything else of note so I made my way down into Norfolk.
My next stop was also a new site for me, East Winch Common, a lowland heath run by the Norfolk Wildlife Trust. The car park is very small, opposite side of the road from the reserve, a good site for Scarce Emerald Damselfly and Slo Worm, but I was having a bad day by the looks of things and didn’t see much here, only very brief views of an Emperor Dragonfly.
After this I travelled to Fakenham (Great Ryburgh) and my B&B for four nights The Dower House, then I had food in Walsingham at the Black Lion, then a late nights stroll at RSPB Titichwell
Messingham Bird List : Blackbird, Blackcap, Black headed Gull, Cetti’s Warbler, Chaffinch, Chiffchaff, Common Tern, Gadwall, Great Tit, Mallard, Mute Swan, Reed Warbler, Sand Martin, Shelduck, Tufted Duck, Willow Warbler, Woodpigeon, Wren (18)
Dragonfly List : Azure Damselfly, Blue tailed Damselfly (2)
I was back at Old Moor, feels like I’m making it home at the moment, this time once again for the Dragonflies and Damselflies. I arrived at around 10am and once again a similar day as last weeks visit, I had arrived, fortunately, when the sun was shining, so first things first, I got the gear together and off I went.
As always of course I look around the car park verges, as good things can also be found in a car park, there were a few Azure Damselflies and I also found a couple of Common Blue Damselflies. On then to the main reserve, but I always look at the smaller pools near the entrance, as good things can also turn up here, but nothing today. The next step was the Visitor Centre pools, her I also found Azure Damselflies, Blue tailed Damselflies and also Tortoise Thistle Beetles. On then to the left hand pools, but a Brimstone Butterfly got my attention, we played chase around the garden, until it settled and I could manage a couple of shots, I also found a Semaphore Fly kin the same area.
I eventually got to the stepping stones ponds and due to the sun being out, I found a few Four Spotted Chasers, alas nothing else in this area, so I decided on dinner at this point.
On entry back to the reserve, after dinner, I was checked out by a young Robin at the hub, amazing how soon they become friendly, must be a DNA thing. So on then to the next pool, the Toyota one, and here I found Red eyed Damselflies, Blue tailed Damselflies and Azure Damselflies.
Next step was down onto the Green Lane loop, it also appeared quiet down here too, but with much searching I found a Soldier Beetle [Cantharis rustica]and also another Speckled Bush Cricket. On the way out of the reserve, near the visitor centre pool, I caught sight of a large fly, turned out to be a Horsefly and I think its called a Hairy-legged Horsefly [Hybomitra bimaculata], a nice fly to see, but can give a nasty bit, also needs examination to bring to species, which I wasn’t going to do.
That was my day at Old Moor on another insect day, warm weather would make the day better.
On the way home I was in two minds as to whether to drop into Bullcliffe NR to try and find Dingy Skipper Butterfly, it wasn’t till I reached the roundabout near by that I made my mind up, I dropped in. It was a difficult search, I was finding nothing on my first loop, it just seems at the moment no matter where you go, there is just a lack of insects about, however things changed on my second time around.
I caught sight of something in my peripheral vision, it had yellow on the sides, I immediately thought Broad Bodied Chaser, unfortunately I lost it, and then as if by magic, it landed on the bramble patch closest to me, and it was very obliging, it was the female of the species, I watched it for a long time, hunting and coming back to the perch, cleaning and just chilling.
Huddsbirder 