What a treat to get away to Norfolk for a few days. We stayed in a lovely caravan on the award winning site at Kelling Heath. Great walks, wildlife and a time to just take everything in.
We were able to see and hear the elusive Nightjars that call the heath home this time of year. The nocturnal nightjar is one of our strangest birds. A summer visitor to heathlands and young conifer plantations, they spend their days sitting on the floor, where they also nest. Cryptically camouflaged in greys and browns, they look just like a fallen log and are almost impossible to spot during the day. But at dusk, a strange sound starts up: a mechanical whirring, almost like a distant engine, and just as the darkness arrives, the nightjar appears. Sadly we were unable to get any photos this time, so a reason to go back again.
Kelling Heath is also home to the very rare Silver Studded Blue Butterfly and we were so lucky to see them. It has declined throughout Britain becoming extinct in northern, central and southeast regions. The main reason for this decline is the loss of suitable heathland on which they depend, in the last century much Heathland has been planted for forestry, ploughed for agriculture or left unmanaged.
Silver-studded Blues became extinct on Kelling Heath by the 1970's mainly due to a lack of management. Following a study of heathlands in Norfolk, by the Norfolk Wildlife Trust and English Nature, Kelling Heath was found to be a suitable place to reintroduce the butterfly.
In 2001 several adult butterflies were translocated from another site in Norfolk to two release sites on Kelling Heath. Since then the butterflies have been increasing in number and have spread into new areas. Management is carried out each year to improve the area for the butterflies and other heathland wildlife and each year has seen an increase in the numbers of Silver-studded Blues on the heath. So well done to everyone involved.
Silver Studded Blue butterfly
A pair of Wrens nested under the Caravan
From the Heath towards Weybourne
Jays were regular visitors around the caravan
Broad-bordered Bee Hawk Moth
Blakeney
Skylark on its singing post
Our first sighting of the year of a Painted Lady Butterfly
Kelling Water Meadows
An abundance of Foxgloves this year
Bees are loving all the foxgloves
Hungry Young Whitethroat
Sea Lavender at Blakeney
Salthouse
Egg laying Female Emperor dragonfly, maybe that makes her an Empress