July - A Mixed Month

July was a mixed month of local dog walks and days out.

We went on a visit to one of our local patches, Wood Walton Fen, in the hope of finding the Purple Emperor Butterfly. Several people were on the search for them when we arrived but so far up to this day there had not been any sightings. A bit worrying, and we still have not heard if any have been seen. We did see the Yellow Brimstone Butterfly, this one is on a Rothschilds Sunflower with a friend which may be a Green Tiger Beetle but not sure.

‘Rothschild Sunflower’ is a non-native plant introduced by The Hon. Nathanial Charles Rothschild, in an attempt to provide an extra food source for the re-introduced large copper butterfly, which had gone extinct in the UK in 1851. Sadly the attempts to reintroduce this species were not successful but the flowers are thriving and are popular with all sorts of insects.

The last time we visited the fen in May the Marsh Harriers were displaying and nest building, so it was great to see these young ones now fully fledged and flying confidently. Another success story for this reserve.

Little Eva pretending she is on an adventure in the African grasses,( a local corn field really).

Late afternoon and we went to the farm just to see what we could see. It was very windy but we found a sheltered spot along the edge of their hay meadow. This is always a good place for insects. In only one hour, between 4 and 5 in the afternoon, we counted 12 different species of butterfly. Meadow Brown(above), Peacock, Red Admiral, Comma, Small Heath, Small and Large Skipper, Small Tortoiseshell, Gatekeeper, Painted Lady ,Small White and Ringlet.

Just shows that farming can be wildlife friendly, and everyone benefits, so hats off to Martin and Juliet as years of hard work are now reaping rewards.

Nature Friendly Farming network https://www.nffn.org.uk

Another very warm day and Little Eva decided too take a swim in the local pond. She was absolutely determined to rescue this very long stick from the water and clean up the pond. A little dog with big ideas!

On Friday 14th we took our grandson and his friend to the Royal International Air Tattoo, RIAT, at RAF Fairford, Gloucestershire. It was a great day out but unfortunately this was the day Summer decided to take a pause. It rained and rained and rained, and not just showers, but continuous heavy rain all day. We all got soaked, but with our trousers sticking to us and trainers squelching we bravely stuck out the day. A very British thing to do, its only rain. Alas, due to the weather flying displays were limited and at about 2.00 in the afternoon, the organisers, after trying to balance keeping the displays going and safety to air crews and spectators, had to call an early finish and the show came to a soggy end. Well done to everyone though for trying to keep it all on track.

The picture shows the Saudi Hawks Display Team which managed an early spectacular display.

The show lasts all weekend and the great thing about going on the Friday is that you can see the planes arriving. So although we missed out on many of the displays we did see aircraft like the Red Arrows arriving even if we did not see them perform. As you can appreciate the weather conditions were not great for photography and our biggest challenge was keeping the cameras and lenses dry, we gave up on keeping ourselves dry, and did manage a few pictures.

JAS-39 Gripon E - Manufactured by SAAB

JAS-39 Gripon E

SK60 Manufactured by SAAB

Denmark F-60

Belgium F-16c Manufactured by General Dynamics.

So thanks to our Grandson. Without his help we would not have had a clue what we were photographing.

These air shows do make for some exciting and satisfying photography.

A day out at the seaside with our Granddaughter and the sun shone. It was a fabulous day for a walk and a paddle along the beach to the old wreck of Steam Trawler Sheraton at Hunstanton. This is a good beach for shell hunting but we didn’t find any sea glass this time.

A Fulmar soaring over the cliff edge.

Some of the Fulmars were still nesting on the cliff face.

Swifts were flying and screeching overhead, backwards and forwards to crevices in the cliffs. They can be quite noisy for a little bird. Believe it or not we did not have any photographs of Swifts, but we do now.

Finishing the busy day off with an Ice Cream before heading off for Fish and Chips and then home. A good day out. Even if the parking charges were ridiculously over the top. It was cash only for us, the parking app didn’t not work as the signal was so poor on our network. It was a combined effort of adults and child to find enough change.

On a sunny Sunday morning we went to the RSPB Sandy Lodge. Somewhere we haven’t been for a long time and its only up the road, but next County. It was extremely windy but weirdly warm. We didn’t find too much out on the reserve except for these Small Copper Butterflies behind the visitor centre.

We went for a wander around the gardens of the Lodge. Its always worth a look. It was very sheltered and planted up to be wildlife friendly. The Buddleias were covered with these beautiful Peacock Butterflies and Red Admirals. Don’t think we have seen so many in one place before, and all in pristine condition with vivid colours.

We were just strolling along one of the paths in the sun when something moved along in front of us. We stood and watched this very long Grass Snake trying frantically to get through the netting which was protecting one of the wild flower beds. Anyway, after a while she decided to give up and back track the way she had come, across the path and into some box hedging. We did not see her again.

We are thinking it was a “she” as the female is much larger than the male generally and the head of the female is much more pronounced in being triangular in appearance with eyes deep set into the cheeks whereas the male has an altogether more slender head with eyes that often protrude beyond the line of the face and jaw.

In front of the main house is a very large pond, which was probably very formal back in the day. It still has fish but the gardeners have put floating islands of wildlife plants and divided off each end and left the areas to the water lilies. The fish were “jumping and we sat on one of the many seats just enjoying watching them and the many butterflies fluttering around the flowers and shrubs. Then, “a bit of a do” on the patio in front of us interrupted our peaceful thoughts. A Hornet was trying to make a meal of a Red Admiral, but the butterfly was having none of it. He fought back and somehow, goodness knows how as the Hornet had a strong grip on him, he got away. He flew away in circles in a bit of a tizz, not sure if he survived. In the mean time the Hornet was a bit put out at losing his meal and kept flinging himself on the ground, a bit like a child having a tantrum, before flying off in the other direction. Not, thankfully towards us.

Walking through the long grass on our local dog walk we disturbed these grasshoppers, jumping about everywhere. They can be difficult to photograph as they jump as soon as you get near them, and they can, really jump.

It seems to be a good summer for the little Gatekeeper Butterflies, they seem to be everywhere.

What started out as a sunny dog walk within minutes turned into a must get home quick dog walk, as the clouds moved in very swiftly. The story of July weather this year.

We have been very lucky with the variety of insects spotted in our little garden this summer. A Roesels Bush cricket took a pit stop on a plant on the patio, before launching himself in the air and floating off. Roesels Bush Crickets could only be found on the east coast at the start of the century but it is thought that wildlife corridors such as grass verges and natural meadows are enabling them to spread more inland. They are a very striking insect.

A female migrant Hawker spent the morning hanging around in our Hibiscus. As the sun moved round so did she and as soon as the shrub was in the shade in the early afternoon she flew off.

Lets hope August brings in a little warmer and settled weather, although we do not need a heat wave thank you very much.

For more images taken at RIAT use this link RIAT Images

June- Dolphins and Seabirds

Mid summer and we spent the week in North Yorkshire.

Rockville Cottages were welcoming as always and Richard is still painting and running art workshops and has a gallery full of paintings.

We certainly did not expect to see Dolphins on our first visit of the week to RSPB Bempton.

Standing on the cliff top, just taking in the scene when we saw something in the water. Dark shapes, breaking through and then disappearing back into the waves. Could it be? Cameras at the ready trying to get focused on the shapes, and then a small pod of Dolphins, Bottle Nose we think, came into clear view. We couldn’t believe what we were seeing and were quite transfixed watching them. We were also feeling a little bit envious of the passengers on the Yorkshire Belle who were a little way along the coast and were destined for good views of these lovely creatures. By all accounts, they got marvellous views and spectacular pictures of the Dolphins “performing” for them. Still we did manage to get a few pictures, and they turned out better than we expected seeing as we were over 300ft above on the cliff top.

The hard chalk cliffs at Bempton are relatively resistant to erosion and offer many sheltered headlands and crevices for thousands of nesting birds. The cliffs run about 6 miles (10 km) from Flamborough Head north towards Filey and are over 330 feet (100 m) high at points. Around half a million seabirds gather here between March and October to raise a family on towering chalk cliffs which overlook the North Sea. In the winter the cliffs fall silent until the birds start to return the following spring. We absolutely love this place.

A young Gannet, or Northern Gannet, about a year old. Gannets do not turn white until they mature at about 5 years old. They are nearly all brown in the first year and become increasingly more white and less brown the older they get. Sounds familiar….

A Gannet chick is a “Guga” This one is not dead, Mum has decided it is not going anywhere. It’s a long drop down.

Kittiwake nests on the edge. Kittiwakes a spend the winter in oceanic waters out at sea but breed at the coast on sea cliffs and some artificial structures like bridges. They forage near the shore or over the continental shelf in the breeding season. They are sadly in decline in some parts of the UK due to the lack of food such as sand eels, and are unfortunately on the Red List

Razorbills and Guillemots usually nest on the cliff ledges. Well, its not a nest they just lay their eggs on the ledge and hope for the best. Their eggs are shaped so that they do not roll off. How clever is that. This Razorbill looks like it has chosen a more comfortable grassy ledge and the youngster could retreat under the overhanging grass when danger appeared.

A Fulmar on a nest. Just a scrape and few stones, not very comfortable. When threatened, Northern Fulmars have an effective defence: a vile-smelling stomach liquid that the birds can spray out of their mouths for several yards—a good reason to keep your distance from nesting birds!

A beautiful day at Flamborough. The sea was so clear it looked liked the Mediterranean. Probably not so warm to swim in though, this is the North Sea ! .

A Chimney Sweep Moth. What a great name for this little black daytime flying moth that we spotted in the meadow at Flamborough Head. Found only in Northern areas it was a new tick for us.

It was such a hot day and the Grey Seals of Flamborough were just hanging about in the water keeping cool and loving it. Just as we would in a swimming pool. And yes, that is the sea not a pool.

The launching of the Flamborough lifeboat, just a practice run thank goodness. An inshore Atlantic 85 lifeboat operates from the South Landing site. The crew have been presented with 16 awards for gallantry.

Thornwick Bay, a bit of a trek down and up but so worth it.

House Martins nesting on the cliffs again this year at Thornwick Bay.

Filey Bay from the cliff top at Hummanby Gap.

Miles of beach towards Filey. You can walk all the way round when the tide is out, but watch out as the tide comes in fast and you could soon find that the only way off is up the unstable cliff face. We can recommend the Cafe at Hummanby Gap. Situated about halfway down, or half way up, depending which way you are walking. Great views from their terraces plus great coffee, teas, and home cooked food, and water bowls for the dogs.

What a glorious day we had exploring the North Yorkshire Moors.

We spotted lots of Female Red Grouse with chicks out on the moors. Not so many Males. We think they were keeping out of the way now the babies need looking after.

Space, for miles and miles.

Only Diesel trains were running on the North York Moors Railway as the moors were much too dry for Steam Trains which were very likely a fire risk with hot cinders flying from their chimneys.

Darnholme, in Goathland is one of our favourite little places for a dog walk, with open space, stepping stones and a seat near the stream and views of the trains on the North York Moors Railway. This is where we spotted a little butterfly that we were sure we hadn’t seen before. It turned out to be Small Pearl Bordered Fritillary. Definitely new to us.

We like to visit the Filey Dams. A small wetland reserve now managed by the Yorkshire Wildlife Trust. Its one of those reserves that you never quite know what species is going to turn up. This year they had chicks everywhere belonging to Mallard, Little Grebe, Cootes and Moorhens and Canada geese. Two pairs of Gargany (Male above) also looked as though they were going to nest .

We regularly see Avocets in large numbers in Norfolk but at Filey Dams they are a rarity and the fact they had bred was causing quite a stir. We have since found out that they have four chicks, the first ever at this reserve. Such good news.

We had a trip out on the Yorkshire Belle, but sadly the Dolphins did not show up for us.

Although it was a lovely day there was a bit of a sea swell which made photography a bit of a challenge. We had lots of pictures of the sea, and bits of birds. We did capture the Gannet having a rest. You can clearly see his blue eye. Researchers have discovered that some Gannets now have black eyes which is thought to be a sign that they have contracted avian flu and survived.

The Guillemots found a shoal of fish and were busy fishing for their supper. We are not entirely sure what fish they were catching, possibly small Herring.

And, of course, we saw Puffins. Everyone’s favourite little bird.

The sun is setting so must be bedtime. The Guillemots think so.

The lovely Swallows were around the visitor centre as usual and about to start their second brood.

Daylight hours were long and every evening we were privileged to watch the Bempton Barn Owls setting out for the evening hunt. Rumour had it that there were three chicks in the nest box.

May - Amazing Arran

On the day of King Charles III Coronation we set off for a long awaited two week holiday to the Isle of Arran. The last time we had visited the Island was in 2017.

From the moment we arrived at the ferry terminal in Ardossan the sun was out and it was warm, and on our arrival at Brodick on Arran the sun continued to shine. Little Eva dog was a bit relieved to get off the Ferry, she didn’t enjoy it at all.

It had been a long day, but at last we had arrived. Time to stop a while and just breathe. A bottle of wine and feet up watching the highlights of the Kings Coronation on the tele. A large patio window gives uninterrupted views overlooking Kilbrannan Sound towards the Mull of Kintyre, how could you not unwind in this little cottage.

Sunday, and we decided that after a full day in the car the day before we would just take a walk down to where Sliddery water meets the sea. Flowers, birds, views and sheep, so much to see.

She looks like she has overdone it with her Mums lipstick. So cute.

A pair of Common Sandpipers were flitting about the water and some Sand Martins swooping about backwards and forwards catching insects and calling.

Back at the cottage and just over the fence in some scrub land, some little flitting birds caught our eye. What were they, and what were they up to? They turned out to be a pair of Willow Warblers very intent on nest bulding.

We had booked Sunday Lunch at the Old Pier Head pub in Lamlash. Sunday dinner always taste better when someone else cooks it for you. It was a beautiful day and the bay was very busy with small boats and yachts and paddle boarders and clear views across to Holy Island. We were bathing in warm sunshine whilst everyone at home was still freezing in the cold north wind. Who would have thought you could be warmer in Scotland than down in the south east of England. In fact, we packed lots of warm clothes and did not need them. Arran has a very mild micro climate of its own, due to being an island situated in the Gulf Stream.

How could you get tired of this view from Stewart Cottage with its continually changing sky.

On our way to take Eva for a walk at Blackwaterfoot Beach and the mountain Beinn Bharrain in the back ground.

Blackwaterfoot beach, a popular dog walking beach which never seems to get overcrowded, well that goes for the whole of the island really.

Eva exploring the rock pools and beaches of Arran.

The end of Blackwaterfoot brings you to Drumadoon Point. You can continue the walk round to the Kings Cave but it takes about 3 hours, and then you have to walk back so we decided maybe not.

Large Barrel Jellyfish, we think that’s what they are, washed up along the shore waiting for the tide to take them back out to sea.

Treasure. a collection of sea glass and tiny shells collected from Arrans beaches.

The shorter walk to the Kings Caves is through forestry commision woodland.

The thick woodland starves the woodland floor of good quality light but this has the advantage of coating the ground with numerous forms of lichen given the whole forest a prehistoric feel.

As you step out from the dense forest you come across the view to Drumadoon point. The walk to Kings Cave is a circular walk and we thought we would take the anti clockwise way as this looked the shorter way down. The thought then struck us that maybe there is a reason why everyone else takes the clockwise walk. It was a steep and narrow walk down this way. Himself did not trust his knees so herself went bravely forward on her own.

The famous Kings Cave. In 1306, Robert Bruce suffered two major defeats in his attempt to claim the Scottish throne and oust the English from Scotland. Harried by his enemies and on the run, Bruce sought refuge in a cave. There he watched a spider try and fail to connect its silken thread to the cave wall to make a web. The cave he sought refuge in is supposed to this one, but proof is sketchy.

After a wonder around the caves this was the climb back up. Dont look and think about it, just do it! In your on time.

Whilst us humans carefully trod our way across the stepping blocks Little Eva ran confidently backwards and forwards several times. She loved every minute of the holiday, except the ferry journey.

After the storm. Weather fronts on Arran move through quickly. You can have sunshine on one side of the island and pouring rain on the other.

Kildonan beach with Pladda lighthouse to the left and Ailsa Craig rock on the right.

Ailsa Craig in the sea mist. Ailsa Craig has large and varied quantities of fine Granite that was mined for making curling stones from the early 1800s, until 1971.

Many of the top curling stones that are used today are made from this granite.

Ailsa Craig is sometimes referred to as "Paddy's Milestone", as it is approximately the halfway point of the sea journey from Belfast to Glasgow.

A lovely, relatively easy walk of about an hour brings to Machrie Moor standing stones. Hen harriers and Short Eared Owls use this moor as their summer nesting ground. Although they have been seen here, some sightings the same morning we were there, we were out of luck. We were probably looking the wrong way.

This rich archaeological landscape includes a variety of stone circles, standing stones, burial cairns and cists, as well as hut circles and an extensive field system, all dating to between 3500 and 1500 BC. The stone circles were preceded by elaborate timber circles on exactly the same sites, and were associated with religious activities dating back around 4,500 years. Cremation and inhumation burials were placed in the circles, long after they were first built.

Time for a bit of a rest. Its a long walk for little legs.

Sunset at Lochranza.

So our time on Arran was filled with stunning views, wonderful wildlife, good food and a comfortable home from home cottage. As always a visit to Lochranza and Lagg distillery was a must, and the gardens at Brodick castle were fabulous.

The roadside verges were filled with wild flowers, as was the pasture in front of the cottage. We ticked off most of our must see list, Black Guillimots, Red Squirels, and Otters. We saw a Golden Eagle soaring high. We missed out on the Hen Harriers and Short Eared Owls that use Arran as a summer breeding ground, but they will be for next time.

Thank you to our dear friend Margaret for letting us stay in her cottage, and who many years ago introduced us to this lovely island. It has been our favourite escape ever since.

We did not go mountain climbing so if you want to see what its like to climb Goatfell, Arrans tallest mountain, or any of the other mountains, you will have to go yourself.

We have put all our images, past and present, views and wildlife into a new folder Wild Arran, follow this link.

Wild Arran Images

We do hope you enjoy browsing.

April - Nuffink in Norfolk

Five days in Norfolk and we did nothing, except Dog Walking and Bird Watching.

Kelling Heath, Holt Country Park, Cley Marshes NWT, Ranworth Broad NWT, and Sculthorpe Moor (The Hawk and Owl Trust) all produced some stunning encounters with wildlife.

Beautiful clear skies and sunshine, although not commonly the best for photographing as it can cause too much contrast, this time proved to be excellent to gain high shutter speeds and low ISO for action shots such as birds in flight.

The extremely lazy bitterly cold north/north easterly winds were keeping many migrants at bay, and who could blame them. Still, by the end of the week the Swallows and Martins and Warblers had started to arrive and many resident species had love on the brain.

Avocets are one of the RSPB great success stories. This Schedule 1 species is the emblem of the RSPB and symbolises the bird protection movement in the UK more than any other species. Its return in the 1940s and subsequent increase in numbers represents one of the most successful conservation and protection projects.

You do have to wonder how the Avocet made such a comeback when you see pictures like this. You can almost see her thinking, “Is that mine?”

Lots of this sort of thing going on, and right in front of the hide as well.

The celebrity of the week at Cley was this Long Billed Dowitcher. The Long-billed Dowitcher is a rare visitor to Britain. It Breeds in northeast Siberia and northwest Alaska and winters in the USA to Central America.  So it is a long way from home.

The Dowitcher took a dislike to the Black tailed Godwit, only he knows why as the Godwit was busy feeding and minding his own business. The Dowitcher decided to dunk him under the water.

Whilst watching the antics of the Long Billed Dowitcher herself caught a movement out of the corner of her eye. An Otter appeared in one of the channels. A quick picture as it spotted the people in the hide and was gone.

Such a handsome Teal sprucing himself up in the sunshine.

Most Ruff you will see are fairly plain-looking waders, with a longish neck and small head. Breeding males, however, have a ruff of brightly coloured feathers around the neck, hence the name, head tufts and a bare, orange face.

Ruff breed in a very few lowland sites in eastern England and it appears numbers are dropping. It is a migrant but in the UK some birds are present all year round. It is listed under Schedule 1 of The Wildlife and Countryside Act. 

Love this artwork on the terrace at Norfolk Wildlife Trust Visitor Centre, Cley.

It is so worth sitting and waiting in the hides as you never know what is going to drop in. Late afternoon, early evening in Bishops Hide at Cley and in flew a Spoonbill. He stayed quite a while, feeding and preening before taking off towards the back of the mere to join about four others. As you can imagine we took rather a lot of pictures of this bird.

Such an amazing bird.

A tasty morsel to be going on with. Spoonbills swing their slightly open beaks from side to side through shallow pools of water. Their remarkable bill is packed full of sensors attuned to the tiniest vibrations, and once located, unlucky beetles, crustaceans, worms, small fish, tadpoles and frogs stand no chance of escape. So fascinating to watch.

Spoonbills are named after their bizarre spatula-like bill. Although they bred in East Anglia during Medieval times, spoonbills had not bred in Britain for over 300 years until 2010, when a small colony was discovered on the north Norfolk coast. Just look at the markings on that bill.

Another wader landing near the hide, a Little Egret. The little egret is a white heron with black legs and yellow feet. It has a black bill and long plumes on its head and neck during the breeding season.

Once a very rare visitor from the Mediterranean, Little Egrets are now a common sight around the coasts of southern England and Wales. The Little Egret was hunted extensively in the 19th century to provide plumes for the decoration of hats and became locally extinct in northwestern Europe and scarce in the south. Around 1950, conservation laws were introduced in southern Europe to protect the species and their numbers began to increase. By the beginning of the 21st century the bird was breeding again in France, the Netherlands, Ireland and Britain. The feathers look so much better on the bird than on a hat, stupid idea.

Bar Tailed Godwit. Godwits are on the move this month to their breeding grounds in Scandinavia and the Arctic. If he doesn’t get a move on he is going to get left behind.

A taking off Gadwall.

Lapwings are truly beautiful birds and when seen in the correct light with the sun on their feathers you can see all their lovely colours. This familiar farmland bird has suffered significant declines recently and is now another Red List species.

Little Ringed Plovers were chasing each other around the island. Honestly, they were so funny, like little clockwork birds.

A pair of Gadwall quietly sunning themselves out of the cold wind in a patch of freshly growing reeds.

A very sheltered warm spot for a very contented Mute Swan on her nest.

The magnificent Marsh Harrier.

Osprey in Norfolk, who would believe it.

The morning we decided to visit Ranworth Broad it was a bit cloudy, very windy and extremely cold. Still, the hardy souls that we are we took the Norfolk Wildlife Trust boat trip out onto the broad to see if we could spot the Osprey which has decided to spend his summer holidays there. It was a bit like heading out on the North Sea but probably not quite as choppy. We couldn’t get too near for fear of disturbing the bird, and with the boat bobbing up and down and poor light this was the best record shot we could manage. Last year a female turned up and it looks like he is looking for her again this year. The nest is ready and waiting on a platform. If they do manage to breed it will be the first breeding pair of Ospreys in Norfolk for 250 years.

All these rare birds making Norfolk their home means that the county must be doing something right for wildlife, its heartening.

The Great Crested Grebes were in love. The quiet electric boat took us quite close to the Grebes and they had things on their mind so were not bothered at all.

“Lets look at the stars…”

Plenty to eat in Ranworth Broad.

“Do you mind I’m having a bath”

You can get really close to the birds such as this Chaffinch at Sculthorpe Moor Nature Reserve, owned by the Hawk and Owl Trust. A lovely reserve with boardwalks, top class hides and feeders dotted around. Lots of places to sit and just watch the wildlife. We heard our first Cuckoo of the year here, and Chiff Chaffs we calling everywhere.

Under the feeders and away from predators a little Bank Vole had found a secret place to hide.

Lovely close views of Bullfinches from most of the hides at Sculthorpe.

Greenfinches were seen at the feeders as well.

A female Blackbird watched us closely.

Dog walking back at Kelling Heath, dog on a lead because of Adders, and a male Muntjac disappeared into the gorse.

The gorse was in fall bloom making for lovely images as the Red Linnets perched on top.

Stonechats pairing up and looking for nesting sights.

Bird on the wire, or Dartford Warbler to be precise.

This small, dark, long-tailed warbler is resident in the UK and has suffered in the past from severe winters. The Dartford warbler's population crashed to a few pairs in the 1960s, since then it has gradually recovered, increasing in both numbers and range. It is still regarded as an Amber List species.

Such a lovely sound, a Male Blackbird singing away in the sunshine.

Every patch of gorse needed to be searched as small birds darted everywhere. Most of them were Chiff Chaffs.

A Norfolk Jay. Handsome but deadly predators in Holt Country Park.

One of the best places to see Hares is Norfolk. Scan any field this time of year and you are bound to see them.

Mum Mallard leading her tiny chicks down to the water at Kelling Water Meadows.

Also down at the water meadows a cock Pheasant with his ladies.

A couple of trips were made by us this month to our fairly local reserve at Wood Walton Fen. Again, the Chiff Chaffs had arrived here as well.

She has spied something. Don’t reckon much for its chances.

More entertaining than any TV programme. The Canada Goose was not tolerating the Grey Lag Goose anywhere on the mere, and the Grey Lag knew it and kept coming back. Meanwhile the Mute Swans could not tolerate the Canada Goose and chased him all over the water. And so the saga continued.

On arriving early one morning we were fortunate enough to watch the romantic dance of the Mute Swans.

A pair of Tree creepers were busy nest building. In fact everything was busy, busy, busy.

A young Muntjac had found a lush patch of grass all to himself at the side of the hide and stayed grazing for quite a while. So cute.

Back at home in the garden a pair of Great Spotted Woodpeckers have found the feeder. They are quite skittish and fly as soon as they spot any movement so took this picture of the male through the window. We moved the feeder a bit higher and more out into the open and they seem to prefer it here.

On a warm morning a female Smooth Newt appeared at the side of our small garden pond. We think it was a female as this time of year the males have breeding colours under their belly and develope a small crest.

So, no matter how small your garden, build a pond and wildlife will always be attracted to it.

End of April, and without fail, our local wood is again awash with the Colour and scent of Bluebells.

Arum Maculatum, Cuckoo Pint, and Lords and Ladies are all names for this woodland spring plant.

We have quite a few Muntjac in our local wood now.

In May our wildlife adventures continue on the Scottish Isle of Arran. We just cant wait. Hoping to see Red Squirrels, Golden Eagles, Black Guillemots, and Eider Ducks. Also an added bonus is the possibility of Dolphins and Basking Sharks in the waters around the island. Or we could end up seeing nuffink at all.

March - March Meanderings

We have had every sort of weather in March this year and it has kept us from straying far from home.

At the start of the month, himself was booked for a week to assist in some golf photography at the Sunningdale Foursomes. The weather forecast was not promising. After only one day he was back home. The competition was cancelled due to heavy snow.

Snowy Sunningdale in March (courtesy drone image from http://kevindiss.com/)

The rest of the month has been varied, snow, very strong winds, sleet, hail, heavy rain and in between all this a bit of sunshine, which, although brief, has now got a bit of strength and warmth to it.

A pretty Little Grebe was very busy outside a hide at Rutland Water.

There must have been a shoal of fish in the shallows in front of the hide at Rutland Water as two Cormorants tried fishing there but only one was successful.

Shoveler Ducks are quite unique with their flat bills. Shovelers feed by sweeping their large, flat bills back and forth through the water, filtering out small invertebrates, plant seeds and other plant matter. They are quite handsome ducks in their own way

A lone Snipe was bobbing about in the reeds. Usually we see large quantities of these around the reserve at Rutland but not many about on this particular day. In fact birds were very few and scarce when we visited. There is a feeding station just outside the visitor centre at Oakham and this is usually teeming with small birds but it was worryingly empty, not even a sparrow.

The volunteers in the centre were eagerly awaiting the return of the Ospreys from Africa, each one, of course, wanting to be the first to see them.

Just after we visited, Osprey 33 returned on the 16th March to the Manton Bay Osprey nest. The pair of Ospreys, female Maya and male 33(11) have bred together since 2015 and have raised 20 chicks during that time. 

This year there is two live streaming webcams showing different angles of the nest, both of which incorporate sound so make sure to turn the volume up!

To find out more about the Ospreys and their reintroduction back to the UK please use the link https://www.lrwt.org.uk/rutlandospreys/about-rutland-ospreys

We will endeavour to get some Osprey images later in the year.

We headed off to Burwell fen to see if we could glimpse the Short Eared Owls before they headed back north to their breeding grounds. We spotted a couple but they were along way off, and the Barn Owl did not show this time. However, the resident Little Owl was on his usual log pile.

On this particular day there were quite a few Roe Deer about on the fen.

The KoniK ponies were grazing elsewhere but the Highland cattle were about and they always give us inquisitive looks. They are real characters. How do they ever see where they are going?

A trip back to his past for himself and a visit to Yaxley Church, Peregrine Spotting.

The Male, called locally VJP from his ring, is now currently residing on the tower of St Peter's Church, Yaxley. From the information on the rings he is known to be born in 2021 at All Saints Church in Stamford. So he hasn’t traveled too far.

The Church wardens have arranged for a nesting git tray to be installed on the tower. Three females have been spotted taking an interest so hopefully one of them will take his eye.

Did you know …… A male peregrine falcon is called a 'tiercel', while females are simply referred to as 'falcons'.

Did you also know ……The word 'peregrine' comes from the archaic term for 'foreign' or 'wanderer'. Although they travel widely, their strong homing instinct means they nearly always return to their favoured lands.

When you have an itch you have to scratch it, even if you are at the top of a church spire in gusting winds.

Peregrines are among the fastest animals on the planet, reaching speeds of up to 200 miles per hour when 'stooping' - diving down on its prey from a great height. Prey is usually taken mid-air and consists mostly of birds like pigeons and collared doves.

This is not a Peregrine in a “stoop”, more like a leisurely glide, much easier to photograph.

Take off! watch out pigeons.

We will definitely be keeping track of the Yaxley Peregrines via their own Facebook page and visiting them again. Watch this space……….

Such a fantastic morning watching Marsh Harriers at Wood Walton Fen. There were at least six birds out there displaying and nest building and generally showing off to each other. Absolutely fabulous.

Half a century ago, an opportunity to glimpse the marsh harrier’s spring courtship would have been an exceptional privilege. In 1971, the marsh harrier was Britain’s rarest breeding bird of prey: just one pair nested at Minsmere in Suffolk that year.

The species – along with other raptors, such as the Peregrine Falcon – had been all but wiped out by the widespread use of agricultural pesticides, including the now-infamous DDT, which built up in the birds’ bodies. Coming after a century and a half of extensive habitat destruction and relentless persecution, this was very nearly the final nail in the coffin.

Thankfully us humans woke up and a gradual withdrawal of insidious insecticides, stronger legal protection and the redevelopment of wetland habitats paved the way for a long-term revival.

So grateful to all involved with saving these beautiful birds.

One in, one out. All the reed bed and they both want the same spot.

Marsh Harrier showing the typical “V” shape of the wings when in flight.

So, another place we will going back to. We are going to have a busy April.

February - February Fill Dyke

February has been known to have the name “February Fill Dyke” as this month is traditionally very wet and cold, thus filling the dykes and ditches with water. This year the month has had cold days and nights, but it has also been very mild some days and the rainfall extremely low prompting those in the know to forecast a water shortage in our area. We shall see…….

The start of the month and himself is absolutely determined to master the Nikon Z72 mirrorless camera for wildlife. The morning looked promising, so we decided to take a trip to Summer Leys in Northamptonshire again as the feeding station is a good place to sit and watch birds in close up. Also, a good place to try and master a frustrating camera with all its features.

Male Bullfinches are so handsome and Summer Leys has a good collection of pairs and most, but not all seem to free of the scaly leg that seems to plague the finch population. This is a condition caused by a mite called 'Knemidocoptes Mutans' which burrows under the skin on a bird's legs to feed on the keratin. The tunnelling causes irritation with leg scales becoming thickened, as the keratin seeps from the leg tissue, and eventually becoming encrusted and lifting away from the leg.

This Male Bullfinch is clearly suffering from scaly leg. Most birds do create an immunity and recover. So, although it looks horrible it is not thought to be life threatening.

A pair of Greenfinches at the feeders. Not as common as they used to be.

A quick fluttering deep in the hedgerow caught our eye. It turned out to be a lovely little Goldcrest. A quick picture and it was gone. They are so tiny.

We spent a pleasant hour in the hide overlooking the water spotting lots of Lapwings, Golden Plover and other waders out on the islands. We were treated to a display of Little Egrets getting a bit irritated with one another, each wanted to fish the same bit of shoreline.

One of the disgruntled Egrets directly in front of the hide. These are great to photograph as they are relatively slow flyers as they go from fishing spot to fishing spot. Or, he could just have been showing off in front of us.

A pair of Pied Wagtails were bobbing about the waters edge.

Widgeon grazing out on the meadow. Lovely to see.

We had a surprise sighting in the wood near the house one morning. A beautiful Buzzard was keeping a look out for food, whilst warming up in the morning sun. Or maybe he had already eaten and was just feeling pleasantly full. He didn’t seem to be bothered about the dog walkers, just gave them “the look” Think he had found a sheltered spot and was reluctant to leave. It was a bit of a chilly morning despite the sunshine. This one is probably one of the pair seen hunting and calling regularly over the farmland around the village.

A flock of Black Tailed Godwits landing at Welney. The water had receded and numerous wading birds had found their way back to the flood meadows.

Beautiful colours showing well on the Lapwings, they a more than just black white.

A bit of a kerfuffle going on as two Coots decided to have an argument on the ice and were finding it hard to keep their footing. Coots like to have a bit of a heated squabble every now and then.

Maybe the last time we will see the Whooper Swans this winter as they will soon be off to their breeding grounds in Scandinavia, and for a while, the Fens will seem very quiet and empty.

Our Owl spotting was interrupted by a squawk and a scream as a Sparrowhawk flew in in front of our eyes and carried off a Moorhen. Tough old life out there in the wild.

More drama at Welney as a Kestrel flew in to take the prey from the Barn Owl. We are not sure if the other bird is another Kestrel or Barn Owl. It all happened so quickly that we were not aware there were three birds involved until we saw our pictures. Not great as it was a bit misty and we were looking into the setting sun.

This part of Welney known as Lady Fen is closed to the public from 1st March to protect the breeding birds that use the area to nest in and hunt. You can still have great views over the area from the visitor centre though, whilst having a cup of tea and cake in the cafe. Now that’s comfortable bird-watching.

The Welney Barn Owl.

We hadn’t visited Burwell Fen for a while and had heard that the Short Eared Owls here make an appearance late afternoon. We were not disappointed. As the sun broke through the clouds the Owls appeared quartering the fields in the golden light and we managed to get some pictures in the late afternoon sun.

Short Eared Owl attempting to land on a twiggy branch of a bush.

The thing with Burwell Fen is that while you are waiting for the Owls to appear you can always be sure of entertainment from the Konik ponies. Grazing animals are essential to the development of vegetation in new areas of the nature reserve owned by the National Trust. Along with Highland cattle, the ponies help keep the landscape open and allow wetland and grassland plants to become established. The breed are capable of withstanding life on the fen throughout the year and thrive on whatever they can forage.

We also had the pleasure of watching two Barn Owls out hunting and this one landed on a post nearby. This is probably a female Owl as they tend to have darker wings and spots on their chests. Male Barn owls are paler and have very white chests.

We do not always stand together when out watching and this time the bonus was that we got different views of this gorgeous Barn Owl. No matter how many times we see and watch Barn Owls, it never ceases to be a thrill and a joy.

Do you ever get the feeling you are being watched? This cheeky little Long Tailed Tit was peering into our window reminding us to fill the feeders up. We have been very lucky to have a flock of about 15 or more visiting us most days. The garden comes alive when they visit, flitting about from feeders to shrubs to the bird bath. Just love them.

So, that’s February been and gone in a flash. The winter migrants will soon be on there way back to their breeding grounds and the Summer migrants will be arriving. The days are starting to lengthen and we can’t wait to hear the call of the Chiff Chaffs in the nearby wood, then we know spring is here, followed by the woodland spring flowers such as Primroses. These fill the woodland floor with splashes of yellow and then a blue carpet of Bluebells. The trees start to come into leaf with various shades of light green. There is nothing so lovely as an English Woodland in the spring; but Autumn is not bad either.

January - Summer Leys

2023 did not start well for us as we were both still suffering from the ‘flu virus. It went on and on and antibiotics were needed for chest infections.

By the middle of January, although still feeling under the weather we felt as though we needed a change of scenery and some fresh air. We decided to head to Summer Leys a nature reserve in Northamptonshire. It’s easy walking and they have a great bird feeding station where you can sit and watch and photograph a variety of birds, among them beautiful Bullfinches as well as Goldfinches, Greenfinches, Robins, Blue Tits and Great Tits and the lovely little Long Tailed Tits. So a gentle introduction for us, back to the world of wildlife photography. We were seriously out of practice and struggled with focusing and exposure modes, it felt like we were starting all over again.

A handsome Bullfinch at Summer Leys, a Wldlife Trust Site for Beds. Cambs. and Northants.

Long Tailed Tit at the feeding station Summer Leys.

The Redwing, a winter Thrush visiting from Scandinavia, turning over the leaf litter.

A nice bright Friday morning and we headed along the A14 to Ipswich where we knew some Waxwings had been spotted. We knew the name of the road and the postcode so off we went. The Waxwings were found on one single white berried Rowan tree. The tree was in a very built up area, between small blocks of flats. How on earth they found it is a mystery. By lunchtime it had started to cloud over and we were still feeling a bit lethargic, so we called it a day and headed home.

The RSPB Nene washes at Eldernell, Cambridgeshire has become a sort of Owl mecca this winter. This is one of Five Short Eared Owls that could be spotted in the hedgerow, this one didn’t seem to mind the attention. So lovely.

The three Long Eared Owls at Eldernell were extremely difficult to spot. Thanks to other birdwatchers who pointed them out. We managed this image but it is not that clear.

Further along the river bank towards a spinney on the other side of the river is probably now, the most famous and photographed wise Tawny Owl in Cambridgeshire. He can be seen most days just dozing in the warmth of the winter sunshine in an old tree and occasionally opening his eyes to watch the silly humans watching him. We think he may have got the balance of life right. We are calling the Owl a him but it might be a her, still as long as the other Tawnies know that’s okay.

If we had stayed until evening we may have seen several Barn Owls as well, what a place.

Redshanks on the saltmarsh at Brancaster Norfolk. A lovely walk with Eva dog on a bright very cold day in Norfolk. We just got in the car and waited to see where it took us.

Ooops! Parts of the lagoons at Titchwell were frozen and the Shoveller Ducks hadn’t quite worked out which was water and which was ice.

Curlew hunting the mud in the late afternoon sun at RSPB Titchwell, Norfolk.

Brent Geese arriving to spend the night on the Lagoons at Titchwell. Time for us to head into Hunstanton for Fish and Chips before heading home. It had been a lovely day but the extreme cold had started our coughing off again, we needed to get warm.

Another bright cold morning and we thought we might give Welney Wetlands another try. On arrival we found the wetlands in flood and all the paths over the road on the river side of the reserve were closed. Twice a day the reserve feeds the visiting swans and ducks and it looks like this volunteer drew the short straw. Not only was the reserve in flood it was icy. He must love his job.

The Whooper and Bewick Swans had moved on to nearby farmland to feed, as the water was too deep for them to reach down to feed, with exception of a young Whooper Swan who had worked out it was probably easier to wait for the food to come to him on a wheelbarrow.

Although the Swans had moved out for a while the Ducks were plentiful. Look at the red eye on the male Pochard. You will only see predominately Male Pochard at Welney as the females have far more sense and have migrated to Spain for the winter.

Welney is a great place to spot a resident Barn Owl. It can be seen during the day in the winter as it hunts the river bank and Lady Fen fields.

A Sunday morning dog walk through our local woodland.

Such a glorious Sunday morning and a glimpse of the local running group out along the footpath.

Frost covered Teasels.

Its a lovely day, lets go to Southwold to find some Waxwings, he said. We left in bright sunshine and a Hoar frost, just as we reached the other side of Diss we hit a weather front and the cloud did not lift all day. The Waxwings at Reydon, however were very obliging.

Waxwing, lovely birds.

Another bright cold morning and he said, looks like being a good day lets go and see if the Owls are flying at Welney, its cold, so they might be hungry. And yes, it was a stunning morning, with bright skies and hoar frost hanging from the trees, and very cold. We were hopeful. But, as seem to be the pattern for us at present, just as we crossed the fen nearing Welney we hit a fog bank. Only local says he, it will be clear soon. Famous last words. We could not see a thing all morning, so we took pictures of the birds we could see around the visitor centre, like this Blue Tit.

A Great Tit with cold toes.

The lovely sculpture on the path as you enter the Welney visitor centre outlined with a deep covering of frost.

A cheeky House Sparrow, of which there were many, fluffed up against the cold.

A Tree Sparrow, notice the brown head unlike the House Sparrow which has a grey head. These are not as common as the chirpy House Sparrow.

A Hen Pheasant on her way to find some easy pickings under the feeders.

A glimpse of a Barn Owl as it made its way out over Lady Fen fields. Wonder if it managed to find anything to eat.

Reed Bunting, another little bird looking a bit cold.

A cock pheasant just visible in the fog. Its getting thicker, so we decided to head for home, and as usual it was a lovely sunny day “back at the ranch”. We couldn’t believe it.

Great Garden Birdwatch weekend, and how lucky were we. A pair of Blackcaps decided to make an appearance just as herself was doing the count. Lovely little birds. A few Blackcaps stay and over winter in the UK but most head off to Spain and the warmer weather. Research has shown that the Blackcaps we get in the UK in the winter have probably migrated down from Siberia and Scandinavia to spend the winter here, which is warmer than staying where they are as our winters are becoming milder. They are welcome.

December - November and into December

November and into December.

November was spent mainly Fungi hunting whilst on our daily dog walks through our local woodland. It is a SSSI Woodland and always has an abundance of varied lichen and fungi such as this Giant Puffball as big as football.

From the very largest fungi to the smallest fungi. So small and transparent you could almost overlook them.

The very first day of December found us at an overnight stay in Norfolk on a Waxwing Hunt.

Due to lack of food berries in their native Scandinavia, this winter has been predicted a Waxwing winter for the UK. This happens now and again. In early November reports started coming in of large groups of Waxwings in Scotland and the North of England all a bit too far to travel. Then, reports of two Waxwings in Sheringham, Norfolk, then 5, then 7. We couldn’t resist. The last time we saw Waxwings was in 2019. The days turned out to be a bit gloomy and cold, and not the greatest of light for photography but we did manage to spot the birds and get a few pictures.

Waxwings love Rowan berries.

Waxwings, not many berries left on this tree.

From Sheringham Common we headed down to the sea front to find the Purple Sandpipers. These wading birds migrate here for the winter from their breeding grounds in Scandinavia.

Purple Sandpipers on the rocks at Sheringham beach and taking the rough sea all their stride.

Turnstones were being very obliging and seem to like their photo taken.

Another Turnstone.

The Lobster pot Christmas tree at Wells Next Sea harbour.

The lifeboat in Wells looking very festive and reminded us that it was not long to Christmas.

It’s always worth taking a look around the harbour at Wells as you never know what you will spot, like this Red Throated Diver in Winter plumage. The Diver migrates back to Scotland to breed in the summer and develops a lovely red throat.

We finished our quick trip to Norfolk at Holkham Gap where lots of Widgeon were out on the marshes. There is a White Tailed Eagle that has been regularly seen in the area. One of the ones released a couple of years ago on the Isle of White. We were told it had been seen at the end of the Car park on Lady Annes Drive that morning, so just missed it! again.

However, on our walk along the beach towards where the flocks of snow Buntings had been spotted we looked up and low and behold flying above us and out towards the pine trees on the point was the Eagle. Too far away for photographing but even at that distance you could tell it was a big bird.

Snow Buntings at Holkham, such a pretty little bird and the flocks are always on the move from one part of the beach to the other. Yet another winter visitor to Norfolk from Scandinavia. That’s why we love winter wildlife watching in Norfolk.

Its always great to visit WWT at Welney in the winter to see the lovely Whooper Swans and we managed to pick a day with good light, probably a bit too harsh at times. This was a few days before the snow hit.

Oops, forgot the water had turned to ice.

Whooper Swans in the late afternoon sun, heading back for the feeding time at Welney

A quick visit one morning to Burwell Fen to see if the Short Eared Owls were around. No such luck but the resident Little Owl was out on his usual log pile. The weather is starting to get cold, the frost is staying all day.

On our daily dog walk. The snow has arrived and it is COLD. Its easier walking on the frost and snow than plodding through mud and the landscape looks so beautiful, and if you have the correct clothing and footwear you just don’t feel the cold.

Our local woodland covered in frost and snow which stayed all week. The snow makes the wood go so hushed and quiet and any sounds seem to be muffled.

Our garden Robin. We now have two visiting us everyday.

December is turning out to be a month for Owls. We went back to Welney as we had spotted Barn Owls and Short Eared Owls when we were there last time. It was a cold crisp day and both types of Owls were out hunting from about 2.00pm onward. They must have been hungry.

Himself has been lent a Nikon Z7ii mirror-less camera by a friend as his trusty Nikon D500 was away for repair and a well deserved service, so as you would expect he has been keen to try it out.

The quality of the images when you get it right are fantastic but the focus system is yet to be perfected and the magic lantern effect in the view finder when shooting multiple images is disconcerting and makes it difficult to keep birds in flight in the frame and in focus. Also, if the background is cluttered the camera finds its hard to retain focus so more thought into the complex options is required to get the results you require. However, the silent shutter which is electronic, is of great benefit for all types of photography but it does not compensate for the current focus issues when using it for birds in flight.

The Z7ii would be a great advantage when he does his other love, sports photography, especially golf.

Kestrel at Welney taken with the Nikon Z7ii

A hunting Short Eared Owl, one of five at WWT Welney. Short Eared Owls hunt during the day but you can wait around for hours before they decide appear. The Welney Owls are very obliging and fly about the same time in the afternoon. (Taken with the Z7ii)

Another Short Eared Owl at WWT Welney, this one was very pale underneath, almost like a Barn Owl. They breed in Scotland and the North of England and join up in migrant groups for the winter months. (Taken with the Nikon Z7ii)

Barn Owl WWT Welney.

Himself started a new garden project, trying to make a refection pool. The Robin likes it. ( Nikon Z7ii)

Blue Tits are very inquisitive little birds. (Nikon Z7ii)

Mirror less cameras certainly do pick out the details in a subject. ( Nikon Z7ii)

So the end of the year and Christmas week found the family going down with Flu, so all all fun and games have stopped.

Thank you all for staying with us throughout the year and we do hope you have enjoyed our monthly wildlife diary.

Wishing you all a Happy and Healthy New Year. Lets see what 2023 brings.

October - Out and about in October

At the start of the month we were looking forward to a week of wildlife watching in Suffolk. We had booked a small cottage only a ten minute drive from Dunwich and RSPB Mindsmere. The Suffolk scenery did not disappoint but the scrapes on the reserve at Mindsmere were dry. We are not sure if it was caused by the lack of rainfall this summer, or by design, as they were re working the area with diggers, or maybe both. So nothing to see there. The best hide was the Island Mere hide which overlooked water and we regularly saw Bitterns, Marsh Harriers and Great White Egrets.

Marsh Harrier, Mindsmere.

Herself was still suffering with the after effects of covid a bit, and did not quite manage to react fast enough, so lots of not quite pictures, like this nearly a Bittern. But it is in focus……

There was a large herd of Red Deer around and you could hear the stags bellowing. This young stag kept hovering on the edge of a herd.

Himself was up early one morning dog walking on Westleton Heath when he spotted a very big stag in the distance with about forty hinds. The stag is known to the locals as “big boy”and has been around for a few years.

Marsh Harrier being hassled by a Carrion Crow.

A Great White Egret landing in front of the hide. Due to our improving wetland areas we can see these everywhere now.

Another Bittern flypast. We were so lucky to see these.

A Coal Tit at the Mindsmere visitor centre. One of many different types of birds constantly visiting the feeders.

These old signs are much more attractive than the new modern purpley/pink ones now used by the National Trust.

Fly Agaric Fungus on the heath.

Red Banded Sand Wasp. A solitary parasitc wasp found in mostly sandy areas. The females, hunt caterpillars mainly on sunny days, paralysing them with a sting, and burying them in a burrow with a single egg. The species is also remarkable for the extent to which females steal from nests of other females to provision their own nests, or even remove the other female's egg and laying one of her own instead. No wonder they are solitary.

Our little constant companion whilst we were eating Bacon Rolls and Coffee at the Dunwich Heath Cafe.

Later on in the week we had really good Fish and Chips at the Beach cafe in Dunwich. We can recommend.

Southwold Pier on a dull morning.

Walberswick Dunes.

Redshank in the estuary at Walberswick.

The tide was out so this Black Tailed Godwit was making the most of the mud, burying his whole beak down into the silt.

We stopped to watch a flock of Curlews, about eight or more in the field. But of course as soon as we got out of the car they flew, so took a picture across to the Blythe Estuary instead. Stunning views.

Shingle Street. Quite desolate and a unique landscape all of its own.

Proving that you can make a garden anywhere as this artist at Shingle Street has done. Just go with the landscape.

Colourful beach Huts at Pakefield Beach.

Back at the Island Hide, Mindsmere for one last evening before home. The Marsh harriers were still flying as were the Great Egrets and the Bitterns.

Great White Egret

Bittern, a strange almost pre historic looking bird. One of the rarest breeding birds in the UK, a secretive and difficult to see member of the heron family. After being driven out by the Victorians, bitterns are now spreading into areas of the country they haven't been seen in for centuries. We now have the highest number of Bitterns in the UK since 1880. Wow!

Our Pyracanthas are loaded with berries this year and one of the Blue Tits has got a taste for them.

October is the time for the Deer Rut. This year we went to Bradgate Park in Leicester. Bradgate Park, is renowned for its fine herds of deer, Red and Fallow, and is the only remaining enclosed medieval deer park in the East Midlands and also contains the oldest rocks in England.

The park is also the birthplace and childhood home of the nine days 16th century Queen of England, Lady Jane Grey. You can explore the ruins of her home - one of the earliest country houses built for royalty.

The fallow deer is variable in colour, but is mostly pale gingery-brown, with white spots on the back, a characteristic black and white tail and a white rump patch outlined in black. Some animals are darker brown without any spots, and others are very pale, almost white. All the colour variations of Fallow Deer can be seen at Bradgate. A very pretty Deer.

Female Fallow Deer.

Male fallow deer, they are quit a bit smaller than the Red Deer Stags.

A juvenile male Red Deer with quite sore looking first year antlers, can you see the shape of an animal or birds head in its left ear.

A pair of Red Deer Stags in full flow, lasting about half an hour they were very evenly matched. There was no holding back, lots of clashing of antlers, and pushing to see who was strongest, although blood was not drawn it was close. A fight like this is best watched from a safe distance.

Pretty female Fallow deer with a fawn.

Its all a bit exhausting for some Stags.

We had a really good day and will definitely be going back.

September - Lakenheath Fen

September started well with a successful visit to Lakenheath Fen to spot some Kingfishers. An early morning start meant that the reserve was full of spiders as it is Spider mating season. This month we also had another visit to the garden from a Humming Bird Hawk Moth. They do seem to favour the Salvia flowers.

We just love watching these Humming Bird Hawk moths.

Another Moth that we had not seen in the garden before was this Box Tree Moth. This is an accidentally introduced species to this country from South East Asia. Their caterpillars can quickly strip any box plant of its leaves and eventually kill the plant. Luckily we do not have any Box plants in the garden, we found this moth on the Choisya Shrub

Suddenly the Long Tailed Tits are back feeding in the garden after being missing all summer. There is quite a gang of them this year, such a joy to watch.

A close up macro view of our very large garden spider with a very sucked dry fly.

This is the Yellow Orb Weave Spider at Lakenheath Fen RSPB. There were lots of these and they all varied in markings and various degrees of yellow colour, some very pale and some vibrant yellow, and beautiful to see

Believe it or not, although the two spiders look quite different, they are the same species- but two different colour variants. 'var. pyramidatus' is the spider with the yellow abdomen here- and whilst generally scarcer than the 'normal' colour variant, can be more common in the Fens such as at Lakenheath Fen and at the National Trust's Wicken Fen too. Thank you to Lakenheath Fen for the information.

Kingfisher giving this little fish a fair old wack before swallowing it.

Time for a bit of a spruce up before fishing again.

A little Blue Tit visiting our Bird Bath.

A morning visit to Wicken Fen and a sign on the footpath alerted everyone to some Wasps nests. Not sure what was going on here, but one of these wasps was deceased. It could have been natural causes or maybe attacked by the others. Whatever, nature does not waste anything as the others were feeding on the carcass.

It was a very quiet wildlife morning at Wicken but we did spot this Muntjac appearing out of the reeds. The Greylag Geese did not seem bothered.

Further over on the other side of the mere, too far away to photograph a Fox briefly appeared. This caused the various groups of geese to go into a noisy frenzy. They all swam together and joined up to make one large very noisy group, and then all swam towards where the fox was seen. We would have thought they would have gone into the middle of the mere or even the other way. Still, they probably they had their reasons. Who Knows.

The last weeks of September found us in self imposed isolation due to the dreaded Covid. We have not had it before and we do not want it again.

August - Sunny Suffolk

I think the last significant rain we had in this part of the country was early June and finally on August 25th it RAINED and we had puddles! Who would have thought we would be excited about rain in August, but that was it, just one morning.

A Large White Butterfly on the Hebe shrub growing in a pot in the garden. The garden may be looking a little sad and parched now but we have managed to keep the container plants flowering and they are attracting a few butterflies.

This is a Hornet Mimic Fly, a very large Hover fly which lives up to its name. It can be easily mistaken for a Hornet but it is quite harmless.

Now this is a Hornet. They have been visiting the garden pond and the birdbath for most of August obviously after water. They can be quite scary as they are much bigger than their cousins the Wasp, but they are less aggressive. The Hornets visiting our garden have not taken any notice of us at all and have just been focused on the water. They are also important pollinators so as long as they keep themselves to themselves they are welcome. We still kept a respectful distance though, no point in antagonizing them.

A female Common Blue Butterfly. For a few days on our dog walks the Common Blue Butterflies were very active. A very pretty tiny little butterfly that look just as pretty with their wings shut as when they are open. The Male is a bright blue whereas the female is brown with a dusting of blue near her body.

The morning we chose to visit the farm was also the morning of the Swallows, how lucky was that. About 30 Swallows, adults and young practicing their landing and take off skills on the wires. Such a joy to watch, especially this year as Swallow numbers have been very low. Hope they make it on their long trip to Africa and back again for next summer. An incredible journey.

So many in flight they did tend to get in each others way sometimes. Its all about the learning.

Oops! nearly overshot the mark that time.

Just need a little rest from flying now……

Sunflowers on the farm. Lovely.

Insects loving the sunflowers.

Brown Argus Butterfly. Another great find on the farm.

Really great views of the Red Kites hunting over the farm stubble fields, they were quite vocal as well so maybe some of them were young ones.

This year has been a record year for Hummingbird Hawk Moths. This is a day flying moth that migrates from Southern Europe to the UK in the summer. We were beginning to think we might be the only garden that has not had a visit from one. Then, suddenly, here he is, just for a few seconds and then gone. Wow, we saw it, and got the picture.

Birds are slowly starting to return to the garden. This young Robin was hopping around our pond, again another creature looking for water. Our little pond and birdbath has been a wildlife lifeline this year. Just proves, all living things need water.

A pair of Willow Emerald Damselflies was a first in the garden for us. The Willow Emerald is quite a recent species, first being recorded in East Anglia in 2007. As their name suggests one of the trees they favour for their eggs is Willow but this pair were very taken with our Photonia so maybe we should look for some eggs along the bark, if we knew what we were looking for that is.

Willow Emerald Damselflies in the Photonia in the garden.

Towards the end of August we booked an over night stay in Suffolk, at the Red Lion, Theberton. Accommodation was in a cabin at the back of the pub overlooking farmland, and was very dog friendly so Little Eva was able to come with us too. Tom and Helen were very welcoming and the food was excellent as were the local ales and cider.

First stop was at Aldeburgh to get some sea air after all the hot still weather at home. Although hot, it was lovely to walk along the beach from the Aldeburgh Shell toward Thorpeness and to take in the sea air and feel like you could breathe. Little Eva just loved a paddle all along the waters edge.

A young Black Headed Gull keeping a watchful eye on us as we walked the beach.

The “House in the Clouds” Thorpeness. This was originally built as a water tower in 1923 to receive water pumped from the nearby windmill. It is now a holiday let.

After lunch we took a walk at Sizewell. Not much to see in the way of wildlife but a great dog walk. We did see several young Herring Gulls, and a few terns out at sea plus a lone Gannet. We just wonder what the landscape will look like when the next phase of the Nuclear Power Station is built.

A Little egret enjoying the late afternoon sun at Dingle Marshes near Dunwich. We had hoped to spot a Barn Owl but not lucky this time.

Sunset at the ruins of Greyfriars Medieval Friary near Dunwich.

Dunwich Heath is suffering from the prolonged hot dry weather. Only small pockets of flowering heather can be found. Normally this view would be a spectacular patchwork of Purple Heather. It will come back, but not this year.

A Comma Butterfly on a rare patch of flowering heather on Dunwich Heath.

It was very hot out on there so we took a seat in the shade near the ditch that borders one side of the heath with Mindsmere RSPB. This Common Lizard had the same idea.

The story of the Heather this year in one picture. Going,going, gone……….

Ruddy Darters were showing off their vivid red colours.

The view from Dunwich Heath towards Sizewell. What will this view be like in a few years time. We need to be masters of our own energy supply in this country, but at what cost.

A stop for lunch at Orford and a lovely lunch it was too. Fish and Chips at the Jolly Sailor washed down with an Adnams Cider. Another dog friendly pub with a huge tent/sail construction in the garden so everyone could eat in the shade and little Eva could stay cool as well. In the afternoon himself had to have a snooze back at the car, so herself went for a walk along the banks of the river Alde and sat for a while watching the coming and goings in the busy little harbour, with views across to Orford Ness now managed by the National Trust.

Wild, remote and exposed, Orford Ness contains the ruined remnants of a disturbing past. Ranked among the most important shingle features in the world, rare and fragile wildlife thrives where weapons, including atomic bombs, were once tested and perfected. We couldn’t visit this time as no dogs aloud.

On the morning of “the rain” we thought we would go to a hide where we knew Kingfishers are regularly seen. The hide is usually very busy and time can be limited as you make way for everyone to be able to spend time there. It is quite a walk and picking a dull damp day meant we were the only ones there, until later when one other person showed up. We were rewarded with some really special views of a fishing Kingfisher.

An expert at fishing, caught one on every dive.

“I will just watch the fish for now. I am a bit full”

July - A Hot Month

July has been very hot and dry in this part of the country. Not much to photograph in the way of Birds this month so we have been concentrating more on Butterflies and insects. Himself has been very busy with golf tournaments and on the hottest two days of the year found himself helping out a friend photographing a big golf competition in Kent. However, a sea breeze kept the temperature a bit more bearable than they were at home. You can check out www.kevindiss.com for the pictures.

Just before the heatwave we were starting to get a nice selection of Butterflies in the garden and surrounding countryside where we walk the dog, but it is as though the heat was too much, even for them, and for a while they seem to have disappeared. Having said that, we have had a lot of Gatekeepers, or Hedge Brown Butterflies and Ringlets this year. A good year for them we think.

More of our summer pictures can be found in the summer gallery. https://wildimagephotogrpahy.smugmug.com/Wild-Life-Galleries/Summer/

Ringlets and Gatekeepers.

As its English names suggest, the Gatekeeper (also known as the Hedge Brown) is often encountered where clumps of flowers grow in gateways and along hedgerows and field edges. It is often seen together with the Meadow Brown and Ringlet.

You never know what you will find on a walk around The Great Fen, Wood Walton. This is a form of Blue Tailed Damselfly - rufescens. We really went to find the Purple Emperor Butterfly, but only spotted them high up in the trees so no photographs this year I am afraid. Purple Emperors are the second largest of our Butterflies, The Swallowtail being the largest, and are declining in numbers.

Female Ruddy Darter at Wood Walton Fen.

A small White Wave Moth. We disturbed several of these pretty moths as they were in the short grass on the pathways.

We were very pleased to find this White Letter Hairstreak in the garden, even if it was a bit shabby.

Normally, it is difficult to spot, as it flies around the tops of trees, particularly Elms. It occasionally comes down to ground level to nectar on flowers, especially privet and bramble.

The species declined in the 1970s when its foodplants were reduced by Dutch Elm disease, but it is recovering in a few areas.

On a very early morning trip to Brampton Woods to beat the heat we came across a Beautiful Silver Washed Fritillary showing its underside and how it got its name.

We finally managed to photograph a little Purple Hairstreak at Brampton Wood. Several of them were low down in the Oak Trees probably finding shade in the lower branches because of the heat.

Brampton Wood, as well as very wide rides filled with wild flowers and home to White Admiral Butterflies, also has a lovely glade area. This area is flanked by Oak trees where you find the Purple Hairstreaks and has a great variety of insects including this stunning Brimstone Butterfly.

One thing about the heatwave, it encouraged us to take extremely early morning, up with the sparrows dog walks. Although to be fair the Sparrows did not get up all day. On one of these walks we found Purple Hairstreaks ! Less than five minutes from home. Couldn’t believe it. All the years we have lived here and we have never spotted these before. How long have they been here. Why have we been walking Brampton Wood and Wood Walton fen to see them. This butterfly is widely distributed throughout southern areas wherever there are oak trees, even a solitary tree may support a colony. It is frequently overlooked as adults remain largely in the canopy where the main adult food source is honeydew. They fly more commonly in the evening of a warm summer's day although we spotted them early morning. They are only driven down to seek fluid and nectar during prolonged drought, which is probably why they were on the ground this year.

Another spot on our early morning dog walks was the White Letter Hairstreaks. Again less than five minutes from home. The underwings are brown, with a white W-shaped streak, an orange edge and small tails, which can be seen quite clearly on this photograph unlike the tatty one one found in our garden a few days before. The White-letter Hairstreak has the erratic, spiralling flight typical of Hairstreaks

Our Granddaughter first found these in this particular area on an afternoon ramble and we did not find them again for about two weeks. Then all of a sudden there they all were, again being forced down by the heat we suspect. We had found one or two of these many years ago in different part of the wood but not close up.

Grasshoppers are thriving in the hot dry weather. They jump and fly around your feet as you walk through the dry grass, and who knew they came in so many sizes and colours.

Red Soldier Beetles are also thriving this year.

A text from the local farm to say they were haymaking and that Red Kites were about would we like to go up, so of course we went.

Close encounter with a Red Kite.

Everything is getting thirsty and the Holly Blue flew down while we were topping up our little garden pond which had started to resemble a puddle.

Something was keeping Little Eva dog entertained on the lawn and on investigation we found this small Footman Moth. We rescued it before Eva did.

Another message from the farm to say harvest was underway. Who cannot resist watching a Combine and Tractor

This time not Red Kites but Buzzards over the stubble fields.

As we head into August the hot dry weather continues and still no sign of rain. What a summer!

June - Norfolk in June

A week at the Norfolk Coast in the Cley area is always relaxing. A very strange week weather wise. We started off wearing coats and it gradually got warmer every day and by the end of the week it was so hot we had to give in and stay in the shade.

It was a week for rare Butterflies. The Silver Studded Blue on Kelling Heath and the beautiful Swallowtail at Hickling Broad. Hickling Broad also had an abundance of Norfolk Hawker Dragonflies which were proving impossible to photograph as they were never still. Marsh Harriers were out hunting and a Bittern flew past over the reed beds. We like Hickling Broad. Himself has had a lovely panoramic canvas print made of the reed beds and we are now trying to find some spare wall space in the home to hang it.

Silver Studded Blue on Kelling Heath.

The caterpillars of the silver-studded blue have a close relationship with ants! The ants protect the caterpillars from predators and parasites, in return they get to feed on a sugary substance that the caterpillars produce. When the caterpillars are ready to pupate, they do so in a shallow chamber just below the ground - often in ant nests. The ants will attend the pupa just as they did the caterpillar, and can even be seen swarming around the newly-emerged adult butterflies, offering them some protection as they wait for their wings to dry. Well, the things you find out.

Silver Studded Blue

Swallowtail Butterfly at Hickling Broad.

The British race of the Swallowtail butterfly is now limited to the Norfolk Broads, choosing sites with a vigorous growth of milk parsley, where it lays its eggs on the tallest plants. Visit one of these special places on a day between late May and mid-July, and with a bit of luck you will spot one of these rare and beautiful British insects.

Swallowtail Butterfly

A “Woolly Bear” Caterpillar. These were all over the paths at Hickling Broad and are the caterpillar of the Garden Tiger Moth.

Panoramic image of Hickling Broad

Marsh Harrier over the reed beds at Hickling Broad

A young Sedge warbler shouting for food.

Norfolk Hawker Dragonfly. There were so many of these flying around Hickling, and stopping to hover just in font of us on the paths, but just as you got them in shot they zoomed off again. This large, rare, Norfolk Hawker Dragonfly is a protected species and originally only found in the Broadlands of Norfolk and Suffolk where they like the fens, marshes and ditches with clean non-saline water. They have, however, over the last few decades started to spread to Cambridgeshire and Kent which is really good news..

We spent several late evenings on Kelling Heath listening and watching the Nightjars. One evening was particularly awesome, with Nightjars calling so loudly all around us and flying out quite low .

This is a “record” shot only,of one of the Kelling Heath Nightjars. It was nearly 10.30 at night and this one was in the tree right beside us making its loud “churring” call. Considering the low light himself did quite well to get it. The Nightjar arrives here in April and May from its wintering grounds in Africa. It nests on the ground on heathland and in young conifer woods. It is extremely well camouflaged with bark like colouring and is nocturnal, feeding on moths, flies and beetles.

Jay at Kelling Heath

This female Dartford warbler was not very happy with the Male Stonechat perching on her post.

Male Stonechat, these were seen regularly all over the heath, sitting on top of the gorse making their “chatting” call.

Yellowhammer searching the ferns for food. Looks like it found plenty.

This female Linnet has also found lots of food.

Its a nice walk from the Old Reading Room, Tea Rooms and Gallery down to Kelling Water Meadows. This view looks across to Salthouse, and of course, its nice to stop for tea and a cake when you get back.

Sedge Warbler having a bit of a yoga wing stretch.

Little Egret on the water meadow.

Reed Bunting. He looks fit to burst with his singing.

Cley Windmill

Redshank at Cley, taking a bit of a chance sitting up there in the open.

Young Shelduck at Cley nature reserve

Young Shelducks enjoying a dabble.

When we decided to spend a morning at Cley Nature reserve we did not expect to see Nature at its most harshest. Whilst watching the Avocets and Shelducks with their young a Hobby swooped in and in a blink of an eye took one of the Avocet chicks. It was in and out before anyone could take in what was happening. It was only when herself looked back on her images did it show the Hobby, feet out ready to grab the unsuspecting chick. The adult was going frantic in the background. To be honest, we were only just saying how careless the adults were being, allowing the chicks to wander about out in the open without any protection. Its quite hard to watch, but then the Hobby had chicks to feed as well.

The Avocet sheltering her remaining chick after the Hobby attack.

May - Yorkshire Coast (East Riding)

Some people like to go on holiday for the Sun and the Sea, some for the food and drink and some need to just “get away”. Some people go hiking and take rucksacks and camping gear. We take Cameras and Binoculars and all of the above as well, minus the camping gear (although himself is still trying to get herself to stay overnight under canvas . . . No chance). Herself likes a bit more comfort these days. We took a wildlife photographic Holiday to the Yorkshire Coast, staying in a brilliant holiday cottage in Bucton, just a 5 min car journey or an easy ramble to Bempton Cliffs RSPB. We loved it so much we have booked again for June next year.

We sampled good old Yorkshire Hospitality, Fish and Chips, substantial Ploughmans lunches, a huge Sunday roast dinner at the local pub, Theakstons Beer, Yorkshire Tea, and other refreshments. Its a good thing we also did a lot of walking.

On the Saturday we took a two and half hour sea cruise on the Yorkshire Belle out of Bridlington along the coast to the very base of the chalk cliffs at Bempton. The skipper of the Belle steered the boat right up to the cliffs under the sea birds and paused for a while, just awesome. It was absolutely breathtaking. We were so in awe of the sight and sounds we both put our cameras down and just tried to take it all in. An experience we will never forget. If you are ever up near Bridlington, please take this trip you will not be disappointed.

Yorkshire Belle

We saw Puffins, Razorbills, Guillimots and Gannets on the water, and even a Great Skua, or Bonxi, hustling the Guillimots, and Albert Ross the Black Browed Albatross back for another summer, resting up on the cliff. The only sight that did not show was a pod of Dolphins that regularly swim along side the boat. They must have had other things to do that day.

Flamborough Lighthouse

Elephant Rocks

Bempton Cliffs is home to one of the UK's top wildlife spectacles. Around half a million seabirds gather here between March and October to raise a family on towering chalk cliffs which overlook the North Sea.

Bempton Cliffs

The unique rock formation which can only be seen from the sea.

Little Eva, being her usual inquisitive self and loving every minute of the holiday, except the bit when she had to get back into the car. We are sure she walked twice as far as us as she was always exploring.

A beautiful walk at Danes Dyke down to the little bay. The Wild Garlic gave the impression of a sprinkling of snow. Danes Dyke is a 148 acre nature reserve on Flamborough headland. The dyke is prehistoric in origin and was constructed as a defensive feature protecting five square miles of land lying to the east. Bronze Age arrowheads have been found during excavations, and is a Scheduled Ancient Monument of national importance. The reserve contains the most extensive area of woodland on the Headland and is also part of the Flamborough Headland Heritage Coast.

Wouldn’t like to think how long that took to dig out by hand.

Drifts of Wild Garlic at Danes Dyke.

The rocky cove at Danes Dyke.

We took the very steep steps up from the beach to the cliff top, (we were warned they were a bit steep). Someone thoughtfully put a seat at the top with magnificent views towards Bridlington and beyond. The top path back to the car park lead through green woodland and we glimpsed Roe Deer out on the farmland. Next year we may walk a bit further along the cliff path. We just ran out of time.

Flamborough Head has been designated a Special area of Conservation, and is home to sea birds, flowers and insects. Mammals such as Whales and Dolphins can be seen regularly from the cliffs. We had a great breakfast at the Cafe near the lighthouse, a bacon sarnie for herself and a fry up for himself and of course a large pot of Yorkshire Tea.

A small pod of Grey Seals have recently made their home on this beach at Flamborough Head.

A bit of a steep path down to Thornwick Bay so a slow descent with walking poles was in order, good for the knees though. We were a bit slow for Little Eva who made it down to the bay long before us and stood waiting at the bottom with the look of “What took you so long”.

There are lots of rocks to sit on and admire the bay. This is where we had our best views of puffins so far. We watched House Martins collecting mud from one side of the bay and flying across to build nests on the cliff face on the other side. If you think about it, this is where they would have originally built nests before humans built houses for them to use.

We kept putting off the return walk, but the walk back up from Thornwick bay was surprisingly easier than the walk down.

Filey Bay. A visit here always feels a bit like coming home. Generations of Dobson family holidays and distant relatives still living here makes this a special place for us. This is where we watched the Sand Martins swooping over the cliffs and ponds at the top of the country park, and Meadow Pipits displaying.

We couldn’t leave without a visit down to Cobble Landing and the beach and of course a “99” Ice Cream. Time to head back to the car as a storm was heading in.

We walked many miles this week, cliff tops, footpaths, down to rocky bays and back up. Our poor old knees did a bit of complaining but we kept them going. Not sure how. These corn cockles were in flower everywhere along the cliff tops.

A beautiful evening at Bempton Cliffs. We saw so much wildlife this week, we will be thinking about this for many weeks to come. Seabirds, including the Black Browed Albatross, Owls, Warblers, aerial feeders such as the Martins and Swallows, rare Tree Sparrows, and Roe Deer and Hares. But so much more and the scenery never failed to disappoint.

We decided to drive home via Spurn Point. The weather was dull and drizzly but we grabbed an all day breakfast at the visitor centre. We had a quick look in a nearby hide and were surprised to find a pair of Swallows flying in and out nest building, quite oblivious to us being there. We had a short walk with the dog before our final trip home. Spurn is a National Nature Reserve and part of the Yorkshire Wildlife Trust which means the wildlife and habitats there are highly protected so we were unable to walk the dog on the main reserve.

Spurn Point lighthouses

When we visited Spurn many,many,many, years ago we were able to drive to the point, but Spurn is an ever-changing landscape affected by storms, high tides and a changing climate. In 2013 a tidal surge destroyed parts of the road and changed the shape of the point. Access now is walking only or by a 3 hour guided Spurn safari tour in a specially converted ex-military vehicle.

So a great holiday but now for the drive home, with a few swaps of driver to relieve aching legs and knees. Who would have thought driving would be so painful on the knees. Thank goodness for an automatic car.

We have far too many pictures to be able share in this blog, so for a selection of our pictures taken this week please follow this link: Yorkshire (East Riding) May 2022 Gallery

We hope you have as much enjoyment looking at the images of the wildlife as we did seeing and taking the them, you will see from our pictures that many of the birds were busy collecting nesting material.

A special Thank You goes to Richard and Claire at Rockville Farm Cottages, Bucton, for providing such a comfortable and welcoming dog friendly cottage.

The grounds of the former farm are well kept and are for the use of people staying in the cottages with a secure field for dog walking. This enabled little Eva to roam about to her hearts content while we watched a Barn Owl quartering the fields in the early morning and evening.

Richard is a very good artist and his paintings and prints are on the walls in the cottages and in a small gallery on-site. As part of the gallery there is a brilliant cafe with excellent service, food and drinks.

We are looking forward to visiting again in June next year when the birds on the cliffs at Bempton should have young to feed.

April - Fields of Hares

We started off April trying to find some Hares, and found some on our doorstep. They are such lovely shy animals. The farmer has planted wildlife margins around his fields and the Hares were using this a cover.

Face to face with a Hare in the cover.

The Hare in open fields.

The farmland is starting to take on the colour of Spring. Love it or Hate it oil seed rape brings welcome colour to the countryside after the dull days of winter, and lots of early flowers for the pollinators.

Our Grandson and his friend wanted to have a day out plane spotting at RAF Lakenheath so a different day out for us. After a very quiet morning of inactivity, except watching the security guard walk his dog along the fence and back, suddenly things started to happen after lunch, and planes started to take off and land. So disappointed teenage faces soon turned to happy ones.

To avoid the busy traffic on the way home we traveled via country roads and spotted a small herd of Roe Deer.

This year has been a good year for spring woodland flowers. We took a trip to Waresly Wood, a wildlife Trust site. Parts of the woodland floor were just a mass of yellow Lesser Celandine and Primrose.

Waresley Wood is also known for Oxslips and Bluebells.

First Comma Butterfly of the year.

Blue Tits are starting nesting and making use of nesting boxes.

The Robins nesting in the barn already had young and were busy backwards and forwards with food, but were very aware of us watching so we did not hang about.

You know spring has arrived when the Blackcaps fill the woodland with their song.

Our local woodland has been breathtaking with the show of Bluebells this spring. It has been absolutely stunningly beautiful, with lots of lovely days to enjoy the woodland walks and just take in the sounds, sites and scents of spring.

Bluebells carpet the woodland floor.

To see a Buzzard soaring in a clear bright blue sky and to hear him calling is quite magical. So lovely to see.

Two members of the Crow family have started to visit the bird table, and gosh don’t they look big in our small garden. The Carrion Crow above and the Magpie below. Guessing they have young to feed, so while they are on our bird table they are leaving other birds nests alone.

Magpie, clearing the food from the table. There is not many small birds about while they are around.

Next month we are heading back up to North Yorkshire to visit one of our favourite spots Bempton Cliffs RSPB, and hopefully a boat trip to the base of the cliffs, as well as a walk along the sands of Filey Bay. Can’t wait.

March - Spring has Sprung

Well, here we are at the end of March already. The world is not a nice place at present so its been good to be able get away from the news images and sit quietly for a few hours in the countryside and count our blessings.

This month has seen us spoil ourselves with a new (used) camera each so trying out the new settings etc. so far so good.

Spring has finally sprung, although at the time of writing this it feels like winter has returned,(Its snowing at the moment) and we have been able to visit a few local spots, as well as walking our local woodland without disappearing knee deep in mud. Its been lovely. Our little dog has got quite excited about the prospect of longer walks and lots of spring scents to sniff so she has had to be kept on the lead for fear of her disappearing into the undergrowth. Safer for the wildlife and her. Of course she is not allowed on the reserves so she has a morning at home on those days, catching up on her sleep and dreaming about the next big outing.

Cormorant at Little Paxton Pits early March. A pair of Great Crested Grebes were spotted just starting to nest build.

An early morning start rewarded us with the sight of this Otter.

Surprise!

A hunting Heron on the river bank.

A pair of Kingfishers on the River Nene

Great Crested Grebe on the River Nene. Such beautiful clear morning light showed off his colours.

This Great Crested Grebe was so handsome and photogenic.

Hope the muddy beak is from digging out a nest tunnel in the bank and not a mis-judged dive.

Such a beautiful still morning for fishing.

Just time for a quick snack.

A Dunnock in a hedgerow was singing his heart out.

A morning spent in the hides at Wood Walton Fen was so relaxing. Several of these Chinese Water Deer were wandering in and out of the reed beds. This not a native species, as the name suggets they originate from China and like marshy places. They are slightly bigger than a Muntjac but smaller than a Roe deer and have teddy bear like faces. The males have tusks which somehow do not go with the cute face.

It was quite entertaining watching this Male Swan. He did not want any other birds on the mere, probably because there was a female on a nest somewhere nearby, and he spent hours trying to chase away the geese. In turn, the geese just flew a little way before landing and setting him off again. They were probably doing it on purpose, trying to wind him up, and succeeding. He must have been exhausted by the end of the day.

Grey Lag Geese fighting over a female, its that time of year again. Notice she is staying out of it and just looking on.

Lovely little Long Tailed Tits were gathering the lichen for nest material just outside the hide.

A section of a ditch was alive with noisy toads.

Canada Geese coming in to land.

A male Yellowhammer in full colour in the sunshine.

Corn Bunting singing away. Both these and Yellowhammers are farmland birds that are on the red list so we are very lucky to have them on our local walk. Thanks to local farmers in our area who are farming for wildlife.

One of the first of our summer migrants the Willow Warbler in our local wood.

The warm spring sunshine brought out some early butterflies, a Peacock butterfly. Its colours always look as if they have been painted on.

An easy to spot Comma butterfly with its wavy edged wings.

February - Nene Park Kingfishers

We have been out and about a bit more this month and spent a morning at Nene Park watching the Kingfishers, a Grey Heron was basking in the sun in a sheltered spot in the reeds.

We had a few days at Wroxham with the grandchildren and unfortunately it rained every day but one, and then, the day we came home Storm Eunice arrived. However we managed to get away fairly early and, with a stop at McD’s for breakfast, herself just had a coffee again, we managed to get home before the storm really hit.

Grey Heron at Nene Park

Little Egret on the River Nene at Nene Park

A lovely hour spent watching this Male Kingfisher up and down the River Nene.

The back of the Kingfisher has such a brilliant blue streak

Who would have thought that a few years ago we would have been able to say that we had seen a Cattle Egret in our county, let alone a group of seven.

Cattle Egret

A grumpy Mute Swan

Grazing Wigeon on a bank at RSPB Fen Drayton

A beautiful morning of sun and clear skies and little wind encouraged herself to decide to spend some time in the hide at Wood Walton Fen as we haven’t been for a while. The water was so clear and a pair of Little Grebes also seemed to be enjoying the quiet day. A Chinese Water Deer was spotted running across the cut reeds to safety but herself was daydreaming again and was a bit too slow to get a photograph

Beautiful day at Wood Walton Fen

Little Grebes

A quick fly by of the Marsh Harrier made the morning worthwhile.

The Great Fen - Wood Walton

Snowdrops in front of Rothschild’s Bungalow. Some years these are underwater. You can see the date marks on the pillar when and how far up the flood water reaches.

The lovely cafe at Winterton on Sea has disappeared. Some of it went into the sea with the storms in November, and the rest had to be demolished. Loved to get a coffee and cake at this dog friendly cafe after a walk along the beach. The coastal sea watch tower is also close to the edge now and it also has had to be abandoned for safety reasons. They are trying to raise funds with the hope to move it before the sea claims it. So sad to see the amount of coastal erosion along this part of the coast.

Cromer beach on the only good day we had on our few days away.

Cromer Pier the day before Storm Eunice arrived.

January - A New Year

A new year a new diary. The last few months have been a bit slow photography wise. Himself has been fishing for Pike most weeks with varied success. Herself has been a bit slow going out due to poor light conditions and a painful knee, making plodding through mud in wellies with camera, a heavy lens, and an excitable dog, hard work.

Last November we spent a few days in Norfolk. The tree colours were glorious at Felbrigg Hall and Blickling Hall where himself caught a few pike in the lake. A truly golden autumn.

Autumn at Blickling Hall

A real treat was to spot Great Northern Divers and Red Throated Divers searching in the surf, close to shore at Cley.

Red Throated Diver in winter plumage close the shore at Cley

Great Norther Diver

On our journey home from Norfolk we spotted these Whooper Swans, some of the hundred or so in a field near Wisbech. What a sight it was.

Local walks included a short walk around the RSPB at Sandy where the trees were spectacular

At the beginning of January the promise of a fine weather day spurred us on to take a day out to Titchwell RSPB in Norfolk. Our aim was to improve on our birds in flight photography. Well, that did not turn out as forecast. A walk through the reserve in the warm winter sunshine, stopping as we went was very pleasant. Stepping out from the sand dunes on to the beach was a bit of a shock. The wind was strong and bitterly cold. The challenges were to be able to stand still in the wind whilst trying to focus on the birds,watering eyes and keeping the sand from stinging our faces and out of our cameras and lenses. Oh what fun this wildlife photography is.

Heading back to the car the sky clouded over making poor light for any photography so time to head home.

Grey Plover on the mudflats at Titchwell.

Brent Goose

Oyster Catcher

Dunlins

Herring Gull

Mid January and we had heard of where some Long Eared Owls were roosting on a reserve in Lincolnshire and that a family Otters were entertaining onlookers daily on a lake in Peterborough. Well we just had to go and see if we could find them. Once again the BBC weather man wasn’t entirely correct and a fine day ended in low cold cloud. However all was not lost as we found and photographed the Owls and the Otters, promising ourselves a trip back to the Otters in the near future.

Long Eared Owl

The Otter posing for a photograph

Getting more inquisitive

A bit of a smile for the camera

August and September

After the holiday in Yorkshire the rest of August was quiet. The weather was not great and the light was not particularly good for photography. We did manage a few days out, but not many.

September was a better month weather wise. We had a short break in Norfolk but this time we came down with awful head colds. Covid tests came back negative , thank goodness, but the colds lasted a good two weeks . However there is nothing like a peaceful afternoon in a bird hide at Wicken Fen to clear the head and mind and make you feel a whole lot better.

August 16th. A young Spotted Flycatcher was a surprise spot at The Great Fen/Wood Walton.

A Willow Emerald Damselfly The Great Fen/Wood Walton.

Common Darters at our local pond

Teenage Starling in the garden

Beautiful colours of the Gorse and Heather at Kelling Heath give a tapestry effect.

One lone Dartford Warbler on Kelling Heath

Lunch anyone…….

A Lovely day at Sheringham but the sea was a bit rough.

Sheringham was very busy.

Turnstone on the sea wall at Sheringham.

Little Grebe or “Dabchick” at Cley Marshes

Male Common Emerald Damselfly at Cley Marshes. Such striking blue eyes.

Lots of this going on around the Cley reserve . Migrant Hawkers.

Sleeping Beauty.

An afternoon at Wicken Fen saw lots of these small groups of Greylag Geese on the move.

RSPB Bempton Cliffs

This week we were on holiday at Filey, Yorkshire, with the Grandchildren. So lots of beach time but we did manage a couple of visits to the RSPB reserve at Bempton Cliffs. Unfortunately our sea cruise to see the birds diving for fish and to watch for Dolphins was cancelled due to a heavy sea swell off Flamborough Head.

Bempton is a fantastic place to visit. The RSPB have erected platforms so that viewing the birds and the coastline give you a “wow” moment. You are so high up you become eye level with the soaring birds. It really is breath taking.

You can also Sea Watch for Dolphins, and Porpoises and the week before we arrived a Minke Whale had been spotted. So take your binoculars.

This time of year you can also spot migrating birds at sea such as the Skuas. The reserve’s fields and meadows on the cliff top are home to all sorts of wild flowers and Butterflies. Around the visitor centre is a healthy flock of Tree Sparrows and nesting Swallows. Short Eared Owls have been seen quartering the area and many small migrating warblers have been recorded in the hedgerows.

We could spend a week there, easily.

The sight, the sound, and the smell of the Seabird City along with the stunning views of the Yorkshire Coast, is just something everyone has to experience at some point. You will never forget it. Well, you may want to forget the smelly bit, depends which way the wind is blowing. (Picture taken by our Granddaughter)

From Bempton Cliffs looking over Filey Bay towards Scarborough. This is why we love the Yorkshire Coast.

We hoped to catch site of the Black-Browed Albatross who has been named by the locals “Albert Ross”. So you can imagine how thrilled we were to see him and to be able to point him out to the Grandchildren. He put on a fine aerobatic display to the watching visitors. He flew so close and his wingspan was so wide that sometimes we could not get all of him in the picture. These birds are normally found in the Southern hemisphere and spend their days exploring the southern seas but this one appears to like Bempton as it has been visiting the last three summers. Albatrosses blown off-course in the northern hemisphere seem to associate themselves with large gannet colonies like the one at Bempton, and you cannot blame him.

Black -Browed Albatross ( View more Albatross Images from this trip in the Sea Bird Gallery )

Early in the summer the Gannets share the cliffs with nesting Puffins, Razorbills, and Guillemots but this time of year only a few remain as the majority have flown off to explore the seas leaving the Gannets , Kittiwakes, Fulmars and Herring Gulls room to spread out.

The northern Gannet is the largest of our seabirds. Bright white with a black-tipped six foot wingspan, a creamy orange head and a long dagger-like bill, these plunge-diving birds are mesmerising.

Gannet image taken by our Grandson. (More images of the Gannets taken on this trip can be viewed in the Sea Bird gallery)

Kittiwakes

Juvenile Kittiwake spreading its wings. (More Images of the Kittiwakes in the Sea Bird Gallery)

One of the RSPB Volunteers pointed out this young Fulmar chick in a rock crevice, we would not have spotted it otherwise. It was so well hidden and looked safe from the elements and predators.

Fulmars belong to a group of birds known as “tubenoses” or “petrels” and are related to the Albatrosses. When threatened, nesting birds will spit a foul smelling oily mixture onto intruders.

The Tree Sparrow is a scarce and declining bird in the UK thus making this flock around the visitor centre extremely important. Tree Sparrows can be found in woodlands and on farmland and unlike the House Sparrow it cannot be found in urban areas. A Tree Sparrow has a chestnut brown head whilst the male House Sparrow has a light grey head

One of the young fledgling Swallows just thinking about getting up courage to fly out into the wide world.