A LITTLE BIT OF EVERYTHING-NORFOLK

Below are photographs I have taken over the last few weeks in Norfolk whilst staying with friends. I have been visiting different places in the county and seen some amazing wildlife on my travels.The moth trap has also been busy and used on a daily basis.

 Lepidoptera

Great Jersey Moth

Poplar Hawk Moth

Rosy Footman

Least Carpet

Clouded Silver

Scarce Footman

Bordered Beauty

Flounced Rustic

Clouded Silver

Grasshoppers & Crickets

Large Marshgrasshopper

Lesser Field Grasshopper

Bog Brush-Cricket

Common Field Grasshopper

Odonata 

Azure Damselfly

Common Darter

Small Redeye Damselfly

Willow Emerald Damselfly

Migrant Hawker

Common Emerald

Butterflies 

Silver Studded Blue

Chalkhill Blue

Brimstone

Swallowtail

Silver Studded Blue

Adder

Badger

Chinese Water Deer

TEMMINCK'S STINT-DICKLEBURUGH MOOR

Me and Owen called in at a new site this evening,Dickleburugh Moor.There has been a Temminck's Stint present for a few days and a Wood Sandpiper was now apparently on site.

Dickleburugh Moor

It didn't take long to find the Temminck's Stint foraging only a few meters from the footpath and it showed really well.

A Wood Sandpiper also showed well on the opposite flood with 4 Ruff,2 Green Sandpiper and a Hobby put in a low flight performance.

A lovely evening spent walking around this site and a cracking place for birds. 

HUDSONIAN GODWIT-BURTON RSPB

Late on Monday night, it was announced that Colin Wells had discovered a Hudsonian Godwit at Burton RSPB. Since I was out of town for the week, I was unable to stop its recovery. When the news broke at nine in the morning, there was no evidence of the bird. Then, the dreaded MEGA alert went off, and the bird was still there! We don't often say that, but this was a first for Cheshire and Wirral and a magnificent bird for our county. I had previously seen one in 2015 down in Somerset.

I made up my mind. Since it was almost five hours away from home, I decided not to go and tried to continue with my day. Fortunately, the bird took flight, but it would have been worse if I had started driving. Then word spread that the bird had been spotted at the Connah's Quay reserve earlier Monday. People have been searching for the bird nonstop for the remainder of the week, but they haven't found it.

The bacon is grilling this morning when the MEGA warning goes off, "It's BACK." After a wild five minutes, Jenna and I are in the car. After a fifteen-minute drive, we arrived at the location and proceeded to move quickly around to Border Hide, where it was roosting directly in front of the hide. When the bird finally performed exceptionally well, it spread its wings and revealed its dazzling black undersides. What a grip back after believing the bird was gone, and what a bird! 

The Hudsonian Godwit has a pronounced black underwing and is somewhat smaller than our typical Black-Tailed Godwits. They are a long-distance migratory bird that spends the winter in southern South America and nests in isolated locations in northern Canada.

PREVIOUS BOU RECORDS:

2020 Eden Estuary, Fife-Eden Estuary, 1CY-3rd November-17th December

2015 Meare Heath, Somerset-3CY+ Female-24th April to 3rd May

1988 Slaine Pools-Collieston, Aberdeenshire-26th September

1983 Blacktoft Sands RSPB-East Yorkshire-Adult, 26th April to 6th May-Presumed same as 1981 individual.

1981 Countess Wear-Exeter-Adult-22nd November to 14th January 1982, photo; presumed same as East Yorkshire.

1981 Blacktoft Sands RSPB-East Yorkshire-Adult-10th September to 3rd October;also in Devon.