A near Perfect Day!!!

MARSH WARBLER

Started the day at 6.30am watching a MARSH WARBLER at a private site. Unfortunately news of where this bird is can not be released, as besides being on private land, there is a possibility that Mrs Marsh Warbler may be interested! I also heard today that a second one has been found in Norfolk yesterday, which again for the same reasons, the location cannot be released. The repertoire of this bird was magical and mimicked the following: blackbird, common tern, bee-eater, goldfinch, swift, great tit, skylark, linnet, house sparrow, common whitethroat, oystercatcher, swallow, green woodpecker, heron, buzzard, magpie and willow warbler. Another birder and I compiled a list of 11, but just listening to my recordings on my iphone I have managed to add another 6! I found this bird absolutely amazing to listen to. It also was a bit like a Cettis Warbler - as in, it would be singing right next to you, but wouldn't show - only on the odd occasion. Other birds seen on sight were great crested grebes in courtship, cuckoo, kingfisher, common tern, reed and willow warblers, reed buntings. Also met the finder of the recent Black Stork who showed me a photograph he had taken of it!

Marsh Warbler.

Reed Warbler.


Reed Bunting with a beakful of food.

Great Crested Grebe.

Banded Demoiselle.


Red-eyed Damselfly.


Wren.

On return to my car I got a phone call from my insurance company to say they agreed to replace my Nikon P5000 which I dropped accidently last year and have agreed to replace it with the Nikon P7000 which is fantastic news! I had developed a sorethroat and cold today - goodness knows where I got that from - hmmm..... probably from a patient or visitor from hospital at the weekend I am guessing - was now feeling rubbish so decided to have a little snooze in the car before going to Strumpshaw Fen to photograph Swallowtails.


STRUMPSHAW FEN RSPB


Arrived here at a ridiculously late time of 2.45pm, but I did achieve what I came for.

After checking in at the reception centre I made my way to the Meadow Trail. Photographed a Four spotted chaser and was lucky enough to see a Swallowtail in the exact same spot as last year, but it flew off too quickly for photograph! I did see a Norfolk Hawker but was not able to get a good photograph. I walked all the way along the river bank where the path continues through the woods. Just before walking through the wood there is a dyke alongside the path where scarce chasers were in abundance around a week ago I was told, but didn't see any today. Carried on through the wood and bumped into Justin Lansdell (nice to see you) who was looking for spotted flycatchers. I left Justin to continue his search and continued through the wood back to the reception area. I then walked along the road to THE garden down the unmade up track to see if I was lucky with swallowtails. A young girl arrived at the garden at the same time as me and had her camera to the ready for a beautifully posing swallowtail. BUT it did not pose long enough for me to change my 300mm lens to the 100mm macro lens and promptly flew off! The girl left and was obviously pleased with her pictures. I sat and waited and waited. My patience paid off and got my best ever pictures of Swallowtails set against sweet williams! A couple of pied wagtails were on the sloped lawn and a great spotted woodpecker was feeding off the nuts on the bird table. I went back to my car and had tea.

Broad-bodied Chaser set against rays of sunlight.

Water Lily.

Norfolk Hawker.

Damselflies mating.

Four spotted Chaser.



Large Skipper.


Poppy.


Bee - Delphinium.





Swallowtail Butterfly in THE Garden.



THE Swallowtail Garden.


This plant shadowed completely in the water leading up the Fen Hide.
name of this plant anyone please?

Walked back to the reserve and to Fen Hide. It was a lovely evening walk, but the sun was pouring into the hide, so didn't stay long as couldn't really see anything! On the way back, Cettis Warblers burst into song and Norfolk Hawkers were zipping around the board walk at 8.30pm, but didn't land once! A couple of marsh harriers were also seen. Left Strumpshaw at 9.15pm and felt so ill I had to stop twice to shut my eyes. Arrived home around 10.30pm.

Sunset from Fen Hide, Strumpshaw Fen. (iphone)

Festival Too update!!!

Saturday, 25th June - Elton John Tribute, fireworks display.

Friday, 1st July - The Yesterdays, Howard Jones

Saturday, 2nd July - Birkenhed, Lady GaGa Tribute, The Lightening Seeds

Friday, 8th July - Sinead and the Dawnbreakers, SOPHIE ELLIS BEXTOR

Saturday, 9th July - Wonderland, The Feeling, KLFM and Twisted Melon Promotions Battle Of The Band winners (TBC), The Hoosiers in association with KLFM.

http://www.festivaltoo.co.uk/

Another crap beginning, but huge improvement by afternoon!

Avocet catching a fish at Redwell Marsh Hide.

Overslept again! Now I shouldn't really confess to this but it will make people laugh I suppose - after packing car up, I was just about to set off when I realised my trousers had split (Ha ha ha) - I knew the material was getting thin, combined with the fact that they are not exactly loose any more!!! So had no choice but to go into town to buy new trousers. Stopped at the post office to get car tax etc on route. Found a really nice cotton/linen khaki green colour in 'Peacocks' and when I got to the till I got an absolute bargain - they should have been £22.00 but I was only charged £12.00!!! Left the shop and went into Westgate department store which said it is closing down!!!!! Bought a pair of comfortable sandals which were considerably reduced and decided to wear them there and then and carry my walking boots in bag as it was now boiling hot. Got out my purse to pay and to my horror realised I had must have left my bank card at the previous shop. So there I was standing in a pair of sandals I had not paid for yet - the shop assistant looked after my stuff - I took off the sandals and decided that every second counted and did not want to waste time faffing about putting on socks and walking boots, so ran bare foot through the town (got some funny looks I can tell you) to 'Peacocks'!!!!!! As soon as I reached the till, the shop assistant said 'don't worry we have your card'. Heart stops racing and then walked back to Westgate hoping that no one really notices that I am barefoot! Bought the sandals and then went into Millets to find a much better pair of 'Karrimor' Sandals for £34.99 which is cheap for serious walking sandals - another pair in there were £79.00! Really wish I had not bought the ones in Westgate now, I might try and take them back! The town was full of screaming children, mother's with bags and bored husbands - typical town scene really. Got out of town quickly and then went to Holme to deliver shopping to my parents. On arrival at my parents house, my father was in his usual summer attire of sun hat, shirt and normally shorts, but today it was 'swimming trunks' - thats what he called them anyway - they looked like pants to me!!!

Holme Bird Observatory - Sophie was busy at the computer when I arrived and we had a good old girly chat and I congratulated her on her first day as Warden! A mistle thrush was sitting on the tree at the bottom of the path and in fact there had been three sitting there earlier.

Parked the car by Redwell Marsh Hide and walked the river path to the static caravan opposite 'Sandy Ridge' or the Collared Flycatcher spot (now you know where I mean!) I scanned into the tall sycamore and popular trees and tried to magic up another mega for Holme, but alas nothing. BUT a little while later whilst standing by the gate and trying to recollect exactly which branch the Collared Flycatcher had been sitting on when I first saw it with David, a Spotted Flycatcher appeared in my bins!!!!!! Brilliant! I phoned Sophie to let her know - she didn't need to answer the phone as she then drove up alongside where I was standing! Looking up into the trees again the Spotted Flycatcher had disappeared completely! So no pictures of that one! Sophie pointed out a Hobby that flew over us. Spent a while searching for the spot fly, but to no avail. I walked back along the river path and watched several sedge warblers flitting about, a cettis warbler called and a cuckoo was singing. I could hear the cows munching grass on Redwell and the noise of all the black headed gulls. Sitting in the hide proved very productive: 4 black tailed godwits, 2 cuckoos flew over the hide, a redshank and 2 avocets right in front of hide, 3 oystercatchers. Bird of the day was a stunning Grey Wagtail which dropped in momentarily - just enough for me to get a few pictures! The cows were walking in front of the hide and around the waters edge which the black headed gulls were not happy about at all. Left here at 7.45pm and went home. Sandwiches are packed up and I AM getting up early tomorrow! Expect a LONG post tomorrow!

Grey Wagtail, in front of Redwell Marsh Hide.



Redshank, Redwell Marsh.



Black headed Gulls, Redwell Marsh.


Cows annoying the black headed gulls!


Cows at NOA Redwell Marsh Hide. (iphone)






Avocets, Redwell Marsh Hide.



Shelducks, Redwell Marsh Hide.


Oystercatcher, Redwell Marsh Hide.

New Warden at Holme Bird Observatory!

Sophie Barker starts her new post of Warden at Holme Bird Observatory today. Congratulations Sophie!

Who will the new AW be I wonder? Update: we will know in a month.

Update: New AW is Gary Elton!