Pigney's Wood, Dragons and Hoppers

I went to Pigney's yesterday, a Wood Sandpiper was the only bird highlight, so luckily I saw some other bits.

The targets of today were Grasshoppers and Dragonflies. 

Loads of Dragonflies on the wing including Brown Hawker, Common Darter and Emperor. Also these.

Migrant Hawker

Southern Hawker

As for the Grasshoppers/Crickets I got to see plenty and photograph few but here's what I got.

Common Green Grasshopper

Field Grasshopper

Another Field Grasshopper in brown

Long-winged Conehead

Was hoping for more birds plenty of Chiffchaffs but nothing else yet.

If I have ID these wrong I am sure you will all be able to read James's comments below he's bound to correct me.

Nectarine Warbler

This was the name heard by an elderly lady who was half deaf, it was heard as Cream Warbler and then corrected to Nectarine she went away happy though.

I was lucky enough to get great views of the Burnham Overy Icterine Warbler this afternoon getting these shots.

I only went as its a bird I have seen a few times but have never managed a picture so was pleased with my results.

Got this video also



On the walk up and back I was lucky enough to have a Spoonbill only a few feet over my head, also saw Greenshank, Summer plumage Grey Plover and Whimbrel

also saw these interesting? insects, not something I have noticed before.

Lots of butterflies also with Wall, Gatekeeper, Meadow Brown, Painted Lady, Red Admiral, Common Blue and the whites, here is a video I got a couple of weeks ago.

Down on the patch again, New moth, Plus Hummingbird Hawkmoth

First thing this morning I looked out of the window and to my delight I could see a Hummingbird Hawkmoth on the Valerian outside, it hung about long enough to get this....

This is the 4th sighting in the last few weeks I guess it must be different moths each time but it is the first time in the 8 years we have lived here that I have seen them.

For the afternoon I headed out to do some dragonfly watching, this failed, as although it was warm obviously the lack of sunshine had put them off from flying.

So I stuck to birds and any other wildlife I could find on the patch.

Birds....

A pair of Little Grebe have built a nest very close to a hide and currently have 6 maybe 7 eggs.

When she (?) leaves the nest she covers the eggs in the damp weed and when she returns she removes the weed to sit on the eggs again I captured this on this video.

Other birds of note were two Green Sandpiper, Little Egret and Cuckoo.

But here are a few shots of the other birds spotted.

Also saw this very dark Buzzard, not a bird I have seen in the area before.

I also had a go at getting my first decent shots of Goldcrest nothing amazing but check out the crest on the last picture.

The light was all wrong but what light there was really highlighted that crest.

Butterflies

Like the Dragonflies, butterflies where thin on the ground Speckled Wood was the only other Butterfly seen apart from those below.

Meadow Brown

Two Red Admiral

Moths

Saw a few more moths that Butterflies. Seeing another Hummingbird Hawkmoth, a Cinnabar, 8 Yellow-barred Long-horn and 9 Common Marble...

20+ Common Nettle Tap

1 Silver-ground Carpet

And a brand new moth which I saw two of a White-barred Gold - Micropterix aruncella

Damselfly/Dragonfly

The only dragonfly seen a Four-spotted Chaser

Did see Large Red Damselfly, Azure Blue and these which I think are male and female Blue-tailed Damselfly

Other Insects and animals

This Orange Ladybird was cool

Have no idea where to even start looking for this....

Frogpole (it still had its tail)

and just because it looked nice...

Three Bird Roasting

After the excitement of Thursdays Blakeney point dash to see the Paddyfield Warbler I wasn't overly worried about the Whimbrel or Yellowlegs on the south coast... but when news of a Black-eared Wheatear came onto the pager I felt I couldn't resist the temptation.

Here is Thursdays Paddyfield Warbler Twitch with only a handful of birders.

And here is a less than great quality video of the very elusive bird.




So back to yesterday, Leaving at about 1pm we had just enough time to visit all three sites and the possibility of having a three lifer day.

We done the Whimbrel first arriving at 5pm (ish) but upon arrival the bird had been flushed by a Spitfire and hadn't been seen we waited as long as we could before having to leave at 6.20pm allowing us time to see the other birds.

So Hudsonian Whimbrel - DIPPED

Next stop Greater Yellowlegs upon arrival a man in the car says it was there 30 mins ago great we thought we march off but once getting to the site no sign of the bird. We waited as long as possible allowing us time to get the last bird but failed to see the Greater Yellowlegs.

So Greater Yellowlegs - DIPPED

With the day going smashingly well we headed for the Wheatear, the news from the man in the car park was "its quite mobile, haven't seen it for about and hour" great!

We head of along the track but as we go positive news filters through and upon arrival there it was. To be fair this is the bird that got be here in the first place (mainly as I feel there is more chance of the other two turning up in Norfolk as some point, although you know that now I have said that a Black-eared Wheatear will be on Blakeney point later this week)

We watched the bird until it got dark and it covered a huge area during the hour or so we were there.

So a good end to a challenging day, you don't win them all that why birding is so special.

But on the plus side it was nice to leave all the dank and dismal weather behind and enjoy the sunshine.

Getting up at 5am does make a difference

Last night I found the young owls once again that I had seen last week ( I actually found two extra sets elsewhere also)

So as the light is terrible in the deep dark woods in the evening I thought would go early doors to see what I could get.

I covered two sections of my patch walking from Bacton Woods through to Ebridge.

The baby owls were still in the same spot but the light still wasn't that great, so I walked on.

This Bee gave me a wave.

Tufted Duck were a great bird for Ebridge

Willow Warbler above and below showing the difference the sun can make

A pair of Mistle Thrushes were unhappy with this.

Popping back hoping to get the young Tawny's in better light there was no sign of them but the adult was showing well.

and to top it of found a small colony of Firecrest with around 6 birds

Popped back later to show a friend the Tawny and got this picture also.

And just to add to the greatness of the day I added two new moths.

The awesome looking Common Tubic - Alabonia geoffrella Elm Midget - Phyllonorycter trifasciella