Green-winged Orchids

 

This years wet weather has certainly benefited the orchids. Lush growth and this site is literally covered in orchids.  Absolutely beautiful, a stunning carpet of purple. A few different colour variations aswell from every shade of purple through to light pink and even white.  

Honey Buzzards

Bingo !  2 Honey Buzzards, very distant and heavily cropped pics but this takes our annual tally to 179. A brilliant day, catching up with a few folk and with lovely pack-up and coffee to keep us going! A spotted flycatcher and an osprey flyby topped off the day. 

Bittern !!

 

WOW  !  Totally unexpected and believe it or not, too close for the 500mm lens and I couldn't move to get my phone out for fear of spooking it.....but no complaints whatsoever !

Little Gulls and Garganey, RSPB Blacktoft Sands

 

Little Gulls and Garganey

5 Little Gulls from Ousefleet Hide on Thurday

Garganey gave us some good views

Reed Bunting

Shellduck

Yellow Wagtail

Lots of Avocet chicks about

Our first visit to Blacktoft Sands since lockdown was lifted. Rain was forecast so what better than to spend time in a bird hide. We have really missed Blacktoft to be honest. Anyway, car parked, booked in at visitors centre and off to the hides. Little Gulls had been seen and they would be a new bird for the year so off to Ousefleet we went. The first chap sat in the hide was not wearing a face covering at all despite many signs around the reserve. We hadn't been there long before a friend turned up, another one with no mask and sat in the hatched area so no social distancing either. And on it went. I looked around and there must have been 12 people in the hide (when there should only be 6), no social distancing and very few face coverings. Do birders think the rules don't apply to them??   We beat a retreat, not impressed. 

Our Nightjars are back !

 

We are so lucky to live where we do with this on our doorstep. Two nightjars, churring away, clapping. A magical sight and sound. A woodcock did his usual route round, pig and whistle ! When we arrived, a fox trotted past, gave us a look and was on his way. A couple of little owls were standing guard on a building nearby. A muntjac ran out crossing the road, straight infront of us on the way home, we missed it by inches !  Our hearts skipped a beat as it leapt to safety, missing two cars by a whisker xx

A fantastic evening, now home to dab our mosquito bites !