A few weeks since I last posted and things are changing fast. The wheat is in full ear, the oil seed rape is full of green pods, some more wildflowers are out.
A sunny morning, free day and reports of a Great Reed Warbler seen at Ouse Fen found me visiting the reserve this morning. The carpark was busy which was a good indication that this rare visitor was still there and I soon got into conservation with a gentleman who was also about to walk down to where it had been seen. It wasnt long before we saw a group of birders ahead of us on a viewing mound which had been trampled down and a kind person offered me a view through his telescope as as we arrived where it was in full song. I was soon able to locate in my binoculars and camera and noticed its striking red throat when singing. Once I was satisfied with photos I headed off round the reserve where reed buntings, sedge and reed warblers and whitethroats were very visible and I also saw my first painted lady butterfly of the season. Great Reed Warbler Can you see me? Reed Bunting Whitethroat Sedge Warbler
When my sister comes up to stay we usually spend a day out birding together looking for birds she doesnt see in her area and adding to my list as I dont get out birding much on my own. Yesterday was no exception and we decided to do a round trip of three reserves with different habitats starting with Eldernell by the Nene Washes where our aim was to see some owls. There were a few other birders there also looking and once we had identified the area for the tawny sighting, my sister managed to spot it sitting in it usual hole deep in the woods. We heard that the long eared owl normally seen there, was not in its usual place in the hedge so I wondered along looking to see if it was anywhere else. Suddenly my sister called out, "there's an owl" as something shot out from near me and flew across a field to a distant bramble bush. We trained our binoculars on the brambles and could just make out the head of a short eared owl. Another tick. Sadly we d...
A few weeks ago when the weather was warm and sunny I made a few trips looking for the summer butterflies in Norfolk, Northampton and Cambridgeshire. Our Norfolk trip was to Strumpshaw Fen where for the past few years we have tried, to spot the beautiful but elusive swallowtail but only managed short glimpses due to cloudy or windy conditions or being too early or too late in the season! However on 16 June this year the weather and flight window seemed perfect so we were very hopeful of success this time. On arrival we checked in and immediately saw a group of people with telescopes at the reception hide where they had spotted a bittern amongst the reeds, Someone kindly offered us the use of their telescope where we had a quick sighting before it disappeared into the reeds again. We then made for the area known as the 'Doctors garden' where swallowtails are most often seen nectaring and several people standing in the area told us they had just had a close up of one on ...
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