Out and about in Three Counties

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 A visit from my sister usually means we can go out and about bird and butterfly hunting together.  Our original plans to search for the beautiful Swallowtail butterfly were shelved as it is near the end of the season and chances of seeing them were getting slimmer so we elected to visit Minsmere on the Suffolk Coast which was a first visit for my sister.  There was plenty to see although not as many waders as expected.  We did see a variety of gulls and terns with a Mediterranean gull and Kittiwake playing "Where's Wally" amongst the many blackbacked gulls and providing me with two new ticks for the year. There were numerous sand martins nesting in the purpose built bank and in the popular Bittern Hide we were treated to a several Bittern fly pasts and a view of a kingfisher perching in the water channel. 

Dragonflies were also seen including an ovipositing female Emperor Dragonfly and the large green eyed brown Norfolk Hawker patrolling up and down a ditch.

After Minsmere we made a short visit to Dunwich Heath where we eventually found a few tatty Silver Spotted Blue butterflies not far from the carpark although we had done a circular walk to find them!   This was a butterfly I had not seen  before. I also saw a young Stonechat which was the first sighting fo me this year.

Next day I offered to drive the relatively short trip to Knapwell Wood (Cambridgeshire)  where I knew we would probably find White letter hairstreak butterflies in a certain glade in the wood and then on to Therfield Heath (Hertfordshire) where I had already seen Dark Green Fritillaries,  Both species were on my sisters ' need to see' list for this year. 

So 7  bird ticks,  2 dragonflies and 2 butterflies!

Kingfisher

Sandmartin

Shelduck

Avocet

Coot and young

common terns
Sandwich terns
 

Kittiwake

Mediterranean gull
 
Four spotted chaser

Emperor dragonfly

Four spotted chaser

Norfolk hawker
 

young Stonechat


Silver studded blue


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