Song Thrush
Blackcap
Speckled Wood
Muntjac
Pictures from the garden, 18 April 2019
Following on from yesterday's blog entry I spent a little time trying to get some pics of our garden wildlife today and these are the results:
Notes from the garden, 17 April 2019
With our house move now just a couple of weeks away I've been making the most of the garden. This afternoon I had 3 butterfly yearticks in the form of Holly Blue, Speckled Wood and Green-veined White plus Brimstone and Small White. Our most pleasing garden residents are a pair of Song Thrushes who are busy feeding c4 young in a nest just across from our patio. A Swallow hawked over late afternoon and our regular Muntjac and it's half-grown young were showing well, even to Belinda's childminding children!
Song Thrush nest site (right foreground in hedge)
Lazy Sunday afternoon, 14 April 2019
The afternoon began with a rather tense football match that Jus, Andy and I watched in the Greyhound in Diss before heading out into deepest Suffolk.
We made a couple of stops at tucked away meadows where Snakeshead Fritillaries where nicely out. Disappointingly Wild Tulip was curiously absent and Early Purple Orchids are only just starting to emerge. This is rather odd because 2019 is well behind 2018 despite the 'beast from the east' having hit in late winter 2018. Creeping Buttercups were just starting to come in to flower but there was very little to get excited about.
We opted to head to Christchurch Park in Ipswich where the stench of relegation was in the air! 8 Mandarins (7 drakes) were easily seen plus a tame Stock Dove and some more Snakeshead Fritillaries (of unknown origin). The impressive Golden Poplar was also just coming into leaf.
We made a couple of stops at tucked away meadows where Snakeshead Fritillaries where nicely out. Disappointingly Wild Tulip was curiously absent and Early Purple Orchids are only just starting to emerge. This is rather odd because 2019 is well behind 2018 despite the 'beast from the east' having hit in late winter 2018. Creeping Buttercups were just starting to come in to flower but there was very little to get excited about.
We opted to head to Christchurch Park in Ipswich where the stench of relegation was in the air! 8 Mandarins (7 drakes) were easily seen plus a tame Stock Dove and some more Snakeshead Fritillaries (of unknown origin). The impressive Golden Poplar was also just coming into leaf.
Snakeshead Fritillaries
Early Purple Orchids
Creeping Buttercup
Coot feeding chick
Mandarins
Don't ask!
Stock Dove
Golden Poplar
Weybread GPs, 11 April 2019
A quick lunchtime sojourn to Weybread today and I have to say it was one of the quietest visits I've ever made. I did manage to yeartick Common Tern and House Martin but there was little else to trouble the scorers. A good number of Blackcaps was good to note (including my first female of the year) plus a pair of Reed Buntings but that was really scraping the barrel!
At Winks Meadow I was was way too early for any orchids, just loads of Cowslips so I concentrated on taking some photos of flowering European Larch. Fans of Monty Python will know this is #1!
At Winks Meadow I was was way too early for any orchids, just loads of Cowslips so I concentrated on taking some photos of flowering European Larch. Fans of Monty Python will know this is #1!
European Larch
Hybrid duck goodness! 10 April 2019
I nipped down to Whitlingham again today but in the end had to visit it twice (with a couple of hours in the city in between) before I finally found the hybrid White-cheeked Pintail x Mallard by the slipway. It was third time lucky and in the end it almost became a personal vendetta! The drake Wigeon was also still hanging about but apart from 3 Cetti's Warblers singing and a scattering of Blackcaps and Chiffchaffs it was very quiet indeed. The chiffys included the rather odd bird below which I strongly suspect may be a Siberian Chiffchaff. The call certainly seemed right.
On the way back I called in to Ashwellthorpe Wood where I was delighted to find a single Early Purple Orchid in flower. The season is underway...
On the way back I called in to Ashwellthorpe Wood where I was delighted to find a single Early Purple Orchid in flower. The season is underway...
White-cheeked Pintail x Mallard hybrid
putative Siberian Chiffchaff
Early Purple Orchids
Weekend wild flowers, 6 & 7 April 2019
Despite the very grey and wet weather we managed to get out for a walk in Tyrrel's Wood close to home this afternoon. Mainly I wanted to check the progress of 'our' Early Purple Orchids which grow in just one spot in the wood. I was pleased to see some kind soul has roped the area off and put a sign up to prevent trampling because many are right on the edge of the path. There was one plant very nearly out but it was pleasing to note a lot more rosettes than last year so hopefully it'll be a good year for them. Also out in profusion were Early Dog Violets, Lesser Celandines, Dogs Mercury, Herb Robert and the first Bluebells. Avian highlights were 2 Nuthatches, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Chiffchaffs and Blackcap.
Yesterday, while out we stumbled upon a nice patch of Summer Snowflakes.
Yesterday, while out we stumbled upon a nice patch of Summer Snowflakes.
Early Purple Orchids
Early Dog Violet
Herb Robert
Summer Snowflake
Top Secret Mission, 6 April 2019
The boys and I headed out into the Norfolk wilds yesterday on our very own 'secret mission'. En-route a single Red Kite livened up a very grey afternoon and then we arrived at the site for our vigil. It took some while with just some tail views of a bird on the nest but after about an hour and a half in flew the other bird of the pair for a nest change over. A breeeding pair of Ravens in our home county! Last year they bred at this same location but that was the first breeding pair since 1859! We hung around for a bit gaining several views and hearing the young calling from within the nest. A Marsh Harrier flew over and a Siskin was singing but that was about it. Nonetheless it was mission accomplished.
With the light fading we then popped in to another site we know for Little Owl adding 22 Oystercatchers (a very good inland count), 2 Stock Doves and a calling Kingfisher.
Earlier in the day I'd spent a little while at Whitlingham failing to locate the hybrid Mallard x White-cheeked Pintail at the slipway but the drake Wigeon was there. 4 Grey Wagtails, c6 Swallows (my first of the year), c25 Sand Martins, 2 Cetti's Warbler and several singing Blackcaps. I spent a little time getting some gull 'portraits' to whie away the time before meeting the boys.
With the light fading we then popped in to another site we know for Little Owl adding 22 Oystercatchers (a very good inland count), 2 Stock Doves and a calling Kingfisher.
Earlier in the day I'd spent a little while at Whitlingham failing to locate the hybrid Mallard x White-cheeked Pintail at the slipway but the drake Wigeon was there. 4 Grey Wagtails, c6 Swallows (my first of the year), c25 Sand Martins, 2 Cetti's Warbler and several singing Blackcaps. I spent a little time getting some gull 'portraits' to whie away the time before meeting the boys.
Raven
Tree featuring Little Owl!
Wigeon
Lesser Black-backed Gulls
Common Gull
Blackcap
Whitlingham Garganey and some stunning naturalised flowers, 28 & 29 March 2019
Yesterday I nipped out to a churchyard location I'd been given where the stunning Dog Toothed Violet grows. Upon arrival I was greeted to a superb display of over 300 plants. These are now regarded as being naturalised as, despite them being a mainly Mediterrenean species they have been growing here happily for nearly 200 years!
This afternoon I paid Whitlingham a visit and eventually located the pair of Garganey on Little Broad that Jus had found yesterday. Kingfisher, Cetti's Warbler and Siskin plus plenty of Brimstones were also noted in a brief visit.
A few days ago (last Sunday to be precise) we had a Small White in the garden and a walk from Covehithe to Kessingland produced singles of Blackcap, Chiffchaff and Wheatear. The latter a male on the beach by Benacre Broad.
This afternoon I paid Whitlingham a visit and eventually located the pair of Garganey on Little Broad that Jus had found yesterday. Kingfisher, Cetti's Warbler and Siskin plus plenty of Brimstones were also noted in a brief visit.
A few days ago (last Sunday to be precise) we had a Small White in the garden and a walk from Covehithe to Kessingland produced singles of Blackcap, Chiffchaff and Wheatear. The latter a male on the beach by Benacre Broad.
Garganey
Dog Toothed Violets
Wymondham Abbey Peregrine, 22 March 2019
I took a drive out to Wymondham this morning. To do some shopping but also to try for the regular Peregrine there. After doing a whole 360 around the abbey I found the bird perched high up on the last side of the second tower! After spending some time in the town I returned on the way back to the car at it was still in the same spot. Quite a small bird so presumably a male. A Great Spotted Woodpecker was drumming too.
While passing I also had a quick check in Ashwellthorpe Woods and found a few rosettes of Early Purple Orchids showing that the season is nearly upon us. The first few Wood Anenomes and plenty of Early Dog Violets were also out. There was also a flock of c40 Yellowhammers in stubble/hedges on the walk to the wood.
While passing I also had a quick check in Ashwellthorpe Woods and found a few rosettes of Early Purple Orchids showing that the season is nearly upon us. The first few Wood Anenomes and plenty of Early Dog Violets were also out. There was also a flock of c40 Yellowhammers in stubble/hedges on the walk to the wood.
Peregrine
Early Purple Orchid rosette
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