Norfolk part five

Strumpshaw Fen wasn’t far from where we were staying so we went to have a look around. I’m pleased we did we had a cracking day out with my first Norfolk Hawker seen and photographed. I was going to do this blog in two parts but we are having trouble with the internet so while we have a signal I will do a long blog just in case. 

Bittern.

Juvenile Cuckoo.

Marsh Harrier.

Kingfisher.

Reed Warbler.

Juvenile Swallow.

Juveniles getting fed.

My first Norfolk Hawker.

Ruddy Darter.

Common Darter.

Dark Bush Cricket.

Cricket.

Holly Blue Butterfly.

Small Tortoiseshell Butterfly.

Buff-tip Moth Caterpillar.

Great Diving Beetle.

Ichneumon Wasp.

Xylota segnis?

Thin-legged Wolf Spider?

Back to being behind

 And I start with Rainton Meadows last month.

Great White Egret.

It struck

Caught a fish

And ate it.

It stood for a while 

Preened.

Then gave its self a shake.

Snipe.

The back end of the Bittern that was at Rainton Meadows for a while (this unfortunately was the best I got).

Four-spotted Chaser.

Common Darter.

A rubbish shot of a Brown Hawker but this was the best I got.

I was looking for the Small Red-eyed Damselfly but didn’t see any so here is a Blue-tailed Damselfly.

Common Blue Damselfly. 

St Aidan’s part six

 The sixth and final part of our trip to RSPB St Aidan’s. My last Blog was Bitterns in flight however to be able to get into flight they naturally must take off.  Here is a full sequence of one of the Bitterns coming out of the reeds and taking off.

If you look very closely you can just make out the eye of a second Bittern below and to the left of the first.

At times it didn’t look elegant.

And it seemed to be crashing into the reeds a lot

But it did eventually make it out

And as Bob and Paul would say “and away”