Norfolk part four

 We crossed the border into Suffolk to visit Weeting Heath National Nature Reserve to see if we could see any Stone Curlew. We did in fact there were another couple in the hide and they had counted at least sixteen, we didn’t see that many, I think the most we saw was eight however seeing only one before that was a great result. The same couple told us that the RSPB Lakenheath wasn’t far away so we had to visit there too. Suffice to say it was a long walk around the reserve for very little reward.

A centipede in the garden of the cottage.

For some reason a blister appeared near its head.

Lauxaniids Sp. of Fly?

Box Bug instar.

Stone Curlew.

Six in this shot.

24-spot Ladybird at Lakenheath.

Great White Egret.

Little Egret.

Common Tern in a dive.

It came up with a fish.

Ruddy Darter.

Back at the cottage there were dozens of Migrant Hawker hawking over the field next door.

Wasp cleaning its self. 

Forest of Dean part seven

 A trip to Slimbridge to see the White-spotted Blue Throat that has been returning to the same place for the last five years. It was always distant and the heat haze didn’t help but it was nice to see it. For me (and this is just a personal observation) Slimbridge is more like a zoo than a nature reserve with ornamental ducks etc. however I still enjoyed the day out. Later that evening I went to visit the Nagshead reserve again in the hope of seeing Wild Boar but alas I was disappointed once again. I did however see some of the birds I had seen on a previous visit.

White-spotted Blue Throat.

Sedge Warbler and Reed Bunting on the same stick (again distant).

Please correct me if I’m wrong but I think this could be a Scarce Chaser.

Red-headed Cardinal Beetle.

The best I could get of this Brimstone Butterfly.

Plant Bugs.

And then there were four.

Larvae of a 7-spot Ladybird.

Larvae and Pupa of a 7-spot Ladybird.

7-spot Ladybird.

Frog Hopper.

Little Egret.

Hawfinch from the Nagshead reserve.

Blackcap.

Goldcrest.

Rainton Meadows

 I haven’t been to Rainton Meadows since last year so my wife and I decided to visit yesterday. Unfortunately, the Bittern that has been at Joe’s Pond recently was a no show while we were there but I did manage to get some images of some of the other birds that were showing from there and from the hide. A quick local walk when I got home didn’t produce much but it was still nice to be out.

Little Egret.

Great Crested Grebe.

A pair of Teal.

Lapwing.

An unusual looking Coot.

Bullfinch.

A grab shot of a Red Kite as if flew over when I got out of the car at home.

A couple of Roe Deer from my walk at home.