|
26th June 2016
RSPB Strumpshaw Fen
There are many photographs of new species from my trip to Norfolk
so please bear with us while we update the site. The
reserve is on the West edge of the Norfolk Broads and it was teeming
with life. I arrived mid-morning to slightly disappointing weather. It
was overcast but warm and windless. At the very start of the circuit around the Fen I came upon a Twayblade
Orchid nestling in uncut grass just off the main pathway. Further round
a Reed Bunting attracted me by its familiar call. A dull-looking Grey
Heron passed as I arrived at the Fen Hide but after a short wait the
rather more impressive Marsh Harrier treated us to a fly past. Soon
afterwards the sun came out and seemed to paint colours onto the
reserve. As I left the hide a warden beckoned me over to see a
Red-banded Clearwing moth he had attracted using a pheromone lure.
On my way to the next hide I photographed a beautiful Southern Marsh
Orchid and close-by an Azure Damselfly. Overhead several Hobbys were
performing aerial acrobatics as they pursued their prey and at the
Tower Hide I captured a Hobby swooping over the edge of the pool. A
family of Coots were carefully guarding their feeding young. On my way
back to the car park I noticed a Black Swan in a small pool. Along the
path verges Hogweed flowers were the dining place for many
insects. I noted hoverflies Volucella Pellucens, Syrphus Ribesii and
Volucella Plumata (which looks like a bumblebee but is actually a
hoverfly!) I also saw the scary-looking black_and_yellow_longhorn
beetle. Right at the end of my trek I got some great sightings of the
Norfolk Hawker dragonfly. Back at the car my wonderful day was capped
with tea and a sandwich
followed with a chocolate biscuit. My only regret was that the
Swallowtail butterfly, for which the reserve is renowned, managed to
evade me (but I did see it the following day at Hickling Broad).
| Twayblade |
Reed Bunting |
Grey Heron |
 |
 |
 |
| Marsh Harrier |
Red- belted Clearwing |
Southern Marsh Orchid |
 |
 |
 |
| Azure Damselfly |
Map |
Eurasian Hobby |
 |
 |
 |
| Coot |
Black Swan |
Hoverfly - volucella_pellucens |
 |
 |
 |
| Hoverfly - syrphus_ribesii |
Hoverfly - volucella_plumata |
Beetle -
Black and Yellow Longhorn |
 |
 |
 |
| Dragonfly |
Norfolk Hawker |
Swallowtail.Britannicus |
 |
 |
 |
19th June 2016
Musselburgh
There were a few Tweets of a female King Eider at the mouth of the Esk
so we decided to head to our old stomping ground. Breakfast at Dalkeith
Morrisons was a poor 7 due to a lengthy wait and an unforgivable wrong
order. At Musselburgh a Sand Martin immediately caught our attention as we
left the car. It was only a few meters above us and we watched it
preening itself for a while. As we turned the corner onto the path by
the sea wall the 'Queen Eider' was close in heading straight for us. On
the shore a few meters away there were around 400 Common Eider, in
various stages of eclipse. Among them were a few female Goosanders
perhaps enjoying the protection of the large group. Just offshore were
a few more Eider females with some ducklings. As we headed along the
shore wall some nice Bucks-horn Plantain and Haresfoot Clover caught my
eye. As we headed for the scrapes the Forth was rather lifeless but we
discovered the seawall itself had a bit of life on it. It was time to
get the Raynox DCR-250 Macro lens out. There was a very small fly like
insect (which I've still to identify) and a multitude of very small red
spiders. To indicate scale on the picture John put a penny on the wall
as I captured the spiders going about their business. At the scrapes it was quite empty apart from the usual Oystercatchers,
a lone Shelduck, a pair of Red-legged Partridges a long way off and a
Greenshank and Curlew even farther off. On our return journey to the
car a lovely Meadow Pipit landed on the sea wall and soon after I spied
a very nice Skylark lingering quite close on a fence post. The waters
of the Forth disappointed until we returned to the mouth of the Esk
where Eider were still resting on the sandy shore with the 'Queen
Eider' on the water with her head under her wing. Our satisfactory
visit was ended with a more than satisfactory tea and Danish pastry as
we thought, "Musselburgh always delivers!
| Sand Martin |
King Eider Female |
Common Eider in Eclipse |
 |
 |
 |
| Female Goosander |
Common Eider Chick |
Bucks_horn Plantain |
 |
 |
 |
| Hares_foot_Clover |
To identify |
Spider Tetranychus_urticae |
 |
 |
 |
| Shelduck |
Red_legged Partridge |
Greenshank |
 |
 |
 |
| Curlew |
Skylark |
Meadow Pipit |
 |
 |
 |
5th June 2016
Kinneil Lagoon
When I awoke this morning, I wasn't sure where we would be heading. Usually we followed the weather but the whole of Central Scotland
was to be warm and sunny. However, as I had my cornflakes, Twitter
jumped to life with notifications of the elusive Gull-billed Tern,
spotted at Kinneil Lagoons near Bo'ness. Decision made. We headed east.
We had breakfast at Tesco at Hermiston Gate - a creditable 9.0, a great improvement from our last visit there! At Bo'ness we parked at Slab Lane and headed towards the Forth Estuary across the track of the Bo'ness and Kinneil Railway . We
were immediately met by a nice Wood Pigeon feeding on the grass by the
path. Further along the path I came across a few Northern Marsh Orchids
- a little bit of colour in an otherwise green landscape. Our first
view of the Forth was a bit
disappointing with only a distant flock of Shelduck. One flew over our
heads and headed west. Perhaps the lagoon was in that direction. Some
nice Red Poppies caught my eye. I thought I had something new when I
turned to see a brown and white bird with a grey beak. It turned out to
be a muddy Oystercatcher. A few minutes later we found the lagoon where
a helpful digiscoper pointed out the Gull-billed Tern sitting on the
water amongst some some Black-headed Gulls. It wasn't long until it
rose and for 20 minutes or so flew up and down the lagoon feeding,
allowing me to take a good few shots albeit with the light behind the
bird.
On the way back we stopped at a small
bay where a pair of Common Terns were feeding. Nearby I spotted a young
Dunnock making a hell of a racket as well as a Foxglove standing proud
in the late afternoon sun.
All in all it was a successful trip. You lose some.. You win some....
And to round it all off we had our usual cup of tea and a bun, bathed in lovely Bo'ness sunshine!
P.S. The Tesco bun was not as good as our usual Morrisons one
| Wood Pigeon |
Shelduck |
Red Poppy |
 |
 |
 |
| Oystercatcher |
Northern- Marsh Orchid |
Gull-billed Tern |
 |
 |
 |
| Common Tern |
Juvenile Dunnock |
Foxglove |
 |
 |
 |
Back To Top
|
