Hinkley

Followed this Wheatear along the sea wall as it flitted along in response to my approach. After doing this about 5 or 6 times it eventually gave up and stayed put allowing me to get my shot and leave it alone!

One of the local Peregrines nesting on the Power Station, looking a bit tatty now

There was a steady movement of Herring Gulls overhead with the odd LBB

This Grey Heron dived to low altitude to escape harrasment by a couple of the local Herring Gulls

Starting to get a bit cloudy now

Great Spots

Juvenile and adult Great Spots visited garden today

Dunge Day 2

Early start to look for Night Herons! They had been reported a couple of times about a month ago. Bit of a long shot I suppose.

This Little Owl was way past its bedtime, having a 'morning' on the tiles!

Down to the Patch where there were 3 juv Yellow-legged Gulls

Juv YLG and juv Med together

2nd S Little Gull at ARC pit

Another go at photographing the Plover this morning but it was in exactly the same place although certainly more active than yesterday

One Show camera crew getting too close to the Purple Heron nest site



One flight again only this morning.

Dungeness

Couldnt resist taking a detour to Kent on way back.

Arrived mid afternoon on a very hot day, with lots of heat haze but got a couple of half decent record shots

Quite a wait for the adult Purp to return to the young with food. Apparently one visit every 2 or 3 hours was the norm. At least 1 juv has been seen at the nest.

Family of Tufties

Brecks again

Back for some more survey work. This Oystercatcher was hanging around a large dung heap near Cranwich Heath

So was this Rat

Garden birds

Stoborough Pitta

Juvenile Jackdaw

Esher

Another B+B bird seen from window

Did a survey at Esher Common, not too much going on bird wise but there were a few butterflies about. Had the wrong lense for these really but got some record shots of Silver-washed Fritillary and White Admiral

Bit more twitching

Overslept this morning so didnt get to Thorpe-Next-Haddiscoe until 06.30. Apparently the River Warbler had been showing really well at 05.00. Did see it well not long after arrival but no time for photos. This brown blob was all that I managed.

Quick visit to the Stone Curlews at Westleton again

Minsmere distant shots collection

One of the local Stone Curlews on the road in to the reserve

Garganey hiding with some Teal

Sleeping Ferruginous Duck, Island Mere

Female and two juv Marsh Harriers

Welney

Off to look for the Bluethroat today. On arrival at the usual spot there were a few people that had been hanging around for a couple of hours with no joy so decided to leave them to it and have a look around. This post-breeding male Ruff flew in whilst looking from the hide.

There were also a few Continental Black-tailed Godwits about but too distant for any meaningful shots.

Some time later 7 birds Ruff flew up from the other side of the island. Manage to get onto 3 of them

After everybody had finally given up looking for the Bluethroat decided to have a go myself. I noticed that on the bank there was a flattened area where people had obviously been standing in the past. Jumped up there and waited for a while. After a few minutes decided that some pishing was in order. Had only been doing it about 5 seconds when out it jumped.

It stayed around for about 10 seconds until its curiosity was satisfied and then disapeared back into the undergrowth . Did get some shots but unfortunately there was too much vegetation in the way. Had to move across a bit and pish again, however this time it didnt appear. It clearly wasnt going to fall for that one again so decided to do some wierd whistles and hey presto it was straight back out. This time did get a few decent shots although again there was a lot of foliage with some very close stuff slightly blurring the first two shots here a bit. The third one was the clearest but unfortunately its head went behind a reed on that one.

Still one Whooper around. Presumably want fit enough to fly north.

Ad Turtle Dove on the Ten Mile Bank road

Headed for the coast in the afternoon. This Little Tern was one of around 25 birds feeding off of Kessingland Beach.