Sunday 8 June 2008

8 June 2008 Operation 'Otter' - Norfolk

A surf of the RSPB Strumpshaw website provided me with welcome news on the Otter front - "Be in the Fen Hide before 8am and you're in with a chance". After persuading The Good Lady that Norfolk was a good option for an overnight camp, I happen to wake up at 04.34am. No time like the present - I left the campsite and headed for Strumpshaw. On arrival, I then left the car park and headed for the Fen Hide. Walking to the Fen Hide at 05.27, I knew I was in the right place at the right time.....
Opening the hide door, I met 'Knobby' (his name was probably Fred, Phil, Terrance or even Guy - but as I didn't ask, I'll never know). "Seen anything?", I enquired. His reply left me speechless, "Oh, just an Otter, Marsh Harriers, Bittern, Water Rail, Barn Owl, Cetti's Warbler, blah, blah, blah". For teh next two and a half hours I waited... and waited.




One crap Barn Owl picture - scant reward for getting up at such an hour.







A few hours spent with The Good Lady admiring the Swallowtail butterflies.







Few beasties are quite as smart as these - not even an adult male Citril Finch...










Green Hairstreak in the Doctor's garden




Marsh Cinquefoil









Agapanthia villosoviridescens - One can only hope that it's got an easier English name





Four-spotted Chaser







Yellow iris
Poppies!





This is one of my few Small Tortoiseshell this year - the only others were on the Isles of Scilly in April.





A final visit to Dunwich Heath provided us with the opportunity to miss Thrush Nightingale and a Bee-eater.... - and to turn down the opportunity of spending £410 to fly from Inverness to Fair Isle in the morning, having driven to Inverness through the night! I don't think so.
The sand Martins seemed undistracted by the Citril Finch news.

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