A visit to relatives in Yorkshire yesterday afternoon also gave us the chance to catch up with the first-summer Sabine's Gull at the nearby Nosterfield reserve. For most of the time it was giving very close views on Kiln Lake, although the light was very poor, and it did occasionally fly around...
Other wildlife seen around the reserve included a Scaup, Avocets, Black-tailed Skimmers, an Emperor Dragonfly and both Purple and White-letter Hairstreaks...
First-summer Sabine's Gull
Purple Hairstreak
Wood Sandpiper at Druridge Pools on Tuesday evening - video best viewed in HD at 720p/1080p
On the morning of day five (12th) we were just planning to have a family day out at Hindringham Hall, but in the end I stayed around the Medieval Fish Ponds in the gardens because of the number of dragonflies there. The most numerous species was the Small Red-eyed Damselfly, with at least 40 on the ponds. Male Emperors patrolled the water's edge where there was a few females ovipositing. Common Blue Damselflies and Common Darters were also there.
Afterwards we went to RSPB Titchwell. The number of birds was impressive! We saw 21 different waders around the reserve and there was 17 Spoonbills altogether. Here's the highlights...
A walk from Morston to Cley the next day resulted in a flock of 9 Greenshank, a Whimbrel and 8 Little Egret. A Hobby flew over Weybourne.
That night we had our final look at the Cley gull roost. Our fifth Caspian Gull of the week was a distinctive third-summer, and 15+ Yellow-legged Gulls were there along with a Little Gull. A summer-plumage Spotted Redshank was our first at that site as was a Wood Sandpiper and 2 Egyptian Geese.
On our third day (10th) we decided to spend some time at Cley. The number of waders was spectacular, especially as there appeared to have been an influx of Black-tailed Godwits that day...
350+ 'Icelandic' Black-tailed Godwit - only 3 juveniles!
1 'Continental' Black-tailed Godwit - a distinctive colour-ringed juvenile.
40+ Ruff
1 Curlew Sandpiper
3+ Common Sandpiper
1 Yellow-legged Gull - adult.
1 Marsh Harrier
1 Little Gull
1 Small Red-eyed Damselfly
1 Brown Hawker
1 Emperor
1 Holly Blue
Another look at the Cley roost on the 10th failed to produce any Caspians, but 7+ Yellow-legged Gulls and 2 Little Gulls were there. 2 Green Sandpipers were the first we saw that week, and a Barn Owl hunted in front of the hide later on. Several low passes from some RAF Tornadoes also kept me amused!
Last week we had a family break in Norfolk and managed to fit in some decent trips birding!
On day one we had our first look at the Cley gull roost. An adult Caspian Gull was present and a stunning first-summer appeared later on. The number of Yellow-legged Gulls was impressive (compared to what we get in the north-east!), with at least 12 present.
A good forecast for the next day persuaded us to go to Kelling Water Meadows to look for the Red-veined Darters which had been seen there recently. Sure enough they were present along with a host of other dragonflies some of which we don't often get to see in Northumberland...
7+ Red-veined Darter
10+ Emperor
10+ Black-tailed Skimmer
1 Banded Demoiselle
1 Migrant Hawker
2 Southern Hawker
Common Darter Common Blue Damselfly Blue-tailed Damselfly
1 Holly Blue
5+ Gatekeeper
10+ Common Blue
A Red Kite flew over Holkham Pines in the afternoon, before we had another luck at the Cley gull roost. Today there was 3 Caspian Gulls (yesterday's first-summer and 2 adults, looking at my photos I think they were both different to yesterday's bird). Slightly fewer Yellow-legged Gulls this evening with 7+, and a single adult Mediterranean Gull.
Back at our cabin in the forest I saw my first Perseid meteor of the year.
First-summer Caspian Gull on the first evening.
One of day two's adult Caspians.
Adult Yellow-legged Gull
Red-veined Darters - the last photo's pretty poor but it shows the 'classic' Red-veined Darter pose quite well.
