After another dull, dreary day yesterday, it was lovely to wake to sunshine this morning - and the wildlife has certainly responded too. What's more, with warmer weather forecast for the weekend, it looks like being busy this weekend, so if you are planning a visit, we recommend arriving early.
Despite yesterday's wet weather, the drake garganey put on a good show outside North Hide in the morning, allowing me to not only see, but also to photograph this tiny summer-visiting duck, colloquially known as a cricket-teal. That was definitley the pick of yesterday's sightings, but has not been reported yet today.
Inspired by the improved weather, I stopped on Westleton Heath on my way in this morning and soon heard nightingale, lesser whitethroat, and my first turtle dove of the year.
The sunshine and calmer conditions clearly encouraged many of our larger soaring birds to continue their northbound migration, too, with sightings of several species that were presumably heading from Spain to northern Europe. First up was an osprey that flew in from the sea carrying a large pipefish, but sadly couldn't be relocated. Next came a red kite, and an excellent passage of common buzzards. Then, mid morning, two spoonbills flew in, circled the Scrape, then continued their journey.
I couldn't see any of these species from the office - despite trying - but I was much more successful on my lunchtime walk as i managed to photograph three species that I have never had much success with before - with the camera, anyway - green woodpecker, orange tip butterfly, and beefly.
My walk took me first to the Whin Hill watchpoint, where this green woodpecker busily probed for ants, with a whitethroat and blackcap singing nearby. Unusually, the woodie sat there long enough for me grab half a dozen pictures - at last.
It was also great to see some of our grassland flowers coming into bloom - common stork's-bill, dove's-foot crane's-bill, cornsalad and sheep's sorrel. If you would like to learn more about these tiny flowers, and many others found on our grasslands, then why not book onto Steve Massey's grassland flowers guided walk on Fri 25 May? Click here for details.
From Island Mere Hide, I could see that the sky was full of gulls - probably at least 2000 - with at least four hobbies among them. They all appeared to be feeding on flying insects, which I think we mostly the large, juicy St Mark's flies that have emerged, right on cue, in the last few days. Several marsh harriers quartered over the reeds, and bitterns boomed from within, while out on the mere I could see mute swans and great crested grebes. A little grebe called, too, and sedge warblers sang, but I couldn't hear the Savi's warbler (it was heard this morning) or any bearded tits.
Continuing my walk along the base of Whin Hill, I came across a patch of ground ivy, where a buzzing alerted me to the presence of a common carder bee and one of my favourite insects, a beefly. The latter are very quick, and constantly on the move, so can be tricky to photograph. This one, however, chose to sit on a fallen leaf, allowing me the rare chance to get a picture that showed the beautifully patterned wings as well as the long proboscis, clearing identifying it as a dark-edged beefly.
As I walked up through the Adder Trail I spotted my second orange tip butterfly of the day. Like the beeflies, this is a species that rarely seems to rest for long, but it too was much more obliging that usual as it searched for nectar in the common stork's-bill flowers. I was pleased to get this photo, showing the distinctive green and white patterning of the underwing.
Better still, this individual was clearly happy to be photographed, and as it flitted onto another flower it showed its upperwing too.
It got even better, as I was able to get even closer and grab the sort of picture that I've been after for several years.
I didn't realise how hairy their body was until I looked at this photo.
My walk didn't take in the Scrape this time, but there wwas lots to see out there too, including 63 kittiwakes, 42 common terns and 60+ Sandwich terns on South Scrape, the usual avocets, black-headed and Mediterranean gulls, shelducks, gadwalls, shovelers, lapwings and black-tailed godwits. A grasshopper warbler was heard again between East Hide and North Wall, a cuckoo was singing in the woods north of the Work Centre, and there appears to have been a good emergence of large red damselflies at the pond.
Finally, it looks like our bluebells are coming into bloom just in time for the Bank Holiday weekend!