Summer wildlife - a photographic summary

This amazing summer weather, which seems set to continue for several more days, simply invites you outside to enjoy nature in all its glory, and took full advantage to enjoy an extended lunchbreak day today with a stroll around the Scrape, camera in hand. It was extremely pleasant, with the strong easterly breeze doing a great job of keeping temperatures lower, without adversely affecting my enjoyment of the reserve.

Inevitably, there were some species that I missed, such as the eight spoonbills that did a couple of circuits of the reedbed between feeding stops on the North Levels, or the honey-buzzard that was glimpsed over the Woodland Trail by a handful of visitors who were looking for white admiral and silver-washed fritillary butterflies. I also missed out on bittern, marsh harrier and little egret today, but then I concentrated my efforts on the Scrape for birds, and spent much of my time looking at the ground in search of insects and flowers.

My walk started in fine style when, approaching South Belt Crossroads, I saw two juvenile great spotted woodpeckers on a low branch. I wasn't quick enough to grab a photo, but did manage to snap one of the two treecreepers in the same area.

As I approached Wildlife Lookout I checked out the ditch alongside the path as this can be a good spot for dragonflies. My luck was well and truly in as a Norfolk hawker was perched on a floating stick. This species rarely seems to perch, so I was really pleased to be able to take a couple of photos that really showed off its green eyes - that give it the alternative name of green-eyed hawker (possibly a better name to use as they are no longer confined to the Norfolk Broads!)

I really love the water droplets sparkling in the sun, which I didn't even see till looking at the picture on the computer. Amazingly, a second Norfolk hawker then settled on a nearby reed, allowing me the chance to get a photo of the whole dragonfly from behind, too.

I couldn't resist another zoomed in shot, either, as I've waited a long time for the chance to get decent photos of this spectacular insect.

On entering Wildlife Lookout I was immediately greeted by one of those fantastic "ahh" moments that are so often encountered on an early summer walk, as this lovely mute swan family glided past the hide.

Of course, it's not all serene on the Scrape, with the constant chatter of black-headed and Mediterranean gulls, black-tailed godwits and avocets, while family parties of moulting geese and ducks squabble between bouts of preening, or simply sleep on the islands.

The trailside vegetation remains lush and green thanks to the adjacent wetlands, though water levels are dropping as a result of the lack of rain, and the wardens are deliberately allowing part of both West and East Scrapes to dry out in order to keep other sections wet enough for the breeding gulls, terns and waders. As well as reeds and nettles alongside the path, the first marsh mallow has already burst into bloom close to South Hide - we usually associate this beautiful flower with the school summer holidays but the warm weather has advanced the season somewhat.

The redshanks that have been nesting on the Konik Field are constantly displaying over the pools as they protect their young. Many visitors are surprised to see these display flights, which involve the adult birds circling and hovering with fluttering wingbeats, calling loudly, as this is not the expected behaviour for wading birds. They're certianly not easy to photograph either.

Next stop was the beach, where the flowers come in a wide variety of colours. The breeze did, however, reduce the number of insects that were attracted to them. First up, at the top of the dunes, were some carpets of delicate lady's bedstraw.

Alongside this, the lovely blue sheep's-bit made a good contrast.

Lower down the dunes another distinctive flower is sea bindweed - a relative of the bindweeds that gardeners love to hate.

My personal favourite among the shingle flora is sea holly, which is only just coming into flower, but it's great to see that the main clump of this lovely flower has grown in size this year - the common blue butterflies and six-spot burnet moths will enjoy these flowers on calmer days.

Finally it was time for some more birdwatching, and it was great to watch the kititwakes, Mediterranean gulls and Sandwich terns crowding onto the islands in front of the Public Viewpoint. There were also half a dozen little terns and eight gulls on South Scrape, as well as oystercatcher and avocets.

There were more Mediterranean gulls on East Scrape, as well as good numbers of common terns. Many of the Med gulls' chicks have already fledged, but I was delighted to spot a tiny common tern chick being fed by its parent. Perhaps the most obvious birds on East Scrape, apart from gulls, were the 200 or so black-tailed godwits, including this lovely bird that fed very close to the hide.

Walking back along the North Wall I searched unsuccessfully for the six-belted clearwing moths that have been seen recently, but did see a silver y moth on the wing. Of course, I paused to watch the beewolfs in Digger Alley, but I was slightly distracted there by this lovely magpie - just for you Clare.

What will you see when you next visit?