What have you seen

Sparrowhawk in our garden today, doing what Sparrowhawks do. Won't relay the details, it will sound like one of the more gruesome episodes of Springwatch…..

Turtle Dove day today. Saw about 6 of these lovely birds, two of them close up. Also Black Kite, Wryneck, Great Reed Warblers and some cute Chiffchaff chicks among many others. 

Last night we found 2 more Long Eared Owl chicks, so that's all 3 that we've seen, all in different trees.

A Black Woodpecker flew past the caravan whilst we were having a drink yesterday.

We also saw a Painted Lady but not many other butterflies yet loads of Dragon and Damseflies, including a bright cherry red one, unidentified by us as yet.

Not many unusual flowers but Mrs Wn pointed out some Solomons Caps in the woods today.

Lovely morning.

Took this Dragon Fly picture in Germany and believe its a Ruddy Chaser

That's the one I was talking about Op. Good photo.

Made it back safely from our three week trip up the east coast from Suffolk to Yorkshire.

The first week we spent mainly walking around Minsmere, the highlight being a late evening sighting of a large male Bittern emerging from the reeds followed by two females, no need to guess why the males feathers were stood on end. 

The very feisty Black Headed Gulls spent a great deal of time fending off the Lesser Black Backed Gulls who had a sneaky system, one would fly in low and attract the birds attention while the second would swoop in behind the commotion to snatch a chick. The Common Tern was a superb sight diving down to catch fish.

Week two took us to Norfolk and trips to Titchwell, Lakenheath, Hickling Broad and Strumpshaw where we saw our first Swallowtail Butterflies.

Lakenheath offered us our first glimpse of the Honey Buzzard before it was seen of by the Crows.

Titchwell was somewhat short on different birdlife, so I turned the lens towards the insect life, finding a Common Darter dragonfly and this spider hiding away in its funnel shaped nest ( sorry can't identify, it may be the obvious but not sure )

Week three on to Yorkshire and the anticipated sight of thousands of birds flowing along the cliff edge at Bempton. The weather seems to have had a bit of an effect as there were fewer than we expected at the start of the week but numbers grew day by day.

All the usual suspects were present pics show Guillimot 4 year old Gannet, the beautiful Kittiwake, Effortless gliding of the Fulmar and the star of any show the wonderful little Puffin.

Only back yesterday but pining already

Wonderful photos BM.  We've missed the first wave of Swallowtails so will have to wait till mid July.  Did you see them at reception or the Doctors House?  

After four lovely hours of meandering, it was back at reception we saw one stationary enough to photograph.

Thanks BM, haven't got much to contribute just now but enjoying all the new pics.

Plenty of insects around for the bats in our garden, I can stand outside in the twilight and the bats fly close to me, can actually hear them whirring past.