Roosting Butterflies Toft Wood

Although reduced in numbers from some previous years but there were around 8 Marbled Whites plus Meadow Browns and many skippers roosting in Toft Wood this week. There was also a very yellow Green-veined White, which was the second very yellow one that I have seen this year.

Toft Raptor Show

 Yesterday afternoon we were treated to our own personal raptor show as Buzzard, Kestrel and Red Kites swooped down into the field next to our bungalow when the hay-making machine disturbed rodents and insects. The light wasn't very good for most of the time and backgrounds difficult but quite an experience seeing them sometimes very close.

Beewolf Wasps

We made a brief visit to the Beewolf Wasp colony near Sandy to assess the activity and found them very active as two trail bikes had just driven through and obscured their burrow entrances. Always fascinating to watch them come in carrying their Honeybee prey and try and locate their burrow entrance without upsetting the neighbours! It was windy and overcast so not the best for getting shots.

White-Legged Damselflies and Friends

 We made a visit to Willington to photograph the White-legged Damselflies and Banded Demoiselles. It was a bit breezy and generally the Damsels did not want to arrange themselves well but enjoyed a session standing in the stream with these wonderful insects all around me.

Snettisham Waders

Saturday's trip to watch the Wader flocks produced some great views of Dunlin and Black-tailed Godwits landing in the gravel pits as high tide approached. The beach murmurations were relatively small and the light direction resulted in a lot of haze so these are all taken from the hides around the pits. Mediterranean Gull joined the Black-headed Gulls (with youngster) and several Egyptian Geese and Avocets tried to claim a position.