Plenty of highlights on the MNA holiday to East Anglia during the first week in June. Raptors included Marsh Harriers, Hobby, Red Kite, Buzzard. Nightjars and roding Woodcock at dusk close to the Wolferton Triangle. Common Cranes at the Lakenheath RSPB Reserve. Stone Curlews nr RAF Lakenheath and at Minsmere RSPB Reserve. Booming Bitterns and fantastic flight views as they glided across the reeds at Lakenheath and Minsmere. Plenty of reedbed birds with Reed, Sedge, Cettis Warblers and Bearded Tits giving great views. An atypical Reed Warbler put on a fine Marsh Warbler impersonation at Cley mimicing everything from Black-headed Gull, Sandwich Tern, Oyks and Beardies aswell as its speeded up typical Reed Warbler phrases. Dartford Warblers posing on the heather at Dunwich Heath. We even had time to twitch the Spectacled Warbler at Burham Overy!
Mammals included Brown Hare Lepus europaeus, Roe Deer Capreolus capreolus, Red Deer Cervus elaphus, Chinese Muntjac Deer Muntiacus reevesi andChinese Water Deer Hydropotes inermis inermis.
Some memorable Dragonflies with Norfolk Hawker Aeshna isosceles, Hairy Dragonfly Brachytron pratense, Scarce Chaser Libellula fulva and Red-eyed Damselfly Erythromma najas being new ticks for me along with Swallowtail Butterfly Papilio machaon britannicus at Strumpshaw Fen RSPB reserve.
Here’s a few minibeast photos from the trip
Blue-tailed Damselfly Ischnura elegans Immature violacea form
Blue-tailed Damselfly Ischnura elegans Female rufescens –obsoleta form
Variable Damselfly Coenagrion pulchellum Male eating prey
Variable Damselfly Coenagrion pulchellum Female dark form
Brown-tail Moth Euproctis chrysorrhoea caterpillar
Drinker Moth Euthrix potatoria caterpillar
Common Blue Polyommatus icarus
Black-tailed Skimmer Orthetrum cancellatum teneral Male
Mating Tiger Craneflies Nephrotoma appendiculata
Mayfly Ephemera sp.
The Snout Hypena proboscidalis
Small Tortoiseshell Aglais urticae female laying eggs
Common Stretch Spider Tetragnatha extensa
Crab Spider Xysticus ulmi
Thick-legged Flower Beetle (a.k.a. False Oil Beetle) Oedemera nobilis male
Hoverfly Volucella pellucens
A wide photographic selection of birds, marine life, insects, mammals, orchids & wildflowers, fungi, tribal people, travel, ethnography, fossils, hominids, rocks & minerals etc. is available on my Alamy webpage