July 21st Pensthorpe

My parents were taking my grandparents on an outing to Thursford today and decided to drop me off at Pensthorpe so that I could have a day out as well. I've been feeling a bit disappointed in myself lately for not finding the creeping ladies-tresses and, yesterday at a secret location, the green-flowered helleborine. Two orchid targets have now got the better of me. And that's not all. Two others, the lizard and bog orchids are considered extinct in Norfolk or at least no one has reported of seeing any this year. The bog orchid, in particular, hasn't been recorded in this county for like 15 years or so. While I have seen lizard orchids in Norfolk back in 2016, they haven't been seen since that summer. July has been a bit of a slow month for my orchid challenge. Only two remain for me now, unless someone tells me other wise.

A day out to Pensthorpe was a welcoming break for me. Something that I needed right now. Though my back will not agree with me. I did a lot of walking, making my way to as many of the hides as I could, including a couple of new ones, not that there were anything to see in either of them. The more productive hides were the woodland hide and the hides overlooking the wader scrapes. In these hides, I saw a muntjac deer, marsh tits, young blue and great tits, chaffinches, little ringed plovers, 6 green sandpipers and lapwings respectfully. There were also many dragonflies, damselflies and butterflies, including banded demoiselles, black-tailed skimmers, brown hawkers, meadow browns, peacocks, large, small and possibly Essex skippers, commas, and red admirals.

Bluethroat

There was a lot of changes to Pensthorpe since my last visit last year. The gardens look amazing with new additional ponds and the enclosure area of the cranes and flamingos being slightly altered. But what got me really excited was in the wader aviary, where there was a new addition to the collection. Not only were there bearded tits, turtle doves and corncrakes amongst the avocets, ruffs and other waders they are breeding here, but also a bird I have yet to see in the wild. Believe it or not, I have never seen a bluethroat before, and once I saw a sign with a picture of one on it, I got really excited. It may not be a wild one, but it was a golden chance for me to see one in the flesh. After a late lunch, I went back to the aviary and saw one immediately. It was basically a robin with a blue and orange breast. This individual's breast looked as if it was undergoing some moulting as the colours were a bit faded, but I bet next spring it will look dazzling and singing a song that is equally breathtaking.