May 21st Cley

Avocet with chicks

A short visit to Cley this morning. Avocet chicks were dotted across the islands of the main pools with their parents chasing off every other bird away. The avocets were just too overprotective and dominated the centre of the pools, pushing the other species to the pool's edges. Only the brave and the bold would remain close enough to these black and white iconic waders. There were a couple of  greenshanks around, but they were the most bullied bird here and were continuously harassed by the avocets. I felt sorry for those greenshanks, they did nothing wrong and were no threat to the avocet's tiny bundles of fluff.

Avocet Chicks

Greenshank

Black-tailed Godwits

Tufted Duck

Woodpigeon

Goldfinch

House Sparrow

Elsewhere, reed and sedge warblers were giving us the run around as they sang from various perches obstructed by surrounding dense vegetation. Meanwhile, we also watched swallows and house martins coming down to a puddle to gather mud to build their nests with.

Reed Warbler

Swallow

House Martin

Hatched!

They've hatched!

I was taken completely by surprise tonight. I was watching TV when I noticed the pot containing the eggs that I received from the mail yesterday was now crawling with tiny black lines. My caterpillars have hatched! Apparently, my eggs were only laid on Wednesday before they were sent to me. So within five days, they've gone from egg to caterpillar. I was so excited, but also unprepared. I needed bramble leaves, their foodplant, which I didn't have at that moment and I was panicking. So, despite it being past 10pm, Mum quickly popped over with some fresh bramble leaves from her garden and I placed the caterpillars and the leaves into the container that was provided along with the eggs (gently moving the caterpillars using a paint brush). Fingers crossed that they will feed on them and don't die as I was worried it had to be the native bramble and not the garden variety. I'm feeling like a first time dad right now!

My Emperor Moth caterpillars checking out the Bramble leaves

My Late Birthday Present!

A very special package came through my mail today. Written in orange on an empty envelope taped onto the small brown box is the word 'FRAGILE'. If you remember in my 32nd birthday post back in March, I mentioned that I was getting my present later this year. Well, here it is! My late birthday present. Inside, is a small plastic container and inside that is letter with a tiny pot taped onto it. Inside the pot are thirty tiny emperor moth eggs that my mum has bought me from a butterfly breeder.

My Emperor Moth eggs

Last year, I had wanted to raise some moth eggs that I had found. Sadly, it never happened as the eggs dried out. So this year, I wanted to try again, but this time I decided to buy them. It wasn't cheap (about £30) and I had to wait for the breeder's moths to emerge and for them to breed before I could get hold of them. And now, they have arrived and I am excited to see if any will hatch. I have never done anything like this before and of course, I will let you all know of their progress. For now, however, all I can do is wait.

May 16th Strumpshaw Fen

Common Lizards

 It was dull and grey this morning with a chilly breeze that made me feel rather cold. This nippy wind was enough to ground many of the insects from taking to the air and making them sluggish. Amazingly, though, it was not enough to put off the lizards from sun bathing (well, as they're cold blooded it is essential for them to do so) despite the lack of sun. It was really a day for the birds.

Drinker Moth Caterpillar

Some kind of bee

Cuckoo

I was trying to listen for the Savi's warbler that had been singing somewhere between Reception and Fen Hide this week, but I could not hear it at all. I think you need to be here at dawn and dusk to really get a chance of hearing it. The cuckoos, on the other hand, were stealing the limelight on this occasion as I saw one fly to a bare branch of a tree, while others were calling from various points along the river. Various species of warbler were also making themselves heard within the reeds accompanied by the odd pinging from bearded tits.

Goldfinch

Black-headed Gulls nesting on an old Swan nest

Great crested grebes were seen swimming together as a pair on the river as I made my way to the Tower Hide for a rare, yet brief visit. I lifted up a flap to view out and the sound of many wings and the sight of fleeing waterfowl greeted me as I unexpectedly spooked them from their slumber along the bank beside the front of the hide. Peace soon returned and the birds settled back to their daily routine with breakfast being the main thing on the mind after their rude awakening. The broad was dotted with pochards and tufted ducks, shovelers, 2 great crested grebes and a pair of shelducks, while black-headed gulls crowded their makeshift colony on top of an abandoned swan nest (complete with abandoned swan eggs) adjacent to the front of the hide, making quite a raucous.

Great Crested Grebe

Pochard

Tufted Duck and Shoveler

Tufted Ducks

Shelducks

Greylags, Cobber the Black Swan and House Martins

Back at Reception Hide, the landscape felt more and more bleak with the sky looking more like it was going to threaten to rain, while the wind made it feel as if it was April rather than May. Swarms of house martins, swifts and swallows dominated the view of the broad, as swirled and swooped over the water and high into the grey skyline. I was mesmerised by them as they became blurs as they whizzed pass at speed. Lapwings and marsh harriers joined them now and then with aerial performances of their own. And if that wasn't enough to take your mind off the cold, then there was also a few appearances from a kingfisher, too.

Marsh Harrier

Kingfisher