Marshie land!

Had a week in Norfolk - Land of the Marsh Harrier! They are everywhere as well as singing Cetti's.
I went with Hobby, Bittern, Little Tern, & possibly Montagu's as target species, anything else was fine too.
Day 1 - As soon as I got there & scouted round - All the local Tern colonies had been High Tided & abandoned, ...... Gutted!
After checking places out I settled on 3 Reserves worth days out, Hickling, Strumpshaw & Minsmere now the celeb chasing nuts have gone!

Hickling Broad
Did this place a couple of times - Lots of Swallowtails around & in my opinion one of the best for them, saw hardly any on other sites.

The Swallowtails:

A few other perspectives of them other than flat wing shots.

 

Little Egrets were everywhere.

A few Marsh Harriers at one end.

The elusive Bitterns .... managed one snap of a short flight.

Broad Bodied chasers were everywhere whilst there but I managed a Four Spot Chaser.

 

Strumpshaw Fen RSPB

If you want to see Harriers & Hobbies - this was a good place to see them, there was also a Barn Owl out one day at 1.00pm in the afternoon (heavy rain overnight).

 

Spotted this on a thistle - Garden Tiger Moth caterpillar

 Egrets again!

 A few of these were zipping about - Didn't know straight away what it was - Just it had to be snapped as we don't see them at Cromwell.

 Scarce Chasers

 

Some of the Marsh Harriers!

For the moth lovers -

 Elephant Hawkmoth.

 Puss Moth.

Eyed Hawk Moth - "eyes hiding"

 

Minsmere RSPB.

I'm sure this place has got even bigger since my visit 20years ago!

Up to this point on my break - I was a bit let-down picture wise, having not really got any shots to exite me!

I nipped round to Bittern Hide - where views of anything were miles away, Bitterns were tiny brown dots, as were the Marsh Harriers. BUT ..... there was some Cheeky Hobbies zipping around (6 at one time) One in particular liked to whizz past our faces only inches away Great stuff!, More like it!

The Sun dropped & the Dragonflies did the same - Leaving the Hobbies snack less!

 

To my surprise they came & started sitting right next to the hide Oh Giddy me!

 One landed off to the left & I grabbed an emergency compo few shots off.

Not too shabby I thought!

 

Then we had one land off to the right & pretty close.

Now this is what I'm talking about ...... lol My Holiday has picked up BIG TIME!

 

Another off to left in the tricky light!

 & back to the right again in the perfect light & Background

 

Happy as a Pig in poop! I went for a wander round.

This Lapwing was close to a hide - I was on my way out & it practically stood on a "rock" that moved!!!!

Here's the moving rock Nobody noticed 15ft from the hide?

A Cracking Little Ringed Plover - Juv or Non-Breeding Plumage.

LRP is My opinion & general consensus on the day by everyone. It was as tiny as a sparrow "almost".

 

A few Godwits about. 

Yawn - More Egrets.

Got to have a few Avocets at this place - behind their infamous Badger fence!

 

 

Then there were these - Stumbled across them in the middle of nowhere hiding in a ditch.

4 little babies sat in the Drive through!

 

The Hobbies made up for the lack of Little Tern colonies & the Swallows made for a humorous few minutes, even begging for food off passing Reed Warblers.

Not too bad a break!