Cley and around

Had to collect Sam from West Runton, so popped in with Tom to nearby Hungry Hill to see the apparent Italian Sparrow, though more likely a hybrid Tree/House Sparrow.

Then after watching the football with at Holt, three of us (Sam, Tom, and I) went to Cley. Very quiet, so we did some sea watching were Tom did well to pick up a very distant Pomeraine Skua. I followed it were it went after a Sandwich Tern and was joined by an Arctic Skua. The scrape held a distant Curlew Sandpiper. A Grey Seal was close inshore.

After collecting Michelle from shopping at Holt, we went on a walk around Holkham, where this Common Toad was seen.

Yellow Wagtail

Cooking a BBQ early evening, and a Yellow Wagtail flew over. A garden tick.

Amwell

Dropped Michelle off in Ware and went to Amwell with Tom for an hour or so. Four species of wader: Dunlin,  Ringed Plover, Green Sandpiper, and two Common Sandpipers were present. Tom did well to pick out a swimming Grass Snake too.

Sherringham

Had to drop Sam at West Runton where he was going on holiday for a week. A few Skuas (including Poms) had gone past nearby Sherringham and a Wryneck found early morning on the coastal path, so I decided to spend a few hours there. Didn’t see much though! The sea was very quiet.

 

Kew Gardens

Kew Gardens with the family for the day, where I decided to keep a day list. Lots of Ring-necked Parakeets of course as well as a dodgy year-tick Mandarin Duck and a couple of equally dodgy Egyptian Geese.

 

Common Blue

A walk around the Botanic Gardens in Cambridge produced my first Common Blue there.

Swifts

The Swifts have finally gone. Not sure when as been away for two nights, but all quiet last night.

In the morning, there were ten species of butterfly in the garden, most of them on the same Buddleja bush…

Large White
Small White
Green-veined White
Red Admiral
Painted Lady
Peacock
Comma
Speckled Wood
Gatekeeper
Meadow Brown

We travelled to Norfolk to my parents in the afternoon to collect the children. The garden was full of Silver-Y moths, presumably recently arriving from the north coast?

Pygmy Cormorant

Took Michelle away for a couple of days to Venice as a surprise 20th wedding Anniversary gift. One the second full day there, we decided to get away from the crowds and take a boat ride to the island of Murano. Passing tidal lagoons on the way I looked for birds, and picked up a couple of Caspian Terns. There were numerous Little Egrets and a few Great White Egrets,Then, amongst a small small group of Great Cormorants, was a bird half the size. A Pygmy Cormorant, and a world tick!