Stormy Clouds

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ISt2zpysAmk&app=desktop

Following a wonderfully sunny spring and advanced development of Purple Emperor in stars once emergence started the weather turned really foul with relentless strong winds and rain.  Poor weather like this is detrimental to Emperors in terms of survival and finding a mate.  Across the south those of the Purple Pursasion have been disappointed by the low numbers and concerned about the impact of the weather on the populations of this most regal of butterflies.  

Only having the weekends to visit the woods is equally detrimental to my ability to have made the most of the few suitable days for observation.  I stayed local visiting Ditton Park Woods and spending 7 hrs fruitlessly, possibly before emergence.  My third and fourth visits yielded a few sightings of 3-4 males and a female.  There were flurries of Purple Hairstreak around the oak and Ash crowns and a couple if Silver-washed Frittilaries patrolled the rides.  Away from the woods on Ely Common Small Skippers have emerged in numbers and Gatekeeper, Brown Argus, Common Blue and Marbled White are also on the wing.

  

Dyke

Scatterd 'mongst the Heath ledger

Twixt Cumberbatch and wilting Mirren,

flicked the Pfeiffers and Weavers.

The path crossed Harrison Ford, and trailed up to the Gyllenhaal- 

where the Halle Berrys were ripe and full on the Dunaway Bush.

A Cheadle droned past and settled in Natalie Wood.

The Goldie Hawn was in full bloom; bright sparks of colour

 in the blanket of fading Broadbent tussocks and Swayze leaves.

It was here, picking Aniston like a callow child, the lumbering figure emerged from the shadows.

Big Dick McManus.

Drone Logic

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eS0CO-yPmO4&app=desktop

Went with the girls to Dersingham Bog to look at Nightjars and scored big style.  Daylight churring, wing claps and flights giving great views and it became pretty clear where a nest was located.  There was also a Grasshopper Warbler showing well after I flushed it from the path side.  The return home took in a stop on the Washes at Welney where a Corncrake ramped it's metronomic song across the grasslands.

A return to the bog was a must and I met Ben and Mark Hawkes, our expectations high.  Once again churring started early and we were able to locate a Nightjar within the canopy on an Oak bough.

The following hour gave an almost continuous stream of views as two adjacent pairs went about their business.  Given the light and the showy nature of these pairs we had some excellent views of such enigmatic birds, in fact my very best views ever.  Certainly my new favourite Nightjar site.

at dusk

“You know that great pause that comes upon things before the dusk, even the breeze stops in the trees. To me there is always an air of expectation about that evening stillness.

(H G Wells)

out the window.

Youth

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=55XNinX7HhU

More stunning photo's of the Ely youth making a racket and showing off around the cathedral.  They are gathering quite a crowd of admirers now, hopefully all appropriately socially distanced.

At The Sound of Speed

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AIkPxiaxu30&app=desktop

In the past week Ely Cathedral has proudly advertised the breeding success of the Peregrines which have been in residence since March.  There's no better opportunity to share the giveaway pictures that Simon Stirrup has sent me as he has followed the birds over the months.  

Blackcap Brambles

There was some quick movement in the bramble. Earlier on, I'd seen a now well grown juvenile Blackcap perched among the gamboge crinkled branches of the overhanging elder bush. It had dropped away out of sight before I could even raise the camera, but later on I glimpsed it again, preening on a thorny floricane. When viewed with binoculars, I could see another tail - and through the scope, the young bundle resolved into three birds - a male and two females judging by the subtle tone of their caps. 

                                          

Copycat

Marsh Warbler, Wicken Fen - Simon Stirrup

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rdKK3OMyLxs&app=desktop

For a variety of reasons I have enjoyed quite a few late evenings and early mornings on Wicken Fen this spring, the lure of  a singing Golden Oriole being one of them.  A dawn raid on Monday morning was cold, windy and fruitless.  An evening visit on Wednesday with the family was hopeful but as it turned out the bird had not been on Bakers Fen as reported, the exuberant girls may well have given it a shock if it had.

It was on my third, unsuccessful, visit to listen for the mellifluous, descending loops of Oriole song that I met up with Mark Hawkes for a pre-work walk.

A little despondent, it being 21 years since last hearing Golden Oriole in the county at Burnt Fen, we walked back to Bakers and just as I was getting my bike ready to go Mark said - "What do you make of that then??" Almost immediately the song of Marsh Warbler popped out of the soundscape - with a smile I said "That's Marsh Warbler".  We had a little dalliance with Blyth's Reed, the song was initially very short bursts, the pace was not manic and there were quite a few introductory rolling ticcs.  The song then became fuller, prolonged and full of mimicry.  When we saw the songster the pale tipped primary projection was long,  and supercilia not as strong as we'd first glimpsed.  I grabbed some video between a couple if downpours and then had to get to work.  Mark stayed and got some more video, a steady stream of admirers have continued to enjoy the bird and some lovely recordings of it's song have been published by Simon Gillings.

https://m.soundcloud.com/user-909252901/marsh-warbler-song-compilation

Video - Mark Hawkes

Shine On

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PZWVO2NME20&app=desktop

During lockdown I upgraded my moth trap to a big diy Robinson.  I wussed out a bit and bought the electrics complete online but it still came in about a 3rd the price of a packaged trap.  Long and short though I am now getting a better rate of Moth fun in the garden with zero casualties (midgies aside) thus far. The Hawkmoths are always exciting, like the Eyed Hawkmoth above, but I continue to wade through the fine lines and kidney marks of the noctuids and enjoy the more colourful and characterful moths as they turn up.

Cinnabar

Chocolate Tip

Buff Tip

Scorched Wing

A moth highlight was finding a Broad Bordered Bee Hummongbird Hawkmoth at Brandon Country Park.  I had a hunch the flowers in the walled garden might attract them but on arrival it was shut.  With the aid of the scope my hunch proved worthy but I hope that next year I can return and find one to drink in up close.

A new Dragonfly appeared in the garden, a fresh Scarce Chaser which alighted amongst the umbellifers surrounding the pond.  A bit of a surprise that one.....

Simon Stirrup sent some fantastic images of the Azure and Large Red Damselflies at his pond and of a Grass Snake that has also been visiting - all cracking stuff.