Short and Sharp

 Monday July 17.

After a week when we had not been birding, we made a latish afternoon drive to Horsey. A Blackcap and a Chiffchaff were still singing in the car park area - as they had been on our moth-ing visit last Friday. After obtaining permission to drive to Whiteslea Lodge, we did so, idling our way down to the viewpoint overlooking Brendon's Marsh. A few Common Darters were patrolling the dyke, none of them landing. Then, I spotted some activity in the Cow Parsley the other side of the walkway. At least one Sedge Warbler obligingly stayed long enough for me to get a few photos. Before we could drive nearer, a car came from the Lodge area and we had to move on to a passing place. 





We then spent half an hour or so in the turning area, where I napped and Pam saw Swallows, a Wren and a few Black-headed Gulls. Not a great miss. It was like Janus. Blue sky in one direction, navy blue clouds in the other. The navy won. There was a short ,but very sharp and intense, rain shower. Two Reed Buntings on the way back, before a stop at the Centre for an ice-cream. Another very heavy shower kept Pam in the car for five minutes.

From Stalham onwards, the road was dry.

Some interesting bycatch from the moth traps this week.

Orange Ladybird

Red-headed Soldier Beetle

Colymbetes fuscus


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