Nethergong Birding

I have made a few visits over the past few weeks where a good range of species are normally always to be seen. Highlights have included watching the Great spotted Woodpecker family busily feeding their young and as of yesterday (6th June), the young are being fed at the nest hole as they look out. It can only be a matter of days now until they fledge. Other birds noted included the Nightingale which is still singing intermittingly, various Cuckoos flying around and calling, up to 3 Turtle Dove, 1 Garden Warbler, 2 Lesser Whitethroat, 1 Kingfisher, the Mistle Thrush family feeding their fledged young,  a few Yellowhammer, Blackcap and Chiffchaff still singing and the Bittern was heard 'Booming' early one morning from the Stodmarsh direction. Also seen have been a few Swallow, Swift, Hose and Sand Martin, 1 Yellow Wagtail, 1 Common Tern, 1 Mediterranean Gull, 1 Green Sandpiper, 3 Common Buzzard, 2 Marsh Harrier and a few Reed Warbler as well as the commoner species. The Barn Owl has shown on a few evenings and early mornings and I have been able to capture a few more photos of this stunning bird.

 



Barn Owl

 

On the dragonfly front, there have been up to 20 Norfolk Hawker, one of the country's rarest dragonflies and good numbers of Hairy Dragonfly with a few Emperor Dragonfly, Broad bodied and Four spotted Chaser and Black tailed Skimmers. Damselflies noted have been the odd Variable Damselfly and Large Red Damselfly but lots of Azure and Blue tailed Damselfly as well as Banded Demoiselles along the stream. It was nice yesterday to see my first Brimstone butterfly at the site.

 

Norfolk Hawker (Aeshna isosceles) - female