Anglian Adventures, Day 2 - 15th June, 2023

My previous blog post, (which you can find here: - https://peglerbirding.blogspot.com/2023/06/anglian-adventures-day-1-14th-june-2023.html) stated that the previous evening I had set my alarm for 05.00 so that I could return to Strumpshaw Fen for a pre-breakfast visit in the hope of photographing a Barn Owl. I now find, looking at my notes, that this was not that day! All will be revealed at a later date.

Thursday, 15th June                    Hickling Broad ; Trimingham ; Wheatfen ; Strumpshaw Fen

Having had a relatively long day the previous day, I had set the alarm for 06.45. A quick trip to the M&S Foodstore to get some cold milk to have with the cereal and dried fruit that I'd brought with me for breakfast, and some items for a picnic lunch set me up for the day.

I had been told that Norfolk Wildlife Trust's Hickling Broad was a great place for Swallowtail butterfly and, as I'd never been there before, that is where I went, arriving at about 08.15. The Visitor Centre was not open, but some of the staff (volunteers?) were on site, and gave me some pointers as to where I might go to find things. I was also told that the Swallowtails were late this year and a bit thin on the ground.

I set off down the track that I was told led to the Raptor Roost. To check the settings of my camera, I took quick shot of a Goldfinch.

Goldfinch (Carduelis carduelis) - Hickling Broad

I was soon passing by some promising-looking wetland habitat on my right.

Wetland - NWT Hickling Broad

I was on one of the viewing platforms and starting to spot a few interesting birds. There were two  Great White Egret in the distance, one of which was a male in breeding condition with a dark bill.

Great White Egret (Ardea alba) - Hickling Broad

I'd just photographed the egrets when a couple came from the opposite direction and asked if I'd spotted the Black-winged Stilts that were in the distance. I hadn't and, as I have only ever once seen this species, and that was in Morrocco, I was somewhat excited! I did manage some distant record shots.

Black-winged Stilt (Himantopus himantopus) - Hickling Broad

The viewing platform had a notice which stated that only two people should be on it at any one time and, as this couple had so kindly shown me the stilts and they were both eager to get more views, I vacated the platform and headed further down the trail, taking a few photos as I went.

Reed Warbler (Acrocephalus scirpaceus) - Hickling Broad

Red-eyed Damselfly (Erythromma najas) (female) - Hickling Broad

I thought that I reached the end of the trail, with no Raptor Viewpoint having been seen, so turned back. I subsequently found that I should have turned left at the end and continued a while.

More birds were spotted on the way back to my starting point, although the stilts were no longer there.

Little Egret (Egretta garzetta) - Hickling Broad

Whitethroat (Sylvia communis) - Hickling Broad

The Visitor Centre was still not open by the time I returned, so I headed into a different area of the reserve without the benefit of a site-map in my hand. I took the trail that passes Cadbury Hide, finding the occasional dragonfly along the way.

Four-spotted Chaser (Libellula quadrimaculata) (female) - Hickling Broad

Black-tailed Skimmer (Orthetrum cancellatum) (male) - Hickling Broad

Black-tailed Skimmer (Orthetrum cancellatum) (female) - Hickling Broad

As I approached the junction where the short trail to Secker's Hide departs to the left, I spotted a dragonfly whose behaviour led me to believe that it was looking for somewhere to settle. It must have been ten or fifteen minutes before it did so, but the wait was worthwhile. It was an immature male Hairy Dragonfly.

Hairy Dragonfly (Brachytron pratense) (immature Male) - Hickling Broad

I then went along into Secker's Hide, where I found a few people watching a Swallowtail on Thistles. Before I could train my camera on it, it flew to a rather more distant thistle. I attempted a few shots here which really came to nothing, but also took some video, which is a little better.

In spite of being told that it would soon be back in front of the hide, it had still not returned after about half an hour. However, the people that had alerted me to the stilts earlier were in Secker's Hide, and informed me that they'd seen Bee-eaters at Trimingham, and I made my mind up to see if I could find them.

Having left the hide, I found a few more dragonflies, including my first Ruddy Darter of the year, and a Black-tailed Skimmer against a dark background, before I took a long circuitous walk along the woodland trail, which is described informal seasonal path, back to the Visitor Centre.

Ruddy Darter (Sympetrum sanguineum) (female) - Hickiling Broad

Black-tailed Skimmer (Orthetrum cancellatum) (female) - Hickling Broad

Back at the Visitor Centre, I paid my dues, returned to my car, and set off for Trimingham, arriving at about noon. In need of some refreshment, I had a quick picnic lunch before heading over to the designated viewpoint. 

I had only seen Bee-eaters in UK six years ago, when there were several of them at a site quite close to my home, so this was a really exciting opportunity for me. This Trimingham site was first seen to be used by Bee-eaters last year, and two chicks were raised. This year, was the first ever time this species has been recorded returning a site in UK. On arrival, I saw two of the birds up on wires at quite a distance. They didn't come any closer, so I only got record shots.

Bee-eater (Merops apiaster) - Trimingham

The nest site, which was in an old quarry, was visible from a position only a few metres from where I'd been viewing the birds on the wires. This location was, however, even further away. This is what the site looked like in a photo with my lens at its full 400mm stretch - there is a bird in the centre of the frame!

Trimingham Quarry

So here's the bird via a very heavy crop of the image.

Bee-eater (Merops apiaster) - Trimingham

Sadly, I have recently learned that the nest has failed, with Stoats being seen nearby and suspected of having predated the nestlings. However, that report also stated that the birds were being seen performing courtship behaviour again and it was hoped that they'd try for a second brood.

On my previous visit to Norfolk I'd been told of a highly recommended nature reserve - Wheatfen, managed by the Ted Ellis Trust. Wheatfen is literally directly over the River Yare from Strumpshaw Fen, so 70 metres as the crow flies, but 13 miles (21 km) by road! I set off for there, arriving at around 13.40.

Having parked my car and had a quick chat with the person manning the information centre there, I headed into the reserve. I soon found a bunch of flowers that had been put there, presumably to attract Swallowtail butterflies, but a Brimstone was making use of them.

Brimstone (Gonepteryx rhamni) (male) - Wheatfen

A bit further on, a heron was in a field beside the reserve.

Grey Heron (Ardea cinerea) - Wheatfen

A bright blue-green, but quite small, beetle caught my eye. I hope that I've got the ID correct!

beetle (Phyllobius pomaceus) - Wheatfen

I was on site for all but an hour before I saw my first dragonfly! But, as I got nearer to the River Yare, things took a major turn for the better. It seems that Wheatfen is a real hot-spot for Scarce Chaser.

The first image, below, shows a reasonably fresh male on which you can just detect the faint smokey patches on the wing-tips as exhibited by some males. The second image shows a mature male with the wear on the middle abdomen segments bearing witness to a good number of mating encounters.

Scarce Chaser (Libellula fulva) (male) - Wheatfen

A distant Red-eyed Damselfly was on a lily-pad.

 

Red-eyed Damselfly (Erythromma najas) (male) - Wheatfen

I'd passed alongside the river and was now heading inward again and shortly reached a point where a track went off to the right to link up with the path that I'd originally come down. I turned onto this track, spotting a couple of people standing on the track further down. I stopped long before I got to them as I'd seen a patrolling Norfolk Hawker, and spent some time trying to get flight photos. I nearly managed one, as you can see in this next shot!

 

Norfolk Hawker (Aeshna isoceles) (male) - Wheatfen

By now, my arms were aching and so I continued to where those two people were. They kindly informed me that, when I first hove into view, they'd been watching a Swallowtail on the bunch of flowers attached to a post just a few metres from them. It had now gone.

 

Norfolk Hawkers were interacting with Scarce Chasers along this stretch, and both were settling from time to time, so I was kept entertained for a while. There  were a couple of Banded Demoiselle too. The first of the Norfolk hawkers, below, seems to have a long string of poo dangling from its rear!

Norfolk Hawker (Aeshna isoceles) (male) - Wheatfen

Banded Demoiselle (Calopteryx splendens) (male) - Wheatfen

Banded Demoiselle (Calopteryx splendens) (female) - Wheatfen

Scarce Chaser (Libellula fulva) (male) - Wheatfen

I had not, before, noted how black was the frons of a male Scarce Chaser. I found myself quite surprised by this.

It was now time to be heading back to the car as I needed to think about something to eat that evening. On the way back, at one point, I was loudly warned-off by a pair of Mute Swans who had young cygnets.

Mute Swan (Cygnus olor) (cygnets) - Wheatfen

A little further on, I found a pair of Scarce Chaser, busy working on the next generation.

Scarce Chaser (Libellula fulva) (male+female in cop) - Wheatfen

I got back to my car and, while I was setting up the satnav to take me to 'the Scottish restaurant', I noticed a female Scarce Chaser, just in front of the car. She seemed to be in pristine condition and nicely placed - quite unusual for a female of this species!

Scarce Chaser (Libellula fulva) (female) - Wheatfen

You can clearly see the strong smokey marks on the wing-tips. Nearby was an equally obliging male of the species, without any discernable such marks.

Scarce Chaser (Libellula fulva) (male) - Wheatfen

After a quick light meal at 'the Scottish restaurant', as I was now only three miles from Strumpshaw Fen, I made an evening visit there. My main objective was to see if the Norfolk Hawkers were using the same place to roost that I'd observed the previous day.

 

As I left the car park to go into the reserve, I spotted a large beetle on the road. 

 

Lesser Stag Beetle (Dorcus parallelipipedus) - by Strumpshaw Fen

There was no sign of Norfolk Hawkers around the area where I'd seen them roosting the previous day, but I did get some shots of a handsome Banded Demoiselle.

 

Banded Demoiselle (Calopteryx splendens) (male) -Strumpshaw Fen

I started back to my car, wanting a relatively early night as I'd had a rather tiring day. My gizmo tells me that I walked over 9 miles (14km) that day - much more than I'm used to!

 

As I headed back along the trail, a deer jumped out of the vegetation beside me and headed off through the reeds. I was quite startled, and only managed shots of a disappearing backside. However, when I got to the junction where a trail went off to access the Meadow Trail, the deer was coming out of the reeds onto the path. My original thought that it was a Muntjac - in fact I thought that Muntjac and Chinese Water Deer were one and the same thing, but I now know that this is not the case and this was a Chinese Water Deer - just look at those tusks!

 

Chinese Water Deer (Hydropotes inermis) - Strumpshaw Fen

Although, obviously, not native, it seems that they are considered to be beneficial to the environment on the reserve.

 

I then headed back to the Travelodge, and setting my alarm for 05.00 - or so I thought! - turned in early for a much-needed shut-eye session. Thus ended an absolutely fascinating day.

This has been a rather long post, so thank you for getting this far! My next post, featuring Day 3, should be a little shorter and, hopefully, available in about a week's time.

In the meantime, please take good care of yourselves and Nature.

With my best wishes - - - Richard