Norfolk and Cambridgeshire

Thursday 14th - Saturday 16th August 2014
Juvenile Ruffs, Titchwell
Here are some highlights from my recent camping trip to the east with my father, staying in Yaxham, Norfolk. The weather was better than expected, with a couple of showers on Friday morning being the only daytime rain, and then dry after that with lots of sun but also a cooling breeze.
Juvenile Black-tailed Godwit, Welney
We stopped at WWT Welney on Thursday. Eleven adult Whooper Swans seems a strange sight in August, and more than I saw two years ago there in June. A juvenile Black-tailed Godwit was on Lady Fen, and five Green Sandpipers and a Common Sandpiper were on the main lagoon along with another Black-tailed Godwit. A male Ruff was at Lyle Hide with eight Snipe and a Hobby flew through.
Whooper Swan, Welney
Southern Hawker, Welney
Ruddy Darter, Welney
Migrant Hawker, Welney
Black-tailed Skimmer, Welney
Dragonflies at Welney included c6 each of Southern Hawkers and Migrant Hawkers, a Black-tailed Skimmer and a combined total of c30 Ruddy Darters and Common Darters.
Spoonbills, Titchwell
RSPB Titchwell Marsh on Saturday produced a flock of 16 Spoonbills, a wonderful sight, and also flocks of 15 Spotted Redshanks and 10 Greenshanks plus over 100 Avocets and c160 Black-tailed Godwits, c15 Ruff and c30 Sandwich Terns. On the beach I noted six Turnstones, two Knot, eight Sanderlings, five Dunlins and six Bar-tailed Godwits. I didn't do any serious sea-watching.
Avocet, Titchwell
The Mid-Norfolk Railway runs alongside the campsite at Yaxham
A spot of sight-seeing - Ely Cathedral
Saturday we called in at NT Wicken Fen, only a few butterflies were on the wing in the coolish breeze, but several dragonflies including several  Ruddy Darters and Common Darters, Southern Hawkers, Migrant Hawkers and five Brown Hawkers. Several Roach were in the Lode. The highlight was several Common Lizards which were basking along the edge of the boardwalk.
Common Lizard, Wicken Fen
A nice relaxing few days.
Wind pump at Sedge Fen, Wicken Fen
Roach, Wicken Lode
Knopper Galls on acorns, caused by the wasp Andricus quercuscalicis, Wicken Fen car park



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