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Saturday 3 August 2019

Needham Market Lakes, Needham Market, Suffolk.

Out feeding the ducks with Ryan.

Brown Argus (Aricia agestis).
Jayne, Becky, Alan, Chewie, Ryan and myself had a walk from by the railway station in Needham and out to the larger of the lakes. We walked through some nice grassland and areas of Buddleia along the railway where I saw Gatekeeper (Pyronia tithonus), Meadow Brown (Maniola jurtina), Brown Argus (Aricia agestis), Common Blue (Polyommatus icarus) and Small White (Pieris rapae).
Meadow Brown (Maniola jurtina).
As we approched the lake I started the bird list off with House Sparrow (Gorrión Común / Passer domesticus), Blackbird (Mirlo Común / Turdus merula), Common Starling (Estornino Pinto / Sturnus vulgaris), Common Magpie (Urraca / Pica pica) and down by the lake Mute Swan (Cisne Vulgar / Cygnus olor), Black-headed Gull (Gaviota Riedora / Larus ridibundus), Great Crested Grebe (Somormujo Lavanco / Podiceps cristatus), Mallard (Anade Azulón / Anas platyrhynchos) and also found several species of Dragon including Common Blue Damselfly (Enallagma cyathinerum), Black-tailed Skimmer (Orthetrum cancellatum) and Brown Hawker (Aeshna grandis).
Black-headed Gull (Gaviota Riedora / Larus ridibundus).
We continued on around the lake to a log pile area wher Ryan had a great time building a den and in a nearby ditch I saw Banded Damoiselle (Calopteryx splendens), Common Roach (Rutilus rutilus), Yellow Water-lily (Nuphar lutea), Purple Loosestrife (Lythrum salicaria), Common Ragwort (Jacobaea vulgaris), Great Willowherb (Epilobium hirsutum) and a couple of Painted Lady's (Vanessa cardui).
Mallard (Anade Azulón / Anas platyrhynchos).
We headed ack towards the car adding Woodpigeon (Paloma Torcaz / Columba palumbus), Collared Dove (Tórtola Turca / Streptopelia decaocto), Carrion Crow (Corneja Negra / Corvus corone), Common Swift (Vencejo Común / Apus apus), Barn Swallow (Golondrina Común / Hirundo rustica) and House Martin (Avión Común / Delichon urbica). 
Banded Damoiselle (Calopteryx splendens).
Once back at the car we headed back to the house.

Thursday 1 August 2019

Southwold, Suffolk and travelling.

A day trip to the beach with Jayne, Becky, Ryan and Chewie.

Common Blue (Polyommatus icarus).
We set off for the coast to spend a few hours on the beach, on the way I saw Bullfinch (Camachuelo Común / Pyrrhula pyrrhula), Yellowhammer (Escribano Cerillo / Emberiza citronella), Common Magpie (Urraca / Pica pica), Woodpigeon (Paloma Torcaz / Columba palumbus), Collared Dove (Tórtola Turca / Streptopelia decaocto), Barn Swallow (Golondrina Común / Hirundo rustica), House Martin (Avión Común / Delichon urbica), Carrion Crow (Corneja Negra / Corvus corone), Rook (Graja /  Corvus frugilegus), Canada Geese (Barnacla Canadiense /Branta canadensis) and Mallard (Anade Azulón / Anas platyrhynchos).
Painted Lady (Vanessa cardui).
After we parked we walked across the dunes to the beach, on the way we flushed up several Meadow Pipits (Bisbita Pratense / Anthus pratensis) and a single Skylark (Alondra Común / Alauda arvensis).
We set everything up and then I went for a walk into the narrow area of dunes and checked several plants of Sea Holly (Eryngium maritimum) where I found several species of butterflies including Gatekeeper (Pyronia tithonus), Painted Lady (Vanessa cardui), Common Blue (Polyommatus icarus), Small Copper (Lycaena phlaeas) and Small White (Pieris rapae).
As we were playing down by the sea I also recorded Herring (Gaviota Argéntea Europea / Larus argentatus), Lesser Black-backed (Gaviota Sombria / Larus fuscus) and Black-headed Gull (Gaviota Riedora / Larus ridibundus), Kittiwake (Gaviota Tridáctila / Rissa tridactyla), Sandwich (Charrán Patinegro / Sterna sandvicensis) and Common Tern (Charrán Común / Sterna hirudo) and back inland Common Starling (Estornino Pinto / Sturnus vulgaris), Common Swift (Vencejo Común / Apus apus) and Carrion Crow (Corneja Negra / Corvus corone).
Small Copper (Lycaena phlaeas).
Later in the afternoon after some lunch at a nearby pub we packed up the kit when it started to rain, as we walked back to the car a largish dragonfly flew passed which I was in Spain I would not have hesitated to put down as a Vagrant Emperor (Anax ephippiger) but I was in Suffolk.
Ayway a few days later I heard that there were a few Vagrant Emperors seen in the area so it probably was one.
Once the Kit, Ryan and Chewie were all in the motor we headed back to the house, thanks to Becky for a nice day out.

Tuesday 30 July 2019

Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk.

Catching the train for a day in town.

White-letter Hairstreak (Satyrium w-album).
Becky dropped Jayne and I off at the railway station in Needham Market where we caught the train into Bury St Edmonds whilst the went to a nearby lake to feed the ducks.
Entrance to the Abbey Gardens.
We caught the 10:26 and we soon heading west towards the town, as we sat i noticed a movement by the window and turned to find a fine looking White-letter Hairstreak (Satyrium w-album) sat there on the window. After trying but failing to get  decent shot I released the insect when we reached Stowmarket.
We walked up from the railway station into town and spent a very nice few hours around the town visiting the Cathedral and Saint Mary's church where we found the grave of Mary Tudor tucked away in the corner of the area near the alter.
We also walked around the grounds of the the abbey seeing the gardens and the ruin, well worth a visit and a sit on one of the many benches for a while.
We had some lunch in one of the pubs in town later afer having a walk around the shops, most of which seemed to be charity run place with odd nice places dotted between them.
In the pub we had some English style "Tapas", nice but not quite the same as what we are used to but the beer (2 pints of Ghost Ship) went down very nicely.
As we walked around the town I saw Common Moorhen (Gallineta Común / Gallinulas chloropus), Jackdaw (Grajilla / Corvus monedula), House Martin (Avión Común / Delichon urbica), House Sparrow (Gorrión Común / Passer domesticus), Herring (Gaviota Argéntea Europea / Larus argentatus), Lesser Black-backed (Gaviota Sombria / Larus fuscus) and Black-headed Gulls (Gaviota Riedora / Larus ridibundus), Common Swift (Vencejo Común / Apus apus), Woodpigeon (Paloma Torcaz / Columba palumbus), Collared Dove (Tórtola Turca / Streptopelia decaocto), Barn Swallow (Golondrina Común / Hirundo rustica), Large (Pieris brassicae) and Small Whites (Pieris rapae) and Meadow Brown (Maniola jurtina ssp hispulla).
Nice view from the bench in the gardens.
At around 16:30 we caught the train back to Needham Market after having a very nice day, just after we reached Needhan Alan turned up to take us back to his place.

The Cathedral from the Abbey ruins.
Enjoyed a couple of Pints of this local Beer.

Monday 29 July 2019

Great Bricett, near Wattisham, Suffolk.

An afternoon woodland walk.

Common Ringlet (Aphantopus hyperantus).
After a rather wet weekend I decided to have a walk to a woodland near to our Son's house, the roadside woodlans was in the village of Great Bricett. As I walked there I saw lots of immature and adult Common Starlings (Estornino Pinto / Sturnus vulgaris), House Sparrows (Gorrión Común / Passer domesticus), House Martin (Avión Común / Delichon urbica), Goldfinch (Jilguero / Carduelis carduelis), Common Chiffchaff (Mosquitero Común / Phylloscopus collybita), Collared Dove (Tórtola Turca / Streptopelia decaocto), Woodpigeon (Paloma Torcaz / Columba palumbus) and the first butterflies including Gatekeeper (Pyronia tithonus), Meadow Brown (Maniola jurtina ssp hispulla) and the first Common Ringlet (Aphantopus hyperantus) that I had seen in a very long time.
The hedgerow wild flowers included Agimony (Agrimonia eupatoria), Common Mallow (Malva sylvestris), Hedgerow Cranesbill (Geranium pyrenaicum), Scarlet Pimpernel (Anagallis arvensis), Yarrow (Achillea millefolium), Wild Carrot (Daucus carota) and Old-mans Beard (Clematis vitalba).
Speckled Wood (Pararge aegeria).
I turned off on to a grassy track where I had more Gatekeepers, Meadow Browns as well as Small White (Pieris rapae) and when I cut into the wood several Speckled Wood (Pararge aegeria) of the Northern more creamy form.
As I walked along the field margins I saw more of the species already seen and when I reached the stream at the far end I added a male Blackcap (Curruca Capirotada / Sylvia atricailla) which was feeding in an Elder Flower Bush and female type Common Whitethroat (Curruca Zarcera / Sylvia communis) which showed briefly in a tall gorse bush a little further along the track.
I walked in to the wood on a wide ride and found another nice Ringlet, more Gatekeepers and a very active Southern / Blue Hawker (Aeshna cyanea) which flew up and down the ride continously without settling.
As I walked back through the wood and then along the field edge I found a famil party of  Pheasants (Faisán Vulgar / Phaisanus colchicus), Long-tailed (Mito / Aegithalos caudatus) and Blue Tit (Herrerillo Común / Parus caeruleus), Blackbird (Mirlo Común / Turdus merula), Carrion Crow (Corneja Negra / Corvus corone), Barn Swallow (Golondrina Común / Hirundo rustica), Great Spotted Woodpecker (Pico Picapinos / Dendrocopos major) and a noisy Common Buzzard (Busardo Ratonero / Buteo buteo).
I got back to Alan's and in the garden there was a rather fat looking Grey Squirrel (Sciurus carolinensis) pinching the fat balls.