I had a meeting in Thetford on Thursday afternoon, so decided to take my lunch break having a quick race round Lakenheath RSPB reserve. There was also the lure of a Collared Pratincole and a long-staying and elusive Little Bittern to be had, both of which would be UK ticks.
The day was warm and with the sun beating down I was soon rather hot. I walked out to Joist Fen to have a look for the pratincole. Needless to say in the midday heat it had upped sticks and gone elsewhere. Of consolation were several Marsh Harriers flying about, going to and from their nests. I witnessed some food passing from male to females which I don't recall having seen before. The bittern unsurprisingly went unseen. Interesting a low flying male Marsh Harrier flushed something that looked like it possibly was the bittern but the views were so brief and distant that it could have been a pterodactyl!
I ended up checking out the insects instead. The first Agapanthia villosoviridescens of the year flew round my head before landing for a photo.
There were plenty of a Cantharis rustica soldier beetles on various shrubs..
...and the odd Garden Chafer Phylloperta horticola feeding on flower heads.
It was quite windy and the only hover I identified was a Episyrphus balteatus.
On the lepidoptera front there were a few tatty looking Painted Ladies and a Peacock. I also saw Burnet Companion and a Cinnabar.
Once again the maze of paths that all lead to the visitor centre, manage to both confuse and piss me off in equal measure. I could see the car......just couldn't get there without the detour.
Frustrating.......
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