A walk in the rain this afternoon to Duchess Pond in Stoke Park Estate to try and hear a Cetti’s warbler which had been reported earlier was rewarded with a decent view of a spotted flycatcher. There were nice views too of a grey heron which was flying around the pond.

The beginning of our walk from New Passage to Severn Beach reminded me of childhood visits to this area when the sun never seemed to shine and there was endless mud. We could see lots of curlews and oystercatchers on the warth and godwits on the waterline but everything was too distant for decent photographs…

With an early visit to the Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust’s reserve at Slimbridge we missed the Bank Holiday crowds and traffic. With the extended period of dry weather much of the wetlands were very dry but there was plenty enough to keep us occupied throughout the morning. The highlights were ruff, greenshank, common and spotted…

We made an early visit to see some very rare (for this country) European bee eaters at Trimingham, near Cromer in Norfolk. The forecast was good but it was very dismal when we arrived at 7:30 a.m. I managed to get some shots in poor light and had to make do with that because by…

A little of the beauty of North Norfolk at Cley and Salthouse Marshes. Y … and so much more.

More amazing birds again today in Norfolk, this time at Cley Marshes. The rarest, and a first for me, was a spotted crake. The most spectacular were the spoonbills but I loved seeing all the different waders. Slideshow only today as I clearly need to do some more work on my ID of a few…

Lovely to be back in Norfolk (and seeing some birds again!). A few photos from RSPB Titchwell Marsh where we stopped near the end of our long hot journey from Bristol. Slideshow of my photos from this afternoon:

The sun brought out the damselflies, dragonflies and butterflies at Duchess Pond in Stoke Park this morning. A few birds too. Too hot to hang around though. Slideshow of my photos from this morning

Yesterday it was all butterflies and today, thankfully, there were some birds to see. Brief walks in our local parks (Snuff Mills and Stoke Park) have produced lots of interesting things to see (and photograph). Slideshow of my photographs on the walk through Snuff Mills Slideshow of my photographs on the walk through Stoke Park

It’s definitely the season for butterflies rather than birds. Where better to see a variety of butterflies and damselflies than at the Yeo Valley Organic Gardens by Lag and Holt Farm just off the A368 between Blagdon and Ubley in the Chew Valley south of Bristol? It’s six and a half acres of ornamental and…