Sods to pick up but over 40 Crossbills south through Waxham so far this morning.

After a busy week of pond restorations, it was nice to get out and do some birding! Like most, I headed to Winterton where the Lesser Grey Shrike showed cripplingly well, and an Arctic Skua dropped onto the Natterjack pools!

Nice to be on the other side of the Black-winged Kite twitch tonight and not worry about car parking etc. Arrived with everyone leaving as it had flown high south but a look at 100 Acre Deadwood and there it sat! It remained till c.1930 before vanishing low south after several hovers.

Took a lunchtime stroll along the riverbank at Riverside, Norwich yesterday, where @tim-hodge.bsky.social found Norfolk’s latest botanical newcomer — Salvia hispanica.

A trip to the seaside this evening - Ray's Knotgrass, Shrubby Hare's-ear and White Stonecrop.

A gorgeous intermediate juvenile Long-tailed Skua was the highlight of a few hours afloat off the North Norfolk coast yesterday. 📷 David Bratt

Lost count of the Elms I've checked but finally found the mines of the Zig-zag Elm Sawfly (Aproceros leucopoda) at a local dog park this morning.

Birding was a bit quiet yesterday, so we wandered the saltmarsh at Thornham instead. Paid off nicely with a few North Norfolk specials – including these four gems: Pseudaplemonus limonii, Campiglossa absinthii, Marram Grass Chelifer and the Wormwood Case-bearer.

Highlights from todays fieldwork...Cyperus Sedge, Emperor Dragonfly and Meadow Barley.

Hard and Soft Rush from todays survey.

Spent a crippling hot day in Winterton Dunes over the weekend on the hunt for the recently sighted Vagrant Emperors. Whilst they didn't show themselves a Lesser Emperor did as well as 5+ Red-veined Darters, a Brown & 2 Norfolk Hawkers.

We were too late getting to Cley for the Night Heron, and real bogey of mine, but made up for it with a picnic dinner watching over Arnold's, Hattie seeing her first Yellow horned-poppies and the escapee Greater Sea Kale in the VC CP.

Hatties latest find. 😅 Signal Crayfish, River Yare, Norfolk.

Marsh Cinquefoil (Comarum palustre) from Strumpshaw Fen y'day. It was a species I always hoped to come across whilst working at Hickling but never did.

Can I tick it? 😋

NFG 😄 Six-belted Clearwing, Sprowston.

Had a great couple of days surveying meadows in South Norfolk and seeing the results from green hay but it's back to e-mails and boring office admin now! 📷 Dyer's Greenweed (Genista tinctoria) & Spiny Restharrow (Ononis spinosa)

Sulphur Clover (Trifolium ochroleucon) in abundance at a South Norfolk meadow today.

Last week really was a top-notch week for plants and there's hopefully more to come this week with two days surveying coming up.

Slender Thistle (Carduus tenuiflorus) on the northern bank of the River Yare, Reedham tonight.

Still can't get over having these on our estate! One showing well tonight scraping around for worms and beetles.

Bee Orchid 𝘖𝘱𝘩𝘳𝘺𝘴 𝘢𝘱𝘪𝘧𝘦𝘳𝘢 var. 𝘣𝘦𝘭𝘨𝘢𝘳𝘶𝘮 in Mulbarton, South Norfolk, today.

Long day in mid Norfolk looking for ponds in need of restoration. Ended up close to the RNR where these beauties grow 😍. Crested Cow-wheat 𝘔𝘦𝘭𝘢𝘮𝘱𝘺𝘳𝘶𝘮 𝘤𝘳𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘵𝘶𝘮

Swallowtails galore at Hickling this morning, but I didn't take a photo, so here's a Wherry and a BO 🍻

If you are (or would like to be) involved in pond restoration, Helen Greaves and Carl Sayer are holding two days of training in North Norfolk for the Freshwater Biological Association. You can find out more information here: www.fba.org.uk/shop/p/pond-...

Today was actually a two plant tick day and it was a species from another favourite family of mine! Great Sundew 𝘋𝘳𝘰𝘴𝘦𝘳𝘢 𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘭𝘪𝘤𝘢 (left) & Round-leaved Sundew 𝘋𝘳𝘰𝘴𝘦𝘳𝘢 𝘳𝘰𝘵𝘶𝘯𝘥𝘪𝘧𝘰𝘭𝘪𝘢 (right), Beeston Regis, Norfolk, 9 June 2025

Can't believe it's taken me so long to get my arse in gear and see these beauties - one of my favourite families as well. Purple (Yarrow) Broomrape 𝘖𝘳𝘰𝘣𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘩𝘦 𝘱𝘶𝘳𝘱𝘶𝘳𝘦𝘢, Beeston Regis, Norfolk, 9 June 2025

It's been rubbish for Bee Orchids 𝘖𝘱𝘩𝘳𝘺𝘴 𝘢𝘱𝘪𝘧𝘦𝘳𝘢 but over the past few days, the ones that have survived are just starting to flower.

Hi @norwichbirder.bsky.social , couldn't think of anyone better to ask! Photographed this buddleja on a dog walk this morning - could this be down to the Aphid Aphis gossypii?

Two recent Norwich Orchids: Man 𝘖𝘳𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘵𝘩𝘳𝘰𝘱𝘰𝘱𝘩𝘰𝘳𝘢 & Prymidal 𝘈𝘯𝘢𝘤𝘢𝘮𝘱𝘵𝘪𝘴 𝘱𝘺𝘳𝘢𝘮𝘪𝘥𝘢𝘭𝘪𝘴

First active Fen Mason-wasp 𝘖𝘥𝘺𝘯𝘦𝘳𝘶𝘴 𝘴𝘪𝘮𝘪𝘭𝘭𝘪𝘮𝘶𝘴 of the year at Hickling on Saturday with three adults near Obs hut. Chimney photographed post Bittern survey this morning.

And on tonights pup walk...the Lesser Stag Beetle 𝘋𝘰𝘳𝘤𝘶𝘴 𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘭𝘪𝘱𝘪𝘱𝘦𝘥𝘶𝘴.

One of six Poplar Hawk-moths 𝘓𝘢𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘦 𝘱𝘰𝘱𝘶𝘭𝘪 from the light trap this morning. #teammoth

A nice surprise in my mums garden in King's Lynn - a Toadflax Brocade 𝘊𝘢𝘭𝘰𝘱𝘩𝘢𝘴𝘪𝘢 𝘭𝘶𝘯𝘶𝘭𝘢 caterpillar hanging out on some rogue Purple Toadflax 𝘓𝘪𝘯𝘢𝘳𝘪𝘢 𝘱𝘶𝘳𝘱𝘶𝘳𝘦𝘢.

Fun distraction from the 'puter - A very stressed Oyc mum had led her young into a garden and were trapped in by a fence. Lots of frantic calling, but it wasn't going to get them anywhere, so I gave them a helping hand over the fence. All eventually walked away happily.

Post breeding bird survey check on "my" Orchids at Hickling staithe... 2 Southern Marsh 𝘋𝘢𝘤𝘵𝘺𝘭𝘰𝘳𝘩𝘪𝘻𝘢 𝘱𝘳𝘢𝘦𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘮𝘪𝘴𝘴𝘢 in flower and 6 Bee 𝘖𝘱𝘩𝘳𝘺𝘴 𝘢𝘱𝘪𝘧𝘦𝘳𝘢 about to pop.

It's taken a couple of lunchtime visits, but I've finally found the Rosary Cemetery Firebugs 𝘗𝘺𝘳𝘳𝘩𝘰𝘤𝘰𝘳𝘪𝘴 𝘢𝘱𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘶𝘴! New to Norfolk in 2023 I believe.

I seem to be using this platform to chuck out question as much as post about nice sightings and observations but here goes another! Does anyone have experience of using portable power stations like the one linked for running an actinic light trap or two on the go? shorturl.at/msdhM Thanks in ad.!

This mornings pup walk featuring Early Marsh-orchid 𝘋𝘢𝘤𝘵𝘺𝘭𝘰𝘳𝘩𝘪𝘻𝘢 𝘪𝘯𝘤𝘢𝘳𝘯𝘢𝘵𝘢.

Orchid spp. no.3 for the year - Bird's-nest Orchid 𝘕𝘦𝘰𝘵𝘵𝘪𝘢 𝘯𝘪𝘥𝘶𝘴-𝘢𝘷𝘪𝘴. 17+ under the Beech at Holt CP this afternoon.

Glass specimen tubes - anyone found a cheap source?

Quality week in the Cairngorms with @robertsjsmith.bsky.social and our other halves. Eagles, Grouse, breeding plumage Divers and Grebes, Crested Tits etc but it was probably the mammals that stole the show.

One last early start before our return home, and it was most definitely worth it!

Some top-tier Highland mammal watching yesterday..

On Tuesday, we had a sensational day up Strathdearn with no less than three Golden Eagles seen. It took less than three minutes to see the first!

Kicked off our first full day in the Scottish Highlands with a hike through some Caledonian Forest, which featured Crested Tits & Crossbills, and then a lunch stop at Anagach feeders...

Had to go back to Northwest Norfolk y'day for a dentist appointment, which at least meant I could catch up with a few more wintering birds such as the Hunny Glauc and Snetts Lesser White-fronts.

After a no show at first light, I was pleased to catch up with the Slav Grebe at Hickling on my morning break. 😋 Just need RnGrebe for Hickling/ TG42 now..🤞

Lovely day out in N. Norfolk w/ G. Long-tailed Ducks at 3 sites & Velvet Scoters at 2. Red-necked Grebe at Titchwell and 8 Shorelark, Holkham w/ stunning littoralis Rock Pipits.