It's been a few weeks now since our move to Trimingham in Norfolk, we're still absolutely loving being here. I have been trying to get in some local birding around Trimingham and watching from the cliff top as much as possible and I am already getting a tally of species together, can't wait for a full years count of what I will see.
Dusky Footman
The insects have been overwhelming, we have quite a few mint plants in the garden and I have never seen some many types of bee feeding all together, great to see but a pain trying to tell Elka the frenchie that sticking your nose against a bee isn't the greatest of ideas!
The butterflies are very numerous and many species have been ticked off in the garden, including the lovely Painted Lady. Moths too seem in good numbers but my moth light has been trapped behind boxes in the shed so I am looking forward to many a good session next year and hopefully a lot of new species.
Small White
Holly Blue
Dusky Sallow
Speckled Wood
Red Admiral
The birding is and has been getting better, the feeders in the garden are working a treat and getting emptied very fast. It is great to see different species on the garden list (inc from/over the garden) as from our last home. So many Swifts, Swallows and House Martins of which I haven't seen many over the last few years or so, even Sand Martins have been passing over regularly. Alas now the seasons are changing the only remainders are the house martins with a few swallows passing over. Buzzards have been seen and by far the best raptor so far was a low flying female Marsh Harrier over the garden, what an addition that was.
Sparrowhawk
Wheatear
One morning looking out of a bedroom window I saw this Wheatear on our back gate post! Fantastic tick for the garden list and the second one seen in Trimingham since we moved, the 1st being down the lane opposite when walking the dogs one morning. Having to go out with Sarah shopping, I was pleased to see it on our gate when we returned, unfortunately it stayed around the paddock behind and never alighted the post again despite me standing out in the rain for an hour waiting for a close up image.
Wheatear
Lesser Whitethroat
Another welcome find was a Lesser Whitethroat, feeding among the cliff side vegetation.
Lesser Whitethroat
White Wagtail
I thought I had found a Citrine wagatil at the back of our garden but alas turned out to be a young White/Pied wagtail.
White Wagtail
I am looking forward to the rest of the year and what I might see here, could be very rewarding. Indeed this very morning whilst standing on the cliff top birding I was treated to not one but 3 water spouts!! What was frustrating was I had the big lens and couldn't get a shot of the entire spout from sea to funnel top in the sky, that will teach me to remember my phone, I could of gotten a shot of it with that, instead I had to do section shots because they were not far out to sea, but in no way am I moaning as it was a fantastic sight to see, the 3rd one moving to within a short distance of the shoreline and my position before dwindling away leaving just the top of the funnel to watch.
