Chinese Water Deer, Strumpshaw Fen, Norfolk, 31st May 2014.

Avocet, Cley, 31st May 2014.

Soldier Beetle Cantharis rustica, Cley, 30th May 2014 (Sue Gantlett).

Soldier Beetle Cantharis livida, Cley, 30th May 2014 (Sue Gantlett).

Scorpion Fly Panopa sp, Cley, 30th May 2014 (Sue Gantlett).

Leaf Beetle Donacia vulgaris, Cley, 30th May 2014 (Sue Gantlett).

Wasp Beetle Clytus arietis, Cley, 30th May 2014 (Sue Gantlett).

Black-headed Bunting, West Runton, Norfolk, 29th May 2014.

Icterine Warbler, Blakeney Point Plantation, 28th May 2014.

Sedge Warbler, Cley, 28th May 2014.

Linnet, Cley, 28th May 2014 (Sue Gantlett).

Turtle Doves with pheasant, Choseley Drying Barns, Norfolk, 26th May 2014.  We waited here, watching quietly from the car for about two hours until they eventually appeared at 7pm, shortly after which they were flushed by the next in the constant stream of birders getting out of their cars and walking up to the gate. In the short periods when there was no-one out of their cars, many more birds were present and came very much closer, including Corn Buntings.

Yellowtail Moth caterpillar, Gramborough Hill, Salthouse, 26th May 2014 (Sue Gantlett) .

Purple Bar Moth, Gramborough Hill, Salthouse, 26th May 2014 (Sue Gantlett) .

Minotaur Beetle Typhaeus typhoeus, Kelling Heath, 26th May 2014 (Sue Gantlett).

Flower Beetle Oedemera nobilis, Kelling Heath, 26th May 2014 (Sue Gantlett).

Gorse Sheildbug Piezodorus lituratus, Kelling Heath, 26th May 2014 (Sue Gantlett).

Yellow Ophion Ophion luteus, Cley, 24th May 2014 (Sue Gantlett).

Bufflehead, Bayfield Lake, Glandford, 23rd May 2014.  By far the most exciting bird of the spring in the Cley area, for just a few minutes, until it showed its ring indicating its captive origin.

Shovelers, Pat's Pool, Cley, 23rd May 2014.

Browntail Moth caterpillars, Spurn, Yorkshire, 21st May 2014 (Sue Gantlett).

Western Subalpine Warbler, Spurn, Yorkshire, 20th May 2014.

Blue-tailed Damselfly, Spurn, Yorkshire, 20th May 2014 (Sue Gantlett).

Terek Sandpiper, Covenham Reservoir, Lincolnshire, 20th May 2014.

Little Stint, Cley, 19th May 2014.

Longhorn Moth Nemophora degeerella, Cley, 19th May 2014 (Sue Gantlett).

Cardinal Beetle Pyrochroa coccinaea, Cley, 19th May 2014 (Sue Gantlett).

Azure Damselfly, Cley, 19th May 2014 (Sue Gantlett).

Broad-bordered Bee Hawkmoth, Holt CP, Norfolk, 18th May 2014.

Garganey, Pat's Pool, Cley, 18th May 2014.  Showing very obligingly close to Bishop Hide.

Curlew Sandpiper, Pat's Pool, Cley, 18th May 2014. This spring, even fewer passage waders have been on Cley reserve than last spring - my photographs depict almost every individual!

Little Stint and Ringed Plover, Pat's Pool, Cley, 18th May 2014.  One of two Little Stints on Pat's Pool today.

Hobby, Lakenheath Fen, Suffolk, 17th May 2014.  Ten appeared, feeding up high, from 11.00am.

Bittern, Lakenheath Fen, Suffolk, 17th May 2014.  Several booming and several flight views.

Stoat moving young, Lakenheath Fen, Suffolk, 17th May 2014.  We watched three young being transferred in succession from one spot to another 150 yards along the track.

Nursery Web Spider Pisaura mirabilis, Lakenheath Fen, Suffolk, 17th May 2014 (Sue Gantlett)

Silver Ground Carpet Xanthorhoe montanata, Lakenheath Fen, Suffolk, 17th May 2014 (Sue Gantlett).

Green Tortoise Beetle Cassida sp, Lakenheath Fen, Suffolk, 17th May 2014 (Sue Gantlett).

Green Nettle Weevils Phyllobius pomaceus, Lakenheath Fen, Suffolk, 17th May 2014 (Sue Gantlett).

Mayfly Ephemera danica, Lakenheath Fen, Suffolk, 16th May 2014 (Sue Gantlett).

22-spot Ladybird Thea punctata, Lakenheath Fen, Suffolk, 16th May 2014 (Sue Gantlett).

Alder Fly Sialis lutaria, Lakenheath Fen, Suffolk, 16th May 2014 (Sue Gantlett).

Froghopper Cercopis vulnerata, Lakenheath Fen, Suffolk, 16th May 2014 (Sue Gantlett).

Tree Pipit, Grimes Graves, Norfolk, 16th May 2014.

Four-spotted Chaser, Minsmere, Suffolk, 15th May 2014.

Bittern, Minsmere, Suffolk, 15th May 2014.  In booming pose in the lower photograph.

Green Shieldbug Palomena prasena, Benacre Broad, Suffolk, 15th May 2014 (Sue Gantlett).

Greenshank, Cley, 14th May 2014.

Long-tailed Tits, Walsey Hills, Cley, 12th May 2014.

Reed Warbler, Cley, 12th May 2014.

Temminck's Stints, Pat's Pool, Cley, 12th May 2014.

Common Sandpiper, Cley, 12th May 2014.

Common Tern, Arnold's Marsh, Cley, 12th May 2014.  Not at all so common nowadays. None linger around the reserve in spring any more. Arnold's Marsh needs a shingle island.

Common Lizard, Cley, 12th May 2014 (Sue Gantlett).

Flea Beetles Altica sp., Cley, 12th May 2014 (Sue Gantlett).

Zebra Spider Salticus scenicus, Cley, 11th May 2014 (Sue Gantlett).

Yellow Fieldcap Bolbitius titubans, Cley, 10th May 2014 (Sue Gantlett).

Funnelweb Spiderlings Agelena labyrinthica, Kelling Heath, 10th May 2014 (Sue Gantlett).

Slow Worm, Kelling Heath, 10th May 2014 (Sue Gantlett). An adult male blue-spotted morph.

Temminck's Stint, Pat's Pool, Cley, 9th May 2014. Present from Daukes Hide for three days now, but mostly distant.

Osprey, Cley, 8th May 2014.  Over the reserve and off west at 9.15am.

Blue-headed Wagtail, Cley, 8th May 2014.  In the Eye Field with about 20 Yellow Wagtails at 9.00am, but appeared to be flushed off by the Osprey.

Yellow Wagtails, Cley, 8th May 2014.  About 20 were in the Eye Field until about 9.15am, when most of them appeared to be flushed off west by the passing Osprey.

Dark-bellied Brent Geese, Cley, 8th May 2014.  Blondy - looking paler than ever just now - remains with the last 30 or so Brent Geese remaining around the reserve.

Dotterels, Winterton Dunes, Norfolk, 7th May 2014.

Adder, Kelling Heath, 5th May 2014 (Sue Gantlett).  Just four or five inches long, so presumably one of last year's young.

House Martin, Cley, 5th May 2014.

Ruff, Reeve and Black-tailed Godwits, Cley, 5th May 2014.

Common Sandpiper, Cley, 2nd May 2014.

Little Ringed Plover, Cley, 2nd May 2014.

Hybrid apparent Pintail × Wigeon, North Scrape, Cley, 1st May 2014.  This bird recalls the pseudo Baikal Teal at Titchwell in winter 1988/9. That bird seemed to be a clear Pintail × Teal – a 'Pinteal' (Birding World 1: 426-427 & 2: 72-73 plus 16: 58-68), so is this perhaps a 'Pigeon'?

Wood Warbler, Cley, 30th April 2014.  A nice find by Sue in the large willows before Wiveton Bridge. It was singing rather half-heartedly at about 9.30am.

Wood Warbler, Cley, 30th April 2014.  A nice find by Sue in the large willows before Wiveton Bridge. It was singing rather half-heartedly at about 9.30am.

Spoonbill, Salthouse, 29th April 2014.  It just flew over this afternoon, heading east.

Bearded Tit, Cley, 29th April 2014.  A female carrying food for young; three males were together in another part of the main reedbed.

Wryneck, Blakeney Point, 27th April 2014.

Dotterels, Choseley, Norfolk, 26th April 2014.  Four, all females, were present at long range.

Cuckoo, Holme, Norfolk, 26th April 2014.

Whiskered Tern, Rockland Broad, Norfolk, 24th April 2014.

Nuthatch, Holt, Norfolk, 23rd April 2014.

Whinchat, Salthouse, 23rd April 2014.

Swallows, Cley, 23rd April 2014.  They're back at the pillbox.

Cuckoo, Cley, 23rd April 2014.  He's back at the sewage farm poplars, though, despite protestations, these lovely trees remain under threat of destruction.

Nightingale, Cley, 21st April 2014.  Amazingly, this was hopping about on our lawn while we were having breakfast this morning!

Hoopoe, Thornham, Norfolk, 21st April 2014.

Lesser Whitethroat, Cley, 21st April 2014.

Ruff, Cley, 19th April 2014.

Oystercatcher and Channel Wagtail, Eye Field, Cley, 17th April 2014.

Ring Ouzel, Cley, 16th April 2014.

Sand Martin, Salthouse, Norfolk, 15th April 2014.

Crag Martin, Flamborough Head, East Yorkshire, 12th April 2014.  This bird performed superbly close to clifftop viewing positions at Thornwick Bay and North Landing all afternoon, although its flight was faster and more jinking than a feeding swift, making it extremely difficult to photograph.

Corn Bunting, Bempton Cliffs, East Yorkshire, 12th April 2014.  At least two were singing.

Kittiwake, Bempton Cliffs, East Yorkshire, 12th April 2014.  Good numbers of Kittiwakes still nest here and the whole 'seabird city' remains an awesome sight.

Puffin, Bempton Cliffs, East Yorkshire, 12th April 2014.  We saw about twenty Puffins, some of them close.

Guillemots, Bempton Cliffs, East Yorkshire, 12th April 2014.  Many thousands of these remain.

Gannets, Bempton Cliffs, East Yorkshire, 12th April 2014.  The 10,000 pairs there now are truly spectacular.

Lapwing, Cley, 10th April 2014.

Green-winged Teal, Blashford Lakes, Hampshire, 9th April 2014.

Redstart, Ibsley Common, New Forest, Hampshire, 9th April 2014.

Great Grey Shrike, Ibsley Common, New Forest, Hampshire, 9th April 2014. Spot the bird!

Hooded Merganser, Radipole Lake, Dorset, 8th April 2014.  He's still here!

Redstart, Portland Bill, Dorset, 8th April 2014.  The only other migrants in a morning's search around the bill were three Willow Warblers, one Chiffchaff, five Wheatears and three Swallows..

Red-rumped Swallow, Lodmoor, Dorset, 7th April 2014.

Iceland Gull, Ferrybridge, Dorset, 7th April 2014.

Kumlien's Gull, Littlehampton, West Sussex, 5th April 2014.

Baikal Teal, Fen Drayton GP, Cambridgeshire, 4th April 2014.

Black Redstart, Cley churchyard, 3rd April 2014.

Drake Pochard, Pat's Pool, Cley, 1st April 2014.  There were six males and just one female this morning.

Great White Egret, Cley, 31st March 2014.  Feeding with Little Egrets on sticklebacks at the back of Simmonds' Scrape for a short while this evening before flying off towards Salthouse.

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