Norfolk Hawker - Strumpshaw Fen

[DavyG]

Anita and I finally made it to Strumpshaw Fen and Upton Fen today.

Our main objective was to see a Norfolk Hawker before they disappear for this year.

Thanks to the advice given by Steve (Fourwings) at the Priory Water meet, we managed to see five seperate individuals.

As I'd been warned, they were fast and we didn't see one perched at all, they were all on the wing.

These pics are awful and are heavily cropped but they were the best I managed, I'll have to try again next year!





Dave

[ron1863]

Hi Davy, I think your shots are fine, Iv'e tried photographing them in mid air and it's really, really difficult, even after sitting and studying the flight pattern they just need to move slightly and they are so fast.

[brianwaugh]

You did better than me 2 weeks ago at Strumpshaw I never even saw one, got some nice shots of Swallowtail butterfly though, and several of Scarce Chaser Libellula fulva.

[Fourwings]

Glad you got to see them Dave, I must admit I was exceptionally lucky to have one perch infront of me like it did after I had spent a couple of hours chasing them up and down the ditches like a mad man!

Brian - It wasn't by chance a Tuesday when you were there was it? I was last there on Tuesday 17th and my friend and I were talking to a couple from South Yorkshire!

[brianwaugh]

no we were there from 2nd to the 7th, stayed in a riverside cottage in nearby Brundall. However the description of 2 men chasing across the fields like madmen could have been referring to us when we glanced our first uncooperative Swallowtail. Was like a scene from the Goodies tv series....

[mrs fish]

I'm pleased you got to see them , the second pic is a good one of the fourwings

[Gill Catton]

Originally Posted by Fourwings

Glad you got to see them Dave, I must admit I was exceptionally lucky to have one perch infront of me like it did after I had spent a couple of hours chasing them up and down the ditches like a mad man!

Oh I would have loved to have seen that tee hee

Having said that I had to rugby tackle a vole on Friday to save it from certain death on a construction site oh and I ended up with a young wood mouse up my jumper as it ran up my sleeve when I tried to rescue it boy was that tickly!!!.......So perhaps I should keep quiet!!!

I'm thinking a trip to strumpshaw is in oder for me next year!!

[DavyG]

Thanks to everyone who looked and for your kind comments.

We'll try to get back to both fens next year and hopefully get some better pics.

Dave

[Fourwings]

Originally Posted by Gill Catton

oh and I ended up with a young wood mouse up my jumper as it ran up my sleeve when I tried to rescue it boy was that tickly!!!.......So perhaps I should keep quiet!!!

Now that would have been worth seeing Gill, would have made a good video for Youtube

On a more serious note, I think it may be an idea to look at Strumpshaw fen as a possible site for a WAB meet next year and time it for early June to hit peak times for the Swallowtails and Norfolk Hawkers.

[Wild-Woman]

Originally Posted by Fourwings

I had spent a couple of hours chasing them up and down the ditches like a mad man!

This sounds pretty normal really. Sort of thing I'd do.