A great start to late summer on the patch

Another two patch ticks this week, one of which was a very expected Crossbill, 2 of which were seen flying over the fen and towards the reception area. Both sounded very normal so just a slight pulse increase and not the trumpet call I was hoping for.
A day later I was cutting various bits around Buckenham when I went to investigate how much vegetation I would need to cut to clear a view into the North pool near the hide. As I approached the pool a few waders took flight, two of which were small and showed white rumps, thats when you start saying 'turn around- let me see you!' luckily they did a bit of circuit and landed again allowing me to confirm them as two Curlew Sandpipers. The two brick red beauties constitute another full patch tick for me, they are surprisingly infrrequent on the reserve but can be expected in numbers at the beet factory, which made the record all the more satisfying.... The vegetation will be cleared with a weedwiper so hopefully the views will get better soon.
A quick look this morning saw 4 Wood Sands, 2 greenshank as well as 63 Blackwits and a few ruff. I bet the biggie turns up next week when I'm in Scotland, it's looking good down there at the mo. I have also seen that there is currently a little stint present too (still need that too but I hope to get one sooner or later there).
So it puts my patchbirding list up to 144 species, just 6 off my target of 150 and 5 off of my best Mid Yare list set last year of 149.
While on the subject of figures... I have had 8 patch ticks this year so far so an extra 6 is possible the most likely additions none of which are guaranteed include Spotted Flycatcher, Barwit, Black tern, Osprey, Little Gull, Little stint and Pec Sand.

Patch update

Been a little while since I updated the patch list on here, the main reason being that its been a bit slow!- June started with a flyover spoonbill on the 2nd, my first for the valley. That was it for June though, breeding birds were about all that were seen on the patch, nice as they are. I failed to find/see any Savis or Marsh Warblers and really as yet have not seen any real rarities apart from the Montys I suppose, which makes the total all the better as it shows the mid yare valley is a great place for all sorts of more regular birds.
July has almost gone past too, however another new valley bird for me was a Turnstone on 21st, a very attractive adult was on Buckenham hide pool. Last night a walk around Buckenham produced 70+ Ruff, small numbers of green sand, Avocet, 2 ringos and another patch yeartick- Greenshank. This puts me on 142 for the mid yare reserves so far this year...and as yet have not had to use my trump site- (the beet factory). I suspect the sugar factory will be visited a bit more in the coming month for waders, especially for curlew sand and the possibility of extra points for finging a pec sand... I just need to beet the regulars there!
Here's hoping for some decent wader migration in the next month or so.

Targets for the next few months;
Crossbill- usually present by late July
(2 barred crossbill) with the flock above ;-)
Spotted Flycatcher- got to see one this yr, hopefully a family party will show itself at some point soon!
Barwit- lots turning up at Breydon
Black tern
Osprey
Little Gull- again a few at Breydon
Little stint
Curlew Sand
Pec Sand
+Something very rare!

Moffs

Last weekend was a moth weekend! My father and I had 3 nights of trapping- 2 at Strumpshaw and 1 at Snettisham RSPB reserve. The results were 90 sp at Strumpy on thurs night, 63 at Snetts and a whopping 111 at Strumpy again on the Sunday morning.
Needless to say there were many year ticks and even a few ticks for me/us, many of the year ticks were moths I have not seen since volunteering at titchwell six years ago!

A small selection of photos below

Stunning location for trapping- check out all the stonecrop in flower as well as lots of vipers bugloss

un-id'd so far- (not a moth either!)

Platytes cerussella- New for both of us

Tawny shears- again  new

Dogs tooth

Starwort

Sand Dart

A nice Campion