4th June 2012
After singing the National Anthem I went out for a look around Thorpes finest nature habitats. Rosary Cemetery was quiet (admittedly this is generally a good thing, I mean, you don't want a noisy cemetery), and In didn't see much of note in Lion Wood either. No sign of any orchids at Carey's Meadow (a few years ago I had at least three species flowering in the first week of June here), but my day took a turn for the better when I found a pair of Lesser Whitethroats taking caterpillars into some thick brambles. The local Black Swan was at Thorpe Green, along with some Mallards moulting into eclipse plumage.
At Thorpe Marsh a dragonfly flew swiftly off the path, almost certainly a Four-spotted Chaser although it went to quickly to be 100%. At the second scan I managed to pick out one Little Ringed Plover on the scrape, along with the usual geese and Stock Doves. Further round I was scanning the posts when I noticed the pale underwings of a large bird of prey. Looking through my bins I confirmed that finally I'd managed to catch up with a Marsh Harrier here (102). For around five minutes I watched it hunt parallel with Bungalow Lane, it even engaged in a bit of hovering. A cracking bird, well worth the wait. I couldn't see anything on the spit, but did find a big Drinker moth caterpillar on my way back to the bridge.
