House Sparrow in the garden today, Great Crested Grebe and chicks, view, one of my first Marbled Whites of the year, Brown Argus and Large Skipper at Lakeside Country Park this lunch time 09/06/2026 and a Painted Lady at Hickling Broad on the Norfolk trip last Monday.
I'm elated to have seen my first Marbled Whites of the year, it was so invigorating and captivating to watch four of the around five of them I saw sail and glide over a forest of oxeye daisies in a rich bit of meadow at the side of the bowl area which has been my go to spot for butterflies this year with no less than five species seen for the first time this year there so far this spring and summer. It seemed silly that I'd been checking other areas last night and today before I got to this productive spot as it's where I saw my first Marbled White of the year last year too. I get so excited seeing any butterfly for the first time in a year especially as we get into the summer species locally at Lakeside but there's just something even more magical about the Marbled White, it's like a welcome sign for summer (interesting timing in a day where I also heard thunder later on in changeable weather), it's a strong species for me locally Lakeside is the best site I know for them I'd say and they're just so pretty in pattern and colour. As my milestone thirtieth species of the year it's the perfect species to follow last week's grand Swallowtails in Norfolk as they do remind me of each other with the pattern and it shows my excitement for seeing butterflies flowing through my year.
At Lakeside today I also enjoyed seeing Small Copper, Small White, Common Blue Damselfly, meadow crane's-bill, Robin and Mallard with Starlings at home. Other highlights of recent days between Martin Down on Sunday and lunch time and evening walks at Lakeside yesterday have included Linnet, Common Tern, Adonis Blue, greater butterfly orchid and pyramidal orchids.