Visit to Wheatfen, Surlingham

Saturday (28th May) was sunny and warm. So I decided to take a trip to Wheatfen. This is a broadland reserve run by the Ted Ellis Trust. It has good quality fen, reedbeds, a broad, wet carr woodland and some dry woodland.
No Swallowtails about (the reserve's specialty butterfly) but lots of Brimstones and Orange-tips as well as at least five other butterfly species. Quite a few hoverfly species including good numbers of Tropidia scita - a new one for me.
Good numbers of early dragonflies, including some female Banded Demoiselles and quite a few Hairy Hawkers and Scarce Chasers.

Teneral Scarce Chaser Libellula fulva

Not a lot of bird activity, but nice to hear a Cuckoo. Also a surprise to see an Osprey flying through. It had apparently been around the broad prior to this. I presume it may have been feeding on Rockland Broad.