Shining White Street if ya don't mind!!!

That bloody statement has been on my mind for weeks now, infact since I was on my boat and Tuppy's Son and Brother (see July 3rd) turned up. In conversation about the old days and in particular our childhood, it transpires that Geoff & Jim's Mum or Mam as they say Up Norf was selected to appear on a Surf advert, no not because she was good at riding the waves in Newquay, but because she lived in White street in Hull. She was selected along with loads of others who lived in White Streets or White Chappel etc. When the interviewer said you live in White Street, she had to reply "Shining White Street if ya don;'t mind" Since they told me this it won't leave my mind, I find myself out of the blue saying the bloody thing at all times of the day and night, it's like a song or tune that's you just can't lose. So as you can imaging when I went back to Norfolk for a few days, and Geoff said he was also going to be there and Jim would be coming over on the Thursday it brought it to mind even more so. I think I even greeted Jim with "Shining White Street if ya don't mind"

More of Jim later. Having arrived at the marina on Monday afternoon we unpacked and had a brew and snack, I was aware as I drove into the boatyard that the sky was a mass of Swallows mainly juveniles so I was keen to try and get a few images of them. I love baby Swallows, they look so miserable at times.
Mr Grump

I watched them for some time first as they landed on the phone lines and boats, infact anywhere they could safely land and wait for the parents to bring them a meal.
Juvenile Swallow

Once fed, off they shot into the air again, some were swooping down in an attempt to get a drink, often unsuccessfully as they misjudge their decent and ducked themselves, it was quite amusing to see this. All of a sudden there was not a bird to be seen, I looked around and wondered why, looking up I noticed what I thought at first glance was a Sparrow Hawk, that would explain their sharp exit, on closer inspection I could see it was a Hobby, one of my favorite Falcons, there was five or six brave Swallows attempting to chase it off.
The Hobby

The hobby feeds on insects and large Dragon flies, and will take House Martins and Swallows, I did manage a shot of the Hobby before it disappeared. It was soon to be dusk and a few birds were already starting to find their roosting spot for the night.
Time for bed

The following day Jak and me had a trip down river, I wanted to go to the pub "The Beauchamp Arms" about an hours trip. The reason was to try to photograph the House Martins that build their nests on the pub each year. I was hoping to see a few babies about, I did get to see some but was about a week too early as they were still in the nests.

Two of a kind

It was still nice to know they had returned this year and were using the same nests as last year. Some nests seemed to have three or four babies some just one, all the same I really enjoyed watching the parents catching insects on the wing and bringing them back to their offspring.

Oh what a mouth

We stayed a while sitting on a picnic bench next to our boat and had a shandy, it was a glorious summer day in Norfolk, there is no place I would rather be on a day like this. During the afternoon I took the boat to Rockland Staithe in search of Dragon Flies and maybe a few butterflies to photograph, having been unsuccessful two weeks earlier. I walked around the Broad towards the bird hide and saw a few Ruddy Darter on the low wall that runs around one end of the Broad, not the nicest perch concrete but beggers and all that.

A Ruddy Darter

I looked from the hide for twenty minutes or so and saw a few Broad Bodied chasers flying around but not close enough for a decent image. On leaving the hide I saw a Ruddy Darter on the hand rail, he was quite obliging really at one point I thought he was stuffed.
A close encounter

I was seeing Dragon flies but unable to get close. I decided to get into the meadow in an attempt to get some pic's. I did manage a few but not of my desired species. I did like the look of a Teasel head developing as the sunlight hit it, and the fact there was a Ladybird on it was an added bonus.
Teasel

I saw a few Butterflies Butterfly and a few Bee's but no Dragon flies, by now I am about shattered having been on my feet most of the day in the hot sun.
A Comma

I made my way back to the boat and a well earned drink, Jak was doing her usual, sitting on the top of the boat reading a book, she looked knackered. I recognised a couple I had spoken to a couple of years earlier, they were doing the same walk from Rockland to The Beauchamp arms, we got chatting and he reminded me of a conversation we had at the time, he was in negotiations with Tesco, they wanted some land he owned, he was nervous they would pull out, it turns out the deal went through, he then proceeded to tell us about how they had purchased a now boat. Some folk have all the luck aye. Just as they said good bye, I saw a Barn Owl heading straight for my boat, I had placed my camera inside the cabin and made a dash for it, I got back just in time to get a shot of its bum.

Silent in flight

I love seeing the Barn owl at anytime day or night, a real graceful bird to say the least with its silent flight, no wonder its prey never know they are in danger until its too late.