Matthew Parrott

@parrottmatthew

41, father of two, a fascination with wildlife and aviation, manager at RAF Air Defence Radar Museum, Norfolk @rafadrm.bsky.social

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Matthew Parrott@parrottmatthew· 11d

We made it a mission to see a clouded yellow this year, trying Holkham and Warham Camp with some success but both a challenge, so a surprise to have one yesterday drop right in front of me into the @rafadrm.bsky.social car park!

Matthew Parrott@parrottmatthew· 16d

A wonderful evening at Sculthorpe Moor Nature Reserve as a birthday treat to see our first ever beavers We watched three beavers for some time, two juveniles and a baby, going about their business and noisily gnawing on trees.

Matthew Parrott@parrottmatthew· 26d

A lovely evening at RSPB Titchwell Marsh with the red knot showing well on the first scrape and this beast of an emperor moth caterpillar on the footpath #norfolkbirding #birds

Photo, colour, a small red knot wading bird in the centre of the photo, standing next to a preening shelduck. The birds are in shallow water

Photo, colour, a large green caterpillar that belongs to an emperor moth. The caterpillar is covered in small pink dots with little hairs sprouting from each.

Matthew Parrott@parrottmatthew· 29d

A beautiful evening at @rspb.bsky.social Strumpshaw Fen with 11 swallowtail caterpillars on the edge of the reedbed.

Photo, colour, a pair of swallowtail butterfly caterpillars climbing on a curved plant stem in a reedbed. The caterpillars are bright green with black and orange spots, the reedbeds are a lush green. The sky is blue with pink clouds as it is early evening.

Photo, colour, a swallowtail butterfly caterpillar climbing on a curved plant stem in a reedbed. The caterpillar is bright green with black and orange spots, the reedbeds are a lush green. A boy is standing behind the caterpillar in a dark blue top and light blue shorts

Matthew Parrott@parrottmatthew· Jul 6

Not 1, not 2, but 3 purple emperors on the same branch at Foxley Wood this morning. Not surprising as they were all congregating to feed on tree sap, battling with hornets, flies and the odd red admiral. Many thanks to the kind observers who pointed out where to see them.

photo, colour, 3 purple emperor butterflies on a green mossy branch of a large oak tree. The butterflies are a dark purple colour with brown, orange and white patterned underwings.

Matthew Parrott@parrottmatthew· Jul 4

Amazing to see the crane family at Strumpshaw Fen this week, right next to Fen Hide RSPB Strumpshaw Fen @rspb.bsky.social #strumpshawfen #commoncrane #norfolkwildlife #norfolkbirding #birds

Matthew Parrott@parrottmatthew· Jun 15

A beautiful weekend on the Yorkshire coast, Bempton and Flamborough being the star locations for seabirds and the Yorkshire Belle trip with bow-riding dolphins was just superb #yorkshirebirding

Matthew Parrott@parrottmatthew· Jun 15

Just a relaxing afternoon in Bridlington harbour #dolphins #yorkshirebelle

Matthew Parrott@parrottmatthew· Jun 1

A visit to NWT Hickling today: flyover crane, distant hobbies, hundreds of painted ladies and several swallowtails, including this one with a chunk taken out of the tail wings. @norfolkbirding

photo, colour, a swallowtail butterfly on bramble flowers. The butterfly is yellow with bold dark patterning and blue and red circles on the tail wings. The bramble is a lush green with tiny white flowers.

Matthew Parrott@parrottmatthew· Jun 1

Some excellent invertebrates on the wing and on the water at @rspb.bsky.social Strumpshaw Fen at the moment, and my first view of a Strumpshaw fen raft spider (with an egg sac) in the meadow.

photo, colour, a fen raft spider holding an egg sac. The spider is brown with a slightly lighter band around the side of the body, with the grey egg sac tucked up below her. The spider is standing on a fallen reed laid across the water, surrounded by small circular green leaves.

Matthew Parrott@parrottmatthew· May 18

A wonderful spring walk around East Wretham Heath last weekend and my first view of a tree pipit, as well as plenty of woodlarks, siskins, nuthatches and bank voles scampering through the leaf litter. #norfolkbirding #Birdsseenin2026 #birds

photo, colour, a tree pipit perched in the top branches of a tree. The bird is pale with brown streaks and brown wings.

Matthew Parrott@parrottmatthew· May 11

That's not a hedgehog... #fox

Photo, colour, a fox feeding on cat biscuits, watched from an upstairs window at night

Matthew Parrott@parrottmatthew· May 4

Kelling Heath was full of garden warbler this week, with distant Dartford warblers, stonechat and woodlark. No adders this time but first green hairstreaks for the year and these nomad bees exploring the mining bee holes along the main path to the rail crossing - anyone able to ID? #norfolkbirding

Matthew Parrott@parrottmatthew· Apr 20

Wonderful to find several adders on our walk today on the North Norfolk heaths. #adders

photo, colour, an adder tucked in the undergrowth. The snake is brown with a dark diamond pattern along its back and and orange eye

photo, colour, an adder basking in the sunshine on a heath. The snake is grey with black diamond markings along its back.

Matthew Parrott@parrottmatthew· Mar 22

A brilliant afternoon at NWT Hickling with 8 cranes circling overhead, bitterns booming as well as one strutting in front of Bittern Hide, and an adder on the path to the Mill #birdsseenin2026 #birds #norfolkbirding

photo, colour, 8 common cranes flying in a blue sky. The birds are light grey, long-legged and have long. broad wings with a long neck. They are flying close together but not in a formation

photo, colour, a bittern walking into the reeds from a shallow pool. The bird is brown and streaked as camouflaged to blend in with the reeds. It has long green legs with large claws and a long green beak

Matthew Parrott@parrottmatthew· Mar 16

A beautiful morning at RSPB Strumpshaw Fen, first sand martin, snipe and green sandpiper sighting for the year, trees full of birdsong but still not heard or seen a bittern yet. Five lizards along sandy wall, plus a drinker moth caterpillar. #norfolkbirding #birdsseenin2026 #birds

photo, colour, a common lizard climbing a wooden board. The lizard is shiny and brown and blends with the wood, whilst green vegetation protrudes from the base of the block.

photo, colour, a green sandpiper in the distance. The bird is a small wader, grey/brown with white underparts and light coloured legs. It is stood on the edge of a pool, surrounded by the stubble of newly cut reeds

Matthew Parrott@parrottmatthew· Mar 14

Sanderlings weren't the only things struggling with the wind on Titchwell beach yesterday, just missed the long-tailed ducks and the Sandwich terns, but good views of the scaup and the 'tangle' of knot. Nice to see the tawny owl has a partner too. #norfolkbirding #birds #birdsseenin2026

photo, colour, three sanderling birds walking towards the camera, with sand swept by the wind striking them. A bird to the left is shaking its head to clear sand from its face

Matthew Parrott@parrottmatthew· Mar 9

Wonderful to finally catch up with the black-winged kite today at Ludham Bridge, watching it catch a small rodent and then perch to eat it, though under the close gaze of a local peregrine #norfolkbirding #birdsseenin2026

Matthew Parrott@parrottmatthew· Feb 18

A cold stroll to the beach at RSPB Titchwell Marsh today, Slavonian grebe and scaup on the tidal marsh, peregrine putting up the curlews by the roadside and a smart pair of pintail outside Island Hide #Norfolkbirding #Birdsseenin2026 #Birds

photo, colour, a Slavonian grebe on the tidal marsh at RSPB Titchwell. The grebe has a black cap and white cheeks, a short dark neck and black back with dappled flanks

photo, colour, a pair of pintail ducks on a freshwater pool. The male pintail is in the foreground, he has a blue beak, chestnut head with white neck, light grey flanks and a tapering black tail that ends in a point. The female pintail is dabbling with it's tail in the air, the femal is mottled browns and white.

Matthew Parrott@parrottmatthew· Feb 9

A cold but brilliant morning at North Denes, at least three short-eared owls, snow buntings, flocks of pintail and wigeon flying offshore, sanderlings and ringed plovers #Norfolkbirding #birds #Birdsseenin2026

photo, colour, a short eared owl stands on one leg on a wooden post among marram grass and sand dunes. The grass is green and yellow, the owl is fluffy, beige and brown with a pale face and yellow eyes

photo, colour, a snow bunting perched on driftwood on a beach, the wood is blackened and strewn with dried seaweed. The bunting has a white belly, yellow beak and dappled chestnut brown on its head and wings flowing down to black and white wing feathers and tail

Matthew Parrott@parrottmatthew· Feb 2

Weird duck season in Norfolk continues for us, with the latest being this scaup at Titchwell Marsh yesterday, following the goosander at Whitlingham last Monday as well as the previous weekend's goldeneye at Filby and red-breasted merganser at Wells. #norfolkbirding #birds #Birdsseenin2026

photo, colour, a scaup duck on the water, the duck is grey/brown with a darker brown head, a white mark on the face before the bill

photo, colour, a goldeneye duck on the water, the duck has a bright yellow eye, dark green head with a white patch before the beak, and a black and white body

photo, colour, red-breasted merganser duck on the water, the duck has a thin red beak, red eye, spiky black feathers on top of its head and a black and white body, the neck has a white ring with a rusty brown patch

photo, colour, a goosander duck on the water, the goosander has a thin red beak, a smooth dark green head and a creamy white body with black lines along its back

Matthew Parrott@parrottmatthew· Jan 23

A good muddy stomp around RSPB Strumpshw Fen this week, highlights being the seven marsh harriers around Fen hide and this great white egret grabbing a pike at Tower hide. #norfolkbirding #birds #Birdsseenin2026

photo, colour, a great white egret catching a pike at RSPB Strumpshaw Fen. The egret is white with a yellow beak, standing in water up to it's body. The pike is a large green fish trapped in the beak of the egret.

photo, colour, a marsh harrier at RSPB Strumpshaw Fen. The bird has brown, grey and black feathers, yellow legs and a bright yellow eye.

Matthew Parrott@parrottmatthew· Jan 11

A lovely wander around Wells-next-the-Sea yesterday, great views of great northern diver and red-breasted merganser #birdsseenin2026 just off the lifeboat ramp, plenty of pink-footed and brent geese flying over, little grebes and kingfisher in the harbour #norfolkbirding

photo, colour, male red breasted merganser in calm waters, the bird has a red beak, black and white body and a dark head of spiky feathers sticking up

photo, colour, pair of black headed gulls on the shore, the birds are white with red beaks and legs, light grey wings and a dark splodge just behind the eye

photo, colour, great northern diver on calm waters, the bird is dark with mottled grey stripes over its back and a white chin with a grey beak

photo, colour, brent geese flying in a large flock against a blue sky, the birds are dark in colour, with black heads, dark grey/brown breasts and wings

Matthew Parrott@parrottmatthew· Jan 3

I enjoyed The Martian, I think I liked this more, especially how the relationship of Grace and Rocky developed #projecthailmary

Photo, colour, the book cover for Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir, a helmeted male astronaut stares at illuminated buttons

Matthew Parrott@parrottmatthew· Dec 24

An entirely accidental twitch on Christmas Eve at Sheringham for this Eastern black redstart, thanks to @stuartwhite73.bsky.social for sharing the news and birders for pointing it out! #NorfolkBirding

photo, colour, of an Eastern black redstart. The bird is ball shaped and has a rich orange breast and tail, with thin black legs, a black big and dark grey head

Matthew Parrott@parrottmatthew· Aug 24

Completely in love with Herdling by @okomotive.ch in which you rescue an increasing number of furry beasts to lead them home. Beautiful scenery and music, enjoyable puzzles and genuinely distraught when one of my herd was eaten by a massive owl

Screenshot from the Herdling game, a young shepherd guides a herd of large horned sheep across a snow covered hillside, large rocks loom in the distance

Screenshot from the Herdling game, a young shepherd guides a herd of large horned sheep across a rock-strewn meadow, autumn leaves fly on the wind and a rocky cliff can be seen in the distance

Matthew Parrott@parrottmatthew· Aug 10

Another superb visit to NWT Hickling Broad, this time with a trip on the boat to explore the reedbeds and visit the tower where purple hairstreaks perch at eye level. Several swallowtails plus bittern, spoonbill, cuckoo, marsh harrier and hobby. #norfolkbirding @savebutterflies.bsky.social

photo, colour, of a swallowtail butterfly at NWT Hickling Broad and Marshes, Norfolk. The butterfly is yellow with bold black markings and outlines, backlit so it looks like a stained glass window. There are two red spot markings on it's hind wings, and it is perched on a reed stem.

photo, colour, of a purple hairstreak butterfly at Hickling Broad and Marshes, Norfolk. The butterfly has wings of a faded purple colour with darker edges and a pale blue body with orange antennae. The butterfly lives in the canopy of oak trees, here it is perched on a lush green oak leaf, the cup of an acorn is emerging behind it.

Matthew Parrott@parrottmatthew· Jul 27

An outstanding day at Old Buckenham Airshow, my son's first air display with all the favourite Red Arrows, wing-walkers, Lancaster and Spitfire. Big thanks to the organisers and car park team!

photo, colour, the red arrows RAF display team jets, painted red and white and trailing red, white and blue smoke

photo, colour, a wing-walker display team with two women balancing on the upper wings of a pair of biplanes that look like they are hurtling towards each other in mid-air.

Matthew Parrott@parrottmatthew· Jul 8

Filling Bluesky with Swallowtail caterpillars because they are brilliant. At least six individuals on the milk parsley at RSPB Strumpshaw Fen.

photo, colour, a swallowtail caterpillar on milk parsley. The caterpillar is bright green with black bands along it and orange spots. The caterpillar is eating the green milk parsley.

photo, colour, a Swallowtail caterpillar feeding on milk parsley. The caterpillar is bright green with black bands and orange spots, the caterpillar blends with the green milk parsley and reeds.

Matthew Parrott@parrottmatthew· Jun 30

We avoided the worst of the heat yesterday with a late walk to the beach at RSPB Tichwell Marsh, thanks to the membership team for pointing out the pair of spotted flycatchers near the visitor centre. Lots of godwits, avocet chicks, spoonbills and a couple of ruff. #norfolkbirding #birds