Last day: Lynford Arboretum

With a less than impressive weather forecast, we enjoyed a home-cooked 'full English' before heading west to the Brecks - one of Linda's favourite parts of East Anglia. We arrived at Lynford Arboretum early enough to be the first people on site, which proved to be fortuitous. No sign of any of the recently reported Hawfinches, but some judicious feeding on the bridge piers soon attracted a good range of woodland species: Marsh Tit, Nuthatch, Coal Tit, Blue and Great Tit all posed for the camera!

A walk around the paddocks added Spotted Flycatcher to the daylist, as well as a pair of Grey Wagtails, feeding young by the lake outfall sluice. The Buddleias held good numbers of butterflies, including a smart Painted Lady.

After lunch at 'Brown's' and with the weather growing increasingly threatening, we navigated back through the narrow lanes to Cretingham, having decided to cut short our break and return home. After packing, we took a final walk, eventually locating the fishing lake hidden among the trees on the golf course. Lots more Buzzards and Green Woodpeckers, as well as two species of very large hover flies.

And so home for fish and chips and thunder storms! A terrific break in a beautiful part of England...