Wednesday 29 May 2019

Half-Term One-Off Special

On Wednesday we had a One-Off Special to RSPB St Aidan's.  66.6% of attendees had never been before, so it had the cache of being a new venue for a high percentage.  The morning started sunny and warm, but it soon clouded over.  The wind was fairly cool, but it wasn't too bad.  We looked behind the massive dragline for a Little Owl, but it remained hidden during the period of the class.  There was no sign of the nesting Kestrel either, but the Stock Doves were much easier to spot.   A Willow Warbler was heard singing from the car park.
Swallow
 It was possible to spot Lapwing, Greylag & Canada Geese from the walk down the hill.  On the flat we heard and saw a Sedge Warbler, several Reed Buntings and a little later Meadow Pipits and Skylarks.  We turned left at the first junction to encounter the water birds.  There were more than 30 Swifts passing overhead at this point, and later a House Martin was seen.
Sedge Warbler
 A Common Term flew along a drain to our left, and we saw more Lapwings, and heard the din of Black-headed Gulls, which seem quieter than the ones at North Cave Wetlands.  There were plenty of Tufted Ducks and Pochard [and Coots].  We checked every water bird, but never saw a Black-necked Grebe.  As we neared the next corner a Great Crested Grebe was seen with 2 chicks on its back.  Another parent brought fish to feed the 2 birds.  
Great Crested Grebes
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 Oystercatcher
Little Grebe
 Little Grebes
Shoveler
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 Tufted Duck
 Common Blue
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On the return journey peering into every inlet finally paid-off when we found a drake Red-Crested Pochard busy having a bath.
Red-Crested Pochard
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 Female Orange-Tip
 Small Vetch Species
Ian stayed behind after the session, and walked an extra 3.5 miles.  His patience paid off, because he managed to locate the Little Owls, which he managed to photograph on his mobile.
Little Owl (c) 2019 Ian Puckering
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 Creche of Goslings (c) 2019 Ian Puckering
 Redundant Dragline
On Monday I checked out Skerne Wetlands.  I heard a Bittern and a few Warblers and the loud Marsh Frogs, but it was quite windy so wasn't great for photographing birds.
Mayfly
I could only spend a brief time in Kilnsea on Tuesday afternoon, but there were very close views of a buck Roe Deer and a pair of Swallows from Canal Scrape hide. 
Buck Roe Deer
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 Swallow
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I have been able to use the moth trap a few times in May, and the best catch so far has been this Poplar Hawkmoth.  However, the trap has been noticeably less productive than May last year.  
Poplar Hawk Moth

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