Supermarket Sweep

Now is the time to visit the avian equivalent of the supermarket because at the moment the shelves are still fully stacked, but in a month’s time there will be gaping gaps on many of them.  Just outside the car park we had both House Martins & House Sparrows some mainly monochrome jackdaws, and a few very colourful Linnets.  The tide seemed to be going out & looking down on the first ravine of chalk we were able to see Puffins on either side of the cliff.  Looking over the grassy edge there were plenty of short, stubby Marsh Orchids.  Later there were several feral pigeons here, and a couple of apparently pure Rock Doves.  It was here that we were first assaulted by the sound of distant Kittiwakes.  From the top of the cliffs we could see a few of the stiff-winged Fulmars riding the breeze, and a single Lesser Black Backed Gull flying just above the waves.

Puffin

 House Sparrow

 Guillemot

 Razorbill

 Kittiwake & Chicks [above]

 Herring Gull

We carried along the cliffs, and here we could see some brilliantly-white Gannets against the blue of the sea and sky.  Meanwhile we were serenaded by plenty of Skylarks and just a few Meadow Pipits.  There were a couple of Swallows and a single white butterfly, and more Marsh Orchids.  All the usual suspects were in their accustomed niches on the cliffs: Puffins, Guillemots, Razorbills, Kittiwakes, Fulmars and herring Gulls, and a single Stock Dove.  Far below there were some Shags on the rocks at the water’s edge, and Steve spotted a sunbathing Grey Seal nearby.  This was the 1^st seal I’d seen here hauled out on the rocks, they are usually just seen round here as bobbing heads with their bodies hidden by the water.    

Grey Seal

 Marsh Orchid

 Shags

 Stock Dove

 Skylark

 Whitethroat

We carried on to a small conservation area devoted to different species, but it was overgrown with grasses and the ground was very wet & slippery.  Some of the usual suspects were absent from here with no sign of Yellowhammers, Reed Buntings or Linnets.  However, there were great views of Meadow Pipits and Skylarks as some compensation and a couple of Herons.  One Skylark in particular came down very close to us, singing beautifully the whole time, it was so good I’m surprised the group didn’t break into a spontaneous round of applause!  Towards the end of our visit to this area, a Whitethroat put in an appearance, but it wasn’t as easy to get good views of as it had been a few weeks ago.  However, later when we were almost back at the car park, Len did see one out in the open at the top of a bramble spray.  

On the return journey a Sand Martin was spotted heading south, which were added to the couple of Swifts we’d already seen.  A male Peregrine was observed, and this was seen even better in the afternoon when I left my camera behind and carried the telescope instead.  

Meadow Pipit (c) 2012 Phil Hargreaves

 Scarlet Pimpernel (c) 2012 Phil Hargreaves

Conclusion of Robert Fuller's Summer Exhibition

Sunday saw the final 2 events running in conjunction with Roberts Fuller’s Summer Exhibition.  The morning walk took place near an Ancient Monument.  All but one person turned up at the Gallery in good time, we waited for the 1 late comer, but she failed to show.  We therefore wasted 15 minutes before setting off.  On the way to the final venue we saw a Kestrel perched over the road, a really bright Yellowhammer, and a few scattered Swallows, but we didn’t come close to killing nearly as many Red-legged Partridges as last week.  There was a lot more room in the car park this time, and again Yellowhammers could be heard in the distance, but today other birds to be heard here including a Song Thrush, a Blackcap and a Blackbird.  On the walk down the valley a Yellowhammer was perched on the left hand side of a telegraph post, whilst a pair of Linnets disappeared into the bare field on its right, and then landed briefly on the hedgerow underneath the Yellowhammer.  A Common Whitethroat perched very briefly on a tiny hawthorn bush, whilst a Blackcap sang nearby.  There were more Willow Warblers singing than last week, but our previous visit had been in an afternoon.

Redstart (at the same location 3 years ago)

We went through a couple of gates and were almost immediately rewarded with views of a male Redstart constantly feeding its young brood in a very distinctive nest-hole.  He was definitely more obvious than the female this time.  A Great Tit was also busy just outside the nest hole, so it may also have been nesting nearby.  As we watched the Redstart there was a sneeze near at hand, and a Marsh Tit flew into the trees behind us.  Unfortunately, it didn’t hang around for a decent view.   The only other bird in this area was a Goldfinch which landed on the wires above our head.  We were just about to walk back through the gate when the Wakefield lady spotted the male Redstart sitting the nearest it had been to us all morning.  When we had returned to the site of the old railway line one chap had to retire to his car with an aching hip.

 Record shot of a Yellowhammer

 Comma

Here, a Chiffchaff sang briefly & distantly, but not long enough for me to point it out to the group.  Those near the front saw a female Blackcap collecting insects, but the male was harder to see, though he was singing strongly.  An Orange-tip passed us a few times round here, and one participant spotted a Comma.  It was near here that we encountered a family of Long-tailed Tits, but we could only snatch decent views of the adults.  A Bullfinch flew into the hedge, allowing us only to catch a view of a white rump, but its plaintive ‘pue’ call was heard by all.  Another Marsh Tit sneezed as it flew along the thick hedgerow, but it remained a blur, and failed to perch in the open.  The lady from Wakefield spotted a Hare on the hillside, which ran past a Magpie before disappearing over the brow of the hill.  In a bush on the hilltop a lovely red-breasted Linnet was drying itself after having a bath.   

Comma

 Record shot of an Orange-Tip in Flight

We came to some redundant buildings and this is where at least 4 of the party disappeared for several minutes as they reminisced about their previous uses.  Meanwhile we heard our first & only Garden Warbler, of which we managed to obtain glimpses as he sang among some fresh Ash leaves.  A Curlew sang out, so presumably they breed on the hillsides in this area.  We also heard our first proper Chiffchaff of the day, and nearly everyone saw it flitting high among the Ash leaves.  We returned the way we had come, and didn’t add any new species, but we climbed the hill with alacrity, as the dark clouds seemed to be massing for an attack, but we managed to reach the car park with only a few drops trying to soak us.  There was chaos in the car park as several people were trying to park with no available spaces.  One of our party almost had his car pranged, but eventually he was allowed to reverse from his space, so one of the newcomers could take his place. 

Ear Fungus

The afternoon session saw a similar situation arise, but this time we were the newcomers.  The car park at the new location was already brimming over, and our arrival came at a difficult time.  In the end a few of us managed to squeeze into the car park, whilst at least 3 had to abandon their cars outside the usual parking area.  We walked down the hill, and I could hear a distant Whitethroat, but we never actually caught up with this particular bird.  A pair of Red-legged Partridge heads could just be spotted in some long grass – the male poking his head up that bit higher than the browsing female.  We were much luckier with a Willow Warbler which came to suss us out, and everyone managed to get decent views, and one lady even managed to take a photo.  A large bird flying distantly looked reminiscent of a raptor, but on closer investigation proved to be only a Lesser Black-backed Gull.  We were luckier when someone spotted a Buzzard soaring over an area of conifers.  It then began to hover clumsily before it disappeared over a large deciduous woodland.   

Red-legged Partridge

 Willow Warbler

 Singing Willow Warbler

    Despite the best efforts of the Sunday afternoon traffic we eventually made it to the pond, and this was the most prolific area for the numbers of species seen well.  A pair of Whitethroats were active around the metal gate and could be seen collecting insects around the umbels of the Cow Parsley.  A Yellowhammer was heard singing, and this was eventually seen clearly.  A Treecreeper was singing nearby, and then one lady spotted it clinging to the side of a mature Ash tree.  There was another Marsh Tit in this area, but again it didn’t stay long enough for everyone to get decent views.  We went a bit further, where the lady with the camera toppled over, but luckily the camera (& the lady) were apparently undamaged.  We walked to where there had been a Tree Pipit a few years ago, but the bushes had been burnt in this area, and there was no sign of this locally scarce species.  However, we went a little further and were lucky enough to encounter a Meadow Pipit indulging in its ever-popular parachuting song-flight.  The Meadow Pipit plunged down to our side of the hill & into a gorse bush, but it was soon seen off by another male.   It was at this point that we heard the best song of a Skylark of the day.   

We returned to the pond area, but this had been taken over by paddlers, so apart from a Moorhen there were no new sightings there.  We walked a little further along the road, but the only decent sighting was of a Willow Warbler plucking flies from a barbed wire fence.  On the return journey to the car park I pointed out some ear fungus & was able to regale the group with some of the folklore and culinary qualities of this unique fungi.  We were able to return to the cars without further incident.

Snake in the Grass

Today was a rerun of last Tuesday & Thursday.  On the way to the start point we had a Tree Sparrow & Yellow Wagtail, whilst the pm group had a pair of Red-legged Partridge and a White Wagtail.  As we began the walk we were serenaded by a Blackcap first thing, but in the afternoon this had been transformed into a Song Thrush.   A pair of Song Thrushes left the area of the new hide and flew into the trees on the left, where they continued to scold for some time.  There was no equivalent in the afternoon.  Both visits had a pair of Lapwing displaying over the River Hull, and a Whitethroat dancing in the air in front of the Pumping Station.  There were quite a few white butterflies around, and an Orange Tip.  There were no Owls apparent during either session, but a Brown Hare was running through the field during the morning.

Yellow Wagtail

 ditto

 White Wagtail

 New Hide

 Tufted Duck

Birds flying over at this stage included a Shelduck and a Gadwall plus a pair of growling Tufted Ducks, whilst closer to us were Swallows, Swifts, and a couple of Sand Martins.  At the pumping station were Goldfinches, Chaffinches, whilst we saw a pair of Wagtails on the return journey and a single Linnet.  We crossed the rickety-looking bridge and immediately a Sedge Warbler could be heard, and we hadn’t gone far before we saw a female Grass Snake basking.  She remained stationary the whole time we were there, and everyone was able to get good views and many people took photographs.

 Grass Snake [female]

 ditto

 Cuckoo

 Cuckoo

During the circular walk we first heard and then saw a Cuckoo – it spent its time commuting between a poplar plantation and a single Ash tree on scurf Dyke.  We found several eggs which may have been predated including Mallard, Coot and Pheasant.  There were a lot of Crows in the area and these were probably the main culprits.  The pm group heard a male Tawny Owl and 6 Tree Sparrows flew out of a Hawthorn bush.  Birds singing within the shooting estate included Blackcap, Willow Warbler, Whitethroat, and a Reed Bunting.  Unfortunately last week’s Grasshopper Warbler was neither heard nor seen.

 Mallard Egg? [predated]

 Moorhen Egg? [predated]

There weren’t as many Skylarks as last week, but a few did punctuate the morning with their popular song.  Other aerial sightings included a Kestrel seen very early in the morning & then at about the same time as the Skylarks a distant Buzzard was seen soaring.  A few minutes later, but 180 degrees from the Buzzard a very distant Cormorant was seen following the River Hull south.  It was in this area that both am & pm sessions saw a Stock Dove.  Songbirds numbers began to pickup along ‘Dandruff’ Dyke with a Blackcap, at least 3 Sedge Warblers, another Willow Warbler, and in dense cover a Garden Warbler.  A dabbling Mute Swan was seen with a ring, which could be read only when the Swan almost completely up-ended - No Y267 

Mute Swan Ring - Y267

 Sedge Warbler 

 Green-Veined White (c) 2012 Aileen Urquhart

 Azure? Damselfly (c) 2012 Tony Robinson

It wasn’t long after this that everyone in the afternoon saw a flash of blue and then a Kingfisher perched on an old plant stem before it carried on south down Barmston Drain.  Shortly after this we almost tripped over a pile of large fish scales, which may have been the leftovers from an Otter feast!  The pm session had great views of a singing and displaying Sedge Warbler.  Although we had seen several Pochard last week, it was only at this point that the am group saw their first one today.  Meanwhile in the afternoon an apparently aimless Lesser Black-Backed Gull went over in a northerly direction.  A walking couple along the main way back ensured that there were no birds on the reservoir walls.  However, there were plenty of birds on the remainder of the reserve, so hopefully, some of the ‘students' stayed behind to catch up on those.

"The Voice of the Turtle is Heard in the Land" Almost for the Final Time?

It's not everyday I quote The Song of Solomon in the title of a Blogpost, and I promise not to make a habit of it.  Of course Turtles don't sing, and the Bible was referring to the soporific purring sound of the Turtle Dove - reminiscent of lazy summer days - not something we've come across much so far this year!  You may have seen some news items in recent days about the plight of this gentle and beautiful member of the pigeon family.  One report said the species may be extinct in the UK within 5 years.  The bird has declined by 91% in recent years, and it is becoming harder to find in East Yorkshire, but it is still hanging on here, and if their food preferences are determined it may not be too late to save them.  It would be tragic if they went the same way as America's Passenger Pigeon, which was once a widespread pest, but is now extinct - in that case from over-hunting.

Turtle Dove

I  don’t normally work on Saturdays, but today was a special birdwatching open day walk around a site in Holderness.  The approach road can be quite profitable, so I kept my eyes open.  The first thing I spotted were a couple of Hares, which slipped away into a tall crop.  I was a bit luckier with a pair of Skylarks, which were either fighting or courting – it’s not always easy to spot the difference.  I stuck my lens out the window at the Skylarks, and could hear the distant call of a Yellow Wagtail, but I couldn’t see it this year.

Skylark

 I arrived early so I did a reccy of the site to see what was about.  What was immediately apparent was that there was a lack of birds calling. Normally there are both Common & Lesser Whitethroat singing  in the compound next to the car park, but a lot of scrub had been cleared, so all these birds were absent.  More worryingly there were no Meadow Pipits parachuting into the grass near the car park and there were very few birds singing as we walked down to the first lake.  One of the first birds we saw was a male Kestrel, which settled on the top of a tree.  A few minutes later a tatty female Kestrel drifted over, which was completely ignored by the male.

Bullfinch [male]

 Kestrel [male]

 Chiffchaff

 Willow Warbler

 Then we took the path between the 2 lakes up to the top of a hill.  This was very secluded from the winds, and here we saw Swifts, House Martins, a Curlew, some Long-tailed Tits, a Chiffchaff, a Blackcap (including a red-headed female), and a pair of courting Whitethroats.  Near the end of the gravel path the best bird was a singing & displaying Sedge Warbler.  However, the next path resulted in a Willow Warbler and 3 baby Herons on a nest.  Herons haven't nested at this location before, so this may be the beginning of a Heronry.  There were 4 adult Herons present, so perhaps next year there will be at least 2 nests!  There had been a male Bullfinch first thing in the morning, but it had vanished before the group arrived.  A Great Crested Grebe, a pair of Tufted Ducks and a family of Coots were on the lake, and some red-finned fish were spotted as well as some much smaller fish.  The best bird greeted us when we u-turned.  A Turtle Dove was purring from a hawthorn bush & then this bird displayed, flying high over the site & fanning its tail.

Longhorn Micromoth Adela reaumurella

 Small Fish

 Rudd?

 3 Adult Herons near a nest with 3 Young

 Adult Heron (c) 2012 Chris Cox

 3 Young Herons in the nest (c) 2012 Chris Cox

 3 Herons - a few days older (c) 2012 Chris Cox

 Whitethroat

 Baby Coot

A walk around the old railway line resulted in a 2 Herons in flight – one was somersaulting in a way I’ve never seen before.  A Buzzard also drifted over the site, but there were fewer warblers along here, apart from a showy Whitethroat.  There were also no Linnets in an area where they are normally very numerous.  Again, the best bird was a Turtle Dove, which everyone was able to observe as it perched on the telegraph lines.  Only four people turned out for this event at this cracking site, but hopefully they enjoyed their outing, and may take their interest further in future. 

Baby Herons from a couple of days ago (c) 2012 Chris Cox