Starling
On Monday I had a look at Chambers Farm Wood for the first time in a couple of years. There were 5 Broad-bordered Bee Hawk Moths feeding on Red Valerian just outside the butterfly garden. There were also some tired looking Marsh Fritillaries in the meadows.
The moth trap has been picking up more recently. Not really in numbers of moths caught, but there have been some smarter moths and even some chafers caught.
On Tuesday we made our only trip of the year to Wharram Quarry. There were quite a few butterflies, but we seemed to be just too early for the Marbled Whites, but we did see a Meadow Brown, Small Heaths, Large Skippers, Common Blue and some very worn Dingy Skippers. On the walk to the bottom of Wharram Percy valley we were able to add Brimstone, Small Tortoiseshell and Red Admiral. One of the best birds seen was a very distant Marsh Tit.
On Wednesday we were on the edge of Spurn, and did a long circular walk from the Blue Bell to Kilnsea Wetlands. Beacon Lane was replete with Whitethroats, but most of the 47 species were waiting for us at the Wetlands and Beacon Ponds. Highlights being a Greenshank and the distant breeding Little Terns. I had lunch with a very importunate Starling, who I thought was going to peck at my sandwich as I was attempting to eat it.
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On Thursday we had our second visit of the year to the supermarket. The Puffins were there, but were slightly less accommodating than last week. The North Marsh Hide area was a little quieter, but a female Roe Deer with 2 young was unexpected. There were more Orchids in flower, but a few were already starting to go brown at the edges. The Skylarks and Meadow Pipits put on almost a good a show as last week.
On Friday we made our only visit of the year to Skerne Wetlands. It was our first non-coastal visit for a few days, so with no obvious offshore wind it was rather sweltering in the strong sunshine. There was a Kestrel perched on a telegraph post near the parking area with a possible Hobby nearby. A Whitethroat sang from the elder bush we were parked under. Otherwise it was fairly quiet with glimpses or snatches of song from Sedge, Reed and Cetti’s Warblers.
There were plenty of Odonata including Banded Demoiselle, Broad-Bodied Chasers, Four-Spotted Chasers and a myriad of Damselflies. An unwelcome Frog chorus from the invading Marsh Frogs accompanied much of our walk. In various stretches of the West Beck we glimpsed some very large Brown Trout, plus a conspicuous large bluish fish - Chubb? Probably the highlight was at the furthest extent of our walk when we were settled on a bench a Kingfisher whizzed past us a few times, but too quickly for a photograph. In the afternoon we were standing on the bridge watching the Trout and Chubb when 2 Kingfisher chasing each other almost caused an accident by whizzing narrowly between us. I swear I could hear the whirring of their wings. Then blow me, we were nearing the other bridge when a Kingfisher burst out of the vegetation on our left “peeped” in my ear before swiftly flying off at a sharp angle.
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