Round-up of the End of the Spring Term

Well, the weather this Spring/Summer Term has probably been the most difficult I've had to contend with in the 14 years the classes have been running.  The pitiful accuracy of the forecasts hasn't helped.  Bright sunny days have been predicted, so off we travelled to a butterfly location, only to find either thick cloud or even drizzle when we have reached our destination.  Luckily, there is usually something else we can do.  In the final week the weather has been an improvement, and we have been able to visit a couple of butterfly venues in rather favourable weather
Linnet
Back at home 2 juvenile Great Spotted Woodpeckers are visiting the garden with their mother.
Immature Great Spotted Woodpecker
 Ditto
 Ditto
 Ditto
 Ditto
On Tuesday we went to Kilns Wetlands, but were disappointed about the lack of Little Ternsa in the area.
Female Orange-tip
Yellow Shell [ID Barry Warrington]
 Ichneumon Fly?
On Wednesday we enjoyed views of a pair of Redstarts, and all the flora and insects of the Yorkshire Wildlife Trust Reserve. 
Male Redstart
 Ditto
 Ditto
 Female Redstart
 Marsh Tit
 Ditto
 Yellowhammer
 Yorkshire Broomrape or Thistle Broomrape
 Pyramidal Orchid
 Large Skipper
 Common Blue
 Ditto
 Bee Orchid
On Thursday we travelled to Brockadale, and were pleasantly surprised that virtually all last week's dog mess had been cleaned tip.  It made the visit a lot more palatable.  Last Friday there were no Marbled Whites, but on Thursday morning the hillside was awash with them! 
Blue/Green Weevil
 Yellowhammer
 Ditto
 Ditto
 Marbled White
 Ditto
 Ditto
 Ditto
 Sawfly Arg spp. [ID Barry Warrington]
 Ditto
 Clustered Bellflower
 Pyramidal Orchid
 Dropwort
 Sanicle
 Rock-Rose
 Whitethroat
 Ditto
Bee Orchid
 Banded Demoiselle
 Agrimony
 Common Spotted Orchid
 Beetles
 Beetle
 Sawfly
 Poppy
 Scorpion-fly
 Bee
 Worn Chimney Sweeper (c) 2016 Margaret Richardson
Unusual Bee Orchid
Ditto (c) 2016 Margaret Richardson
Standard Bee Orchid
 Welsh Chafers [ID Barry Warrington]
 Ditto
 Ditto
 Ditto
 Welsh Chafer
 Welsh Chafers
Welsh Chafer
 Welsh Chafers
 Goatsbeard
Ditto (c) 2016 Margaret Richardson
Greater Burnet
 Hedge Woundwort
 Oyster Mushrooms
 Ditto
 "Fairy Door"
 Ditto
Finally, on Friday we visited the rocky cliffs of Flamborough Head for all the usual suspects.   
Puffin
 Fulmars
 Puffin
 Ditto
 Ditto
 Shag
 Linnet
 Meadow Pipit
 Fulmars
 Kittiwake & Chicks
 Orange Underwing?
 Peregrine
 Ditto
 Ditto
 Ditto
The Med View

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Bits and Pieces of Tolkien

Image
I  haven't had chance to post about Tolkien's time in East Yorkshire recently.  This is mainly because it's been such a hectic Autumn with many venues having to be changed at short notice because of the poor weather conditions. A sign placed on Brooklands Officers' Hospital after WW1 However, this all changed yesterday with a new connection being brought to my attention, about the period just after Tolkien's convalescence.  Phil Mathison, author of Tolkien in East Yorkshire , acting on a tip-off let me know that there may be a plaque concerning Brooklands Officers' hospital in Hedon Museum.  The museum is only open on Wednesdays and Saturdays, so yesterday because it was half-term was my chance.  I asked the elderly gentleman on the desk, and luckily, he vaguely remembered something and took me to a neglected corner of the museum.  I asked him if it would be possible to photograph it.  I was allowed to carefully place the plaque somewhere where it coul...
Read more

Almost Daily Cuckoos, but Others Still Missing

Image
On Tuesday the weather was so good we were able to visit some private lakes near Burstwick.  The Cuckoo showed very well for Saturday's recce, but was only heard during Tuesday's visit.  Some summer visitors were still missing, but highlights included 3 Herons on nests, some Sand Martins, and a smattering of Warblers. There seemed to be a lot of summer visitors noticeable by their absence... The biggest surprise was an Avocet, which flew round south lake three times as we were finishing our meal, and then flew off east.  This was the first known record for the site.  Cuckoo  Ditto  Being Mobbed Whitethroat  - Saturday   Ditto  Disappearing Stoat - Saturday  Heron  Ditto  Ditto  Ditto  Great Crested Grebe  Kestrel  Fish Feeding Frenzy  Roach/Rudd?  Roach/Rudd? Avocet Ditto  After the session I drove round Sunk Island, where there were a Skylark, a Wheatear and a few Yellow Wagtails on...
Read more

Week 8: Round-up

Image
Female Peregrine with young Guillemot? On Tuesday we made our only visit to Allerthorpe.  The vegetation had rioted, and although we saw Willow Warblers and Yellowhammers the only photos I'm left with are flowers.  The birds we encountered included:  Cuckoo, Linnet x dozen, Yellowhammer x 4, Garden Warbler x 4, Willow Warbler x 3, Chiffchaff, Treecreeper etc Heath Bedstraw?   Climbing Cordyalis   Marsh Cinquefoil   Unusual fenced-off plant? On Wednesday we went to Sammy's Point first and found a privet bush  absolutely  crawling with 50+ Red Admirals, 5+ Small Tortoiseshells, a Painted Lady and a Large Skipper.  There was a Willow Warbler flitting among the bushes.  We saw Oystercatchers and 2 immature Herons across the fields.  We then went on to Kilnsea Wetlands.  We discovered that every Avocet chick had perished in the previous 7 days.  On a more positive note there around 40 Little Tern n...
Read more