Week 5

On Tuesday I left my camera on the dining room table, so I didn't get a photo of the Turtle Dove sat right next to us.  In all we had 3 or 4 of those, but also: Garden Warbler, Willow, Reed, & Sedge Warblers, Long-tailed Tit, Cuckoo, Buzzard, Heron, Blackcap, Song Thrush, etc.
All photos are mine unless stated otherwise
Hobby
On Wednesday we got a little hot under the collar at Welton Waters.  Both groups had a Lesser Whitethroat in the car park, but there's no doubt the highlight was the last minute Grass Snake.  Birds seen included: Kingfisher, Yellow Wagtail, Yellowhammer, Lesser & Common Whitethroat, Cetti's Warbler (h), Reed & Sedge Warbler, Chiffchaff, Shelduck, Tufted Duck, Reed Bunting, Linnet, Goldfinch, Greenfinch.
Lesser Whitethroat
 Immature Long-tailed Tit
 Ditto
 Marsh Harrier with young Coot?
 Ditto
 Ditto
 Ditto
 Sedge Warbler
 Male Yellow Wagtail
 Female Yellow Wagtail
  Greenfinch
 Ditto
 Carrion Crow - mid-blink
We had set off from the Humber Bank shortly after seeing a Kingfisher. Seconds later the Kingfisher's call rang out again. We stopped to see if we could glimpse it, but the vegetation and bank hid it from sight. Then, I spotted a rather erratic small object working towards us across the water. It appeared to be heading straight for the Kingfisher's perch. It was a Grass Snake. The first I've ever seen at Welton Waters. I wonder how much of the massive lake it had swam across? Hopefully, it didn't go on to eat the Kingfisher! 
Grass Snake
 Ditto
 Cranesbill
 Gnats
 Trails left by Gnats
On Thursday we made our last visit for a while to MSQ.  It was a good day nature-wise as ever.  The heat was worse than the day before, but at least there was quite a lot of shade. The absolute plague of chafers had completely disappeared by the afternoon.  However, the afternoon group saw a Hobby, which I'm assured outdid the Chasers and even 2 Cuckoos chasing each other.  We also saw: Common Tern, Garden, Reed, & Willow Warblers, Whitethroat, Chiffchaff, Shoveler, Shelduck, Pochard, Tufted Duck, Gadwall, Reed Bunting, Cetti's Warbler (heard), Blackcap, Sand Martin, Swallow, Goldcrest, Long-tailed Tit family, Cinnabar Moth, Chafer sp., Common Toad & Hornet
Common Terns
 Great Crested Grebes
 Hobby
 Mute Swan family
 Pochard & Tufted Ducks etc
 Drake Pochard
 Reed Warbler
 Shelduck Family
 Tufted Duck Pair
 Ditto
 Pheasant Chick
 Garden Chafer
 Ditto
 Cinnabar Moth
 Hornet hovering outside bat box
 Toad
 Ditto
 Ditto
Friday was a bit of a blur, as the heat was excruciating, but I managed to get through the afternoon somehow!  I don't know how  people in Mediterranean countries manage!
 Mute Swan (c) 2017 Jane Robinson
 Ditto
Mute Swan [MJF]
 Moorhen on nest
 4-Spotted Chaser [MJF]
 Ditto
4-Spotted Chaser (c) 2017 Jane Robinson
 Ditto
Azure Damselfly (ID Barry Warrington)
 Roe Deer Hind (c) 2017 Jane Robinson
 Ditto
Foal just visible far right [MJF]
 Wall Brown
 Wall Brown [underside]
 Distant Hares
 Ditto
 Sedge Warbler (c) 2017 Jane Robinson
 Record Shot of Sedge Warbler Song Flight (c) 2017 Jane Robinson
Northern Marsh Orchid
 Tiddlers
 Brown Trout
 Young Brown Trout?

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