Wednesday 22 July 2009

Summer at the Oak Road Playing Fields

Almost two months since the last post here. Must get out more! The weather wasn't great today, although it was sunny and warm, the wind was gustly at times, and the wind turbine roared like a plane in the sky. The wildlife was fantastic though, and the meadows were beautifully covered in wildflowers - wild carrot, birdsfoot trefoil, catsears, spear thistles, common thistles, rosebay willowherb, ragwort and more. Butterfly-wise there were many Speckled Woods and many spiral flights (one of them with three individuals spiralling away) and we saw Green-Veined Whites, Gatekeepers, a Small Skipper and a sunbathing Small Tortoiseshell. I was expecting to see some dragonflies, but I only saw a blue damselfly which didn't wait for me to get my camera ready. A young frog and a tiny recently emerged toad completed the day.
Soldier beetles Rhagonycha fulva mating on Wild Carrot
Female Small Skipper Thimelicus flavus

Babysitting coot and charge
Tiny toad Bufo bufo

Today's Birds
  1. Mallard, with fully grown ducklings
  2. Coot, at least two families with young of different ages.
  3. Woodpigeon.
  4. Swift
  5. Swallow family
  6. Pied wagtail
  7. Reed warbler singing from the reeds
  8. Blackcap singing
  9. Blackbird brambles (with blackberries)
  10. Magpie, 2 indivs near the house on the brambles
  11. Crow, family of 4 or 5
  12. Goldfinch

3 comments:

animaloftheday said...

Brilliant blog. I wish I had found it before summer had ended. Back in May I was fortunate enough to find a grass snake alongside the river at the playing fields. Sadly didn't have my camera at the time but something I've been looking ever since. I also believe i saw a stoat or weasel there but it was moving to quickly to be entirely sure. Proof that there is still some places in Hull with a good body of wildlife.

Africa Gomez said...

Thank you animaloftheday. I completely agree with you about the richness of wildlife in the city. Thank you for sharing your observations of grass snake and stoat/weasel. I have never seen a grass snake in this country, so I will keep an eye!

animaloftheday said...

It was my first aswell. I've heard of them around and about but never been fortunate enough. There was also a good population of slow worms in the avenues area, but they seem to be on the decrease which is a shame. But I got a few decent pictures of one from a couple of years ago.