Honeysuckle Farm

We spend the afternoon in Honeysuckle farm. There is plenty to do and see but the kids invariably spend most of the time jumping on the hay bales. The farm has a small woodland area with picnic tables and several ponds, two of them stocked with large carp. One of the ponds, which is quite new, is shallow and has a lot of natural aquatic plants. Young moorhens nibble in the water. Honeysuckle farm is great for dragonflies and butterflies. But today, a couple of water voles stole the show. They fed on the banks of the carp food quite happily - looking like they are very used to people - and once squabbled for the best spot, swimming from one side of the bridge to the other. We had great views for 15 minutes. I bet there are very few places around where you can feed wild water voles!

Female common darter, Sympetrum striolatum

Immature moorhen. 

Swimming water vole

Water vole nibbling carp food

Amphibious bistort

Male common darter

Bombus pascuorum on teasel

Location map


View Larger Map

A hot day at Spurn Head

A scorching day in Spurn Head, we park near the YWT information centre. Just after parking we find a common lizard (Lacerta vivipara), quite tame, climbing over the grass and a small sea buckthorn bush. There are lots of grasshoppers today, calling and mating. Migrating swallows are everywhere as well, settling in large groups on the wires and passing over our heads on their way south. On a buddleia next to one of the houses, a bunch of Red Admirals, a Peacock, a Small Tortoiseshell and a Common Blue feed together. Most of the common blues feed on bird's foot trefoil, though, and more Small Tortoiseshells on ragwort. The highlight of the day is a delightful weasel, who scuttles under a door, only to reappear a couple of seconds later. It is just a couple of meters away from where I am standing, it gives me the chance to take some shots and watch its nervous comings and goings for a few minutes. There is always something interesting going on at Spurn!

Mayweed (Matricaria)

Swallows

 spot the Common lizard

 A Gannet skeleton washed up on the beach

 Common Blue in buddleia

 The lighthouse rising over the mud flats

 Small Tortoiseshells and Small White on ragwort

 Common blue on bird's foot trefoil

 Grasshoppers mating

 Common mallow (Malva sylvestris)

The relatively new pond next to the Blue Bell