Showers at North Cave Wetlands

A showery afternoon, we head to North Cave Wetlands. We enjoy a lovely sunny spell on arrival, with a singing Willow Warbler and my first Speckled Wood of the year. The Black-Headed gulls are back on their breeding grounds en masse, and they make such a racket! In the islands in the middle of Village lake there is a large flock of Avocets. Greylag and Mallards have young.
I spend a good 20 minutes in Turret Hide showing my 3 yr old how to see things through the telescope and she finally manages to see rabbits, a shelduck and some Avocets.
While we are there, it starts to pour down with rain. Rabbits rush into their burrows. Most birds carry on about their business, maybe the Black Headed gulls hush down a bit. It is a large cloud, so we stay warm and dry on Turret Hide. We get great views of a Great Crested Grebe. As we are about to leave, once the rain stops, I spot House Martins and Swallows flying over Main Lake.

Willow Warbler

Alder fly

Rook

Pair of Gadwalls

Great Crested Grebe

Coot on nest

Bird list

1. Avocet
2. Black-headed Gull, some on nests
3. Blackbird
4. Blackcap, singing
5. Blue Tit
6. Carrion Crow           
7. Chaffinch, singing
8. Common Gull           
9. Coot, on nest
10. Dunnock           
11. Feral Pigeon           
12. Gadwall
13. Goldfinch, singing           
14. Great Crested Grebe
15. Great Tit, singing
16. Greenfinch
17. Greylag Goose, goslings
18. House Martin
19. House Sparrow
20. Jackdaw           
21. Lapwing           
22. Little Grebe
23. Magpie           
24. Mallard, ducklings
25. Moorhen
26. Mute Swan, pair
27. Oystercatcher           
28. Redshank           
29. Robin, singing
30. Rook           
31. Shelduck           
32. Starling           
33. Swallow           
34. Tufted Duck
35. Willow Warbler
36. Woodpigeon