Wild at Hull: Geese and dragonflies at North Cave wetlands

Monday, 16 September 2013

Geese and dragonflies at North Cave wetlands

The weather held on in the morning and I quite enjoyed my trip to North Cave Wetlands. The wind wasn't too bad and, although chilly out of the sun, there were quite a few sunny spells. A large flock of Greylags, with a white feral one and a sprinkling of Canada were in charge of the soundtrack, as skeins got excited and flew around the reserve.
Teal were around in good numbers, with some Shoveler too.
I was quite keen to see the sandpipers. In Island lake there was a Common Sandpiper, walking by the shore and then going back to the starting point. Their Spanish name 'andarrios' (river walkers) suits them beautifully.
A couple of Little Ringed plovers and Meadow Pipits were also present on one of the islands.
At the lee side of Turret hide, dragonflies (Common Darters and Migrant Hawkers) were active. This was also the case in all the sheltered corners of the reserve.
I continued north from Turret hide. On the large patch of Rosebay Willowherb a warbler called 'tu-ee' repeatedly. At a particular time, it sang and its identity was revealed, a Chiffchaff. On Snipe field, a Wheatear allowed me to approach and I watched it for a while. A large flock of goldfinches with many young fed on the teasels and burdocks by the north hedge.
There was little to see from Crosslands hide, but for the resting Great Black-backed gull and fishing cormorants on the silt pond.
In Main Lake, lots of fishing birds. A cormorant, a Kingfisher flying right nest to the hide, and a Little Grebe fishing for its young. I also managed to see a Green Sandpiper, which was often being followed on its restless walk up and down the lake shore by a common Sandpiper.
Butterfly wise, I saw a few Speckled Woods and a couple of whites, one of them a Green-veined white.
A small flowering Ivy by the entrance was teeming with wasps and hoverflies, including Eristalis sp. and Myathropa florea.