After my lovely visit to Kiplingcotes a couple of weeks ago and the sunny, butterfly friendly weather forecast I headed to the Hudson Way again, this time intending to do a circular walk from the car park near Kiplingcotes to Riffle Butts and back through the Hudson way. It took me almost an hour to walk a couple of hundred meters down the path, given the profusion of wildflowers and butterflies about and the friendly locals. Scabious, Greater Knapweed and Red Clover were in full bloom, attracting large numbers of butterflies, including the first bright orange Gatekeeper of the year for me.
Meadow Pipits and Yellowhammers sung from the field, where a flock of Linnet fed and flew by. By a gate on the field I surprised a Mistle Thrush and three Red Legged Partridges, who left nervously. However, the partridges had left a chick behind, and one of them came back to the rescue.I reached the crossing to the road to Woodmanham and had a peek at the creek. I spied a the stoat-sized rear of a dark brown mammal, which I believe to be a mink, disappearing in the vegetation. I sat waiting for it to emerge, but I only saw a diminutive vole feeding amongst the yellow flag leaves.
I headed then to Rifle Butts. There were a few visitors. The small area had Giant Bellflower, now in full bloom, and Comfrey and Marjoram. I could hear some singing grasshoppers. The only other thing to mention is a Marsh Tit, which fed amongst the comfreys and on the ground.
I carried towards Goodmanham. Over the village, flying with the swifts were a pair of Buzzards. After asking some locals for directions I found the shortcut to the Hudson Way on the edge of the village and returned to the path after crossing the weak bridge. The Hudson Way is much darker in this area, like a tunnel of trees and little in the way of wildflowers other than Hedge Woundwort. A Speckled Wood and a Comma were noted.
Meadown Brown on Scabious
Three Grey Partridges, the one in the middle is sitting on some chicks
Ringlet
Gatekeeper on Bramble
Marbled White on Greater Knapweed
Large Skipper on Scabious
The creek by the crossing to the road to Woodmanham
Rook carrying something?
Comma
Pyramidal Orchid, not many left
Bombus pascuorum on Red Clover
The first Small Skippers on Red Clover, many on the wing today...
...with these two in the same frame
Bordered Sallow, feeding on Vetch
Two tattered Marbled Whites on Scabious
Riffle Butts geological exposure (this part is closed to the public). I took the photo leaning on the fence
Giant Bellflowers
This group of cows were very interested in some colourful cyclists who were very interested in the cows.
Feather cloud over Goodmanham
I watched the patches of Hedge Woundwort in search of Anthophora furcata, but I only saw this Hoverfly Rhingia campestris and a carder bee.
St. Helens Well and the wishing tree
Eristalis sp on Scabious
Another small skipper (I can't resist)
Harebell by the path
A Enophlognatha spider with Bluebottle prey. watch out Soldier Beetles.
This is the first Cockchafer I see in East Yorkshire, unfortunately killed on the path.
Small Tortoiseshell
Six spot burnet
Yellowhammer having a bath on a puddle on the car park.
Butterfly List
- Gatekeeper
- Meadow Brown
- Speckled Wood
- Ringlet
- Small Skipper
- Large Skipper
- Comma
- Small Tortoiseshell
Bird list
- Blackbird
- Blackcap
- Blue Tit
- Bullfinch
- Buzzard
- Chaffinch
- Chiffchaff
- Collared Dove
- Common Gull
- Dunnock
- Goldfinch
- Great Tit
- Greenfinch
- Grey Partridge
- House Sparrow
- Jackdaw
- Kestrel
- Linnet
- Long-tailed Tit
- Magpie
- Marsh Tit
- Meadow Pipit
- Mistle Thrush
- Moorhen
- Pheasant
- Red-legged Partridge
- Rook
- Stock Dove
- Swallow
- Swift
- Whitethroat
- Willow Warbler
- Woodpigeon
- Wren
- Yellowhammer
