Sunny October at East Park

Armed with bike, skateboards and binoculars I headed to East Park with the kids. The morning had a beautiful light, still and mild conditions, ideal for a walk/ride. There were a few large Greylag flocks around the park. As we arrived, a Sparrowhawk flew past, followed by an angry charm of Goldfinches. Two Pied Wagtails called each other from the opposite shore of the lake.
 I failed to spot the Great Crested Grebes and there was still no sign of Goosanders.

Pied wagtail

Sleeping Tufted ducks

Sleeping Male Pochard

Greylags

A single Mute Swan was at the feeding stationon the lake. It had a metal ring and a very new yellow ring marked 775. I reported it to Euring and Dan, from the Yorkshire Swan & Wildlife Rescue Hospital replied the following day with this info: ZY8475 - Yellow 775 - 28.08.14 - Adult Male Mute Swan - East Park, Hull (TA 12107 31393). So it appears it was only ringed this August in the park. I will try and keep an eye on it.

Right leg yellow plastic ring 

At the mini zoo, while the kids played with a surprisingly laid back hen, I spotted a Dunnock, basking on a sunny corner by a bench, I was very close, but it took no notice of me.

As we returned to the car, a lovely Grey Wagtail on the rim of the empty model boating lake.

Bird list

1. Black-headed Gull
2. Blackbird
3. Blue Tit
4. Canada Goose
5. Carrion Crow
6. Common Gull
7. Coot
8. Cormorant
9. Dunnock
10. Feral Pigeon
11. Goldfinch
12. Great Tit
13. Grey Wagtail
14. Greylag Goose
15. Herring Gull
16. House Sparrow
17. Jackdaw
18. Long-tailed Tit
19. Magpie
20. Mallard
21. Mistle Thrush
22. Moorhen
23. Mute Swan
24. Pied Wagtail (yarrellii)
25. Pochard
26. Robin
27. Sparrowhawk
28. Starling
29. Tufted Duck
30. Woodpigeon
31. Wren

Hornets, kingfisher and a stinky stinkhorn at Tophill Low

I went to Tophil Low with Gui and Jess. Sunny sky and mild weather, just a tiny bit of a breeze. We walked the north side of the reserve. From the car park hide overlooking D-res Jess spotted a small group of Red-Crested pochard, a bird I hadn't seen this year. We could see some shovelers in the distance, and the usual assortment of coot, mute swan, pochard and tufted duck. A Buzzard soared over the trees in the distance and Jackdaws play fighted with a Kestrel.

 We kept an eye on the trees for a Tawny Owl on the way to D-woods, but there was no luck. Goldcrests were everywhere, and we also saw a Treecreeper. In a clearing in the wood near the pond, Hornets crossed the path at full speed. There might be a nest nearby, as there was a lot of hornet traffic there. And on the floor Gui spotted a fresh Stinkhorn (Phallus impudicus), which had just started to attract flies. 

Mature Stinkhorn. The tip is covered by a dark, sticky substance that contains the spores and emits a rotting flesh smell, which attracts flies. The immature fulgal bodies are called 'eggs' and you can see one intact one on the left.

We admired and photographed the fungus and carried on towards North Marsh. The Kingfisher gave us great views: it first landed behind some bullrush leaves, but after catching a fish it settled on a clea branch in front of the hide. After hitting the fish a few times against the branch it proceeded to drop it and wasn't too bothered about retrieving it.

 We waited a bit longer hoping to see an otter, but instead were entertained by two male Migrant Hawkers, Darters, Comma, Red Admiral and a white butterfly. At some point a male Kestrel landed on a tree, and a Wren expressed its alarm at the event. There were quite a number of active invertebrates about in the reserve.

 After North Marsh, and alerted by two kind birdwatchers, we kept an eye for water voles in the pond on the way to Helmpholme Meadows. We spotted them going about their busy lives from the hide and and inside the hide we discovered tens of overwintering lacewings on the roof.

 Helmpholme was quiet. Other than three Commas on the wing and a calling Chiffchaff or Willow warbler that called and didn't sing.

Red Crested Pochard, and Coots

Male Pintail still in eclipse plumage.

Shoveler and Teal?

Kingfisher

Kestrel

Common Darter

Migrant Hawker

Dronefly, Eristalis tenax

Water vole, one of several seen at the pond

Water vole

Red Admiral

Comma

Amber snail

Bug still to ID

A cluster of overwintering Lacewings, Chrysoperla carnea inside one of the hides.

The same stinkhorn two hours later. Many bluebottles, green bottles and other flies clustered over it. The black spore containing substance pretty much gone.

Caddis fly.

Bird List

1. Black-headed Gull
2. Blackbird
3. Buzzard
4. Carrion Crow
5. Chaffinch
6. Coal Tit
7. Common Gull
8. Coot
9. Cormorant
10. Gadwall
11. Goldcrest
12. Great Black-backed Gull
13. Great Crested Grebe
14. Great Spotted Woodpecker
15. Great Tit
16. Jackdaw
17. Kestrel
18. Kingfisher
19. Lapwing
20. Long-tailed Tit
21. Marsh Tit
22. Moorhen
23. Mute Swan
24. Pheasant
25. Pintail
26. Pochard
27. Red-crested Pochard
28. Robin
29. Shoveler
30. Swallow
31. Treecreeper
32. Tufted Duck
33. Wigeon
34. Woodpigeon
35. Wren 

Spurn and Beacon Lagoons

We visited Spurn Head and Kilnsea's Beacon ponds with the Hull Natural History Society today, a sunny, mild day with a very light breeze. After a short stop by the Crown and Anchor car par and walked around the church, enlivened by a Chiffchaff singing and Tree Sparrows, we joined the main party by the Blue Bell and walked north by Beacon Lane. In that area, thanks to the expert cricketers Andy and Rob, we found the highlight of the trip, two crickets new for me. First was Roesel's Bush-cricket (Metrioptera roeselii), with several calling males and a female; I was mostly unable to hear the male's calls, and as you can imagine, I didn't find any myself. The only one I could hear - sometimes - was one which allowed close approximation (watch a short clip of the male singing here). The second cricket species was the Short-winged Conehead (Conocephalus dorsalis)(photo above, note the extremely long antennae!), of which we saw two females.  

A female Roesel's Bush Cricket on a fence

Male Roesel's Bush Cricket singing

A group of Meadow Pipits were having a bath on a pond and a pair of Stonechats hunted from the hedge. On the Beacon Lagoons, a flock of Brent Geese, Mallards, Wigeon and Teal, and a lone Great Crested Grebe. A Curlew fed by the beach.

After checking for woodlice and other critters under a log, Rob spotted a Common Lizard, which scurried into the grass before I could take a photo.

We quickly cut across to the estuary side as we had got separated from the leading group. In the mudflats, a large flock of Golden Plover, also Knot, Redshank, Dunlin, Curlew and a Little Egret. After a quick lunch and we carried on south. Under a large log we found two Woodlouse spiders and a large centipede. No luck for Sara with the local woodlouse she was trying to find though.

 We failed to see any rare bird migrants, although the four Jays flying over the Blue Bell was very nice. There was a passage of Skylarks and Linnets, a pair of Stonechats near Beacon Ponds and two Wheatears.

 Despite the mild weather, not many butterflies on the wing, a Wall Brown was seen and two tattered Painted Ladies.

We had a spot of sea watching and saw Little Gulls, Terns and a young Gannet.

One of four Jays passing over

Eristalis pertinax

Willow Warbler

some of the Brent Geese in Beacon Lagoon

Dunlin

Knot

Watching waders on the mudflats.

Flock of knot and Golden plover flushed by a bait digger

Shelduck

Wheatear

A busy group of seawatchers by the Blue Bell car park.

The sign to Beacon Lagoons

Short Winged Conehead female

A view of Beacon Lagoon

Eristalinus aeneus on Sea Aster (identified by Rob Jaques).

Eristalinus aeneus

Tibellus sp. spider

Female Lesser Marsh Grasshopper (Chorthippus albomarginatus).

Dysdera crocata, the Woodlouse spider

Painted Lady, the less faded individual we saw, stretching up to catch the sun

Bird List

1. Black-headed Gull
2. Blackbird
3. Blue Tit
4. Brent Goose
5. Brent Goose
6. Carrion Crow
7. Chiffchaff
8. Collared Dove
9. Common Gull
10. Cormorant
11. Curlew
12. Dunlin
13. Dunnock
14. Gannet
15. Golden Plover
16. Goldfinch
17. Great Crested Grebe
18. Great Tit
19. Greenfinch
20. Grey Heron
21. Herring Gull
22. House Sparrow
23. Jackdaw
24. Jay
25. Knot
26. Linnet
27. Little Egret
28. Little Gull
29. Magpie
30. Mallard
31. Meadow Pipit
32. Mute Swan
33. Oystercatcher
34. Pied Wagtail
35. Redshank
36. Reed Bunting
37. Ringed Plover
38. Robin
39. Shelduck
40. Skylark
41. Starling
42. Stonechat
43. Swallow
44. Teal
45. Tree Sparrow
46. Wheatear
47. Wigeon
48. Willow Warbler
49. Woodpigeon