April at Noddle Hill

Another lovely sunny day, can't get enough of them. It started cool, but soon warmed up. I took a walk around NoddleHill LNR. As I got to the Foredyke Green, it was misty. I scanned the fields to the North of the reserve, but they had been tilled and no Lapwing were visible. Several Pheasants and a Brown Hare were on them.

Brown Hare, my first hare this year within the city limits.

 In the same spot where I had Grey Partridges in my last visit, confusingly, I had two Red-legged Partridges, which flew in different directions. One sung later from the NE of the reserve. I walked to the pumping station and heard Tree Sparrow calls. One flew to the trees at the other side of the drain. A bit later, I waited until one became visible on the hawthorn hedge of the station. My first Tree Sparrow this year!

Tree Sparrow.

As I tried to re-find the partridge I found a distant pair of Yellowhammers. Later a pair was present on the reserve itself.

As I walked around the NE corner of the reserve, I heard a Whitethroat, first of the year. It was skulking on the bushes and I only got poor shots. Another showed more clearly later. 

Whitethroat, singing from inside bushes. The second seen today.

Record shot of Yellowhammer. At least 2 pairs, one of them within the reserve.

 The paths and many flushes now dry, although there is still plenty of open water.

Another surprise addition to the year was Shelduck, with a pair flying over the reserve towards the fields.

Two shelduck over.

Willow Warbler singing. There were a number around the reserve. I stopped counting at some point, definitely over 5.

The song of Willow Warblers, Chiffchaffs and Blackcaps was all round. On a patch of brambles near a large, well vegetated pond, I heard a Cetti's warbler singing. 

Noddle Hill is a haven for warblers and it was nice to add this colonising species to the site, which should suit it really well.

I also did a butterfly count. First Speckled Wood of the year, plenty of Peacocks, Small Tortoiseshell, Small Whites, 2 Brimstone, Green-veined White and Comma.

Comma.

1st Speckled Wood of the year.

I walked around the fishing lake before leaving. There were at least 6 pairs of Greylags with young. Another pairs were mating.

Greylag after mating display (male on the right).

Greylag family.

One final surprise was a bat, which was flying around the lake.

Bat, flying at midday around the lake, probably my earliest bat ever!

Buzzard record shot

Dry flushes.

I finished my lunch on one of the benches and did a litter pick afterwards. I'm glad I did it afterwards and not before, as I emptied a beer bottle before putting it in the bin, a sludge made of a rotting small mammal carcass and the bodies of at least 13 Nicrophorus dead beetles came out with a horrific stench. Litter kills!

Possibly Bombus barbutellus.

The only dairy left in Hull, looking very atmospheric with the mist.

Rook over.

Great Spotted Woodpecker on post.

Overall, five sp added to Hull bird year list, now on 88 sp.