Urban birding at Hull: Sculcoates week 27

 

An early morning visit with warm sunny spells that brought butterflies and flies out. Highlights included another mammal species for the patch: field vole, found dead on a pavement by the playing fields.

Field vole.

Birds

Not many photos today other than the Coal Tit (top shot), who was singing from a pine tree by the cycle track, one species that is quite rare on the patch. Of note is a fledgling Song Thrush in the cemetery, together with a noisy family of Greenfinch. The Lesser black-backed gulls decided they didn't like me and they noisily called circling over me when I was at the cemetery. Later, a Sparrowhawk circled high by the cycle path, a central feather missing from its tail and two from its wings, it's moulting season. Overall 

Butterflies

The butterfly list, mostly compiled in the north Sculcoates cemetery included eight species, two new for the year: Small Skipper and Meadow Brown. Peacock butterfly caterpillars were quite large by the drain. A second generation Comma was at the cemetery.

Peacock caterpillar.

Meadow brown and Small Tortoiseshell.

Ringlet. Plenty about.

2nd generation Comma.

A 5 spot burnet moth on newly flowering field Scabious.

Other insects

A cannibalistic harlequin ladybird larvae feeding on a defenceless pupated one.

Eristalis arbustorum.

Dronefly.

Volucella pellucens.

Plants

I have also spent some time recording flowering plants and ferns in the patch. Tufted vetch, Lady's bedstraw, Meadowsweet, Rosebay Willowherb, Yarrow, Knapweed and Groundsel were flowering, amongst many others.

One of many Maidenhair Spleenwort on the tannery walls.