Leven Canal in May

A recce today for the VC61 field meeting of the Yorkshire Naturalist Union, which I'm organising next month. The morning had long sunny spells and was quite mild, but there was a fresh westerly blowing. 

I walked along the towpath westwards from Sandholme Lane up to the River Hull, making bird lists and Odonata lists for each km2, and also recording butterflies and noting any other thing of interest.

Odonata

The westerly wind, blowing alongside the canal, proved to be a blessing, as dragonflies and damselflies took refuge on the path and the canal banks vegetation, including, surprisingly large numbers of Red-eyed Damselflies.

This is the usual view of a Red-eyed Damselfly, far on floating vegetation...

...but with a bit of patience, today I got views like this.

Four spotted chasers were sparring over the canal, occasionally stopping to bask.

Four spotted chaser.

Male Large Red Damselfly.

Female Large Red Damselfly.

Male Hairy Dragonfly eating a froghopper, Cercopis vulnerata. Several were in evidence, patrolling alonside the path and over water.

The most abundant species by far were Azures, two mating here.

I found this piece of abdomen of an Azure Damselfly, probably the left-over of a bird meal.

Azure Damselfly.

Blue-tailed Damselfly. Few and far between.

Other insects

A Silpha atrata beetle running on the new banks by Far Fox aqueduct.

Garden Tiger Moth caterpillar.

Volucella bombylans, a hoverfly that mimics bumblebees.

A very special soldierfly, the wonderfully named Flecked General, Stratiomys singularior, a rare species in East Yorkshire.

Birds

A typical assortment of birds along the canal, including many warblers: Cetti's, Willow, Sedge, Whitethroat, Blackcap and Chiffchaff. Good numbers of Yellowhammers, but no Cuckoo this time. A Marsh Harrier, Buzzards, a Kestrel and 2 Hobbies were also seen. Lapwings were heard and seen and there were plenty of Little Egrets and Grey Heron about at the carrs.

Little Egret.

Yellowhammer.

Yellowhammer.

Singing Sedge Warbler.

Sedge Warbler.

A Shelduck family.

Hobby.

Along the Beverley and Barmston Drain at the end of May

A mild overcast day with brief sunny spells, I head for my regular walk along the urban stretch of the Beverley and Barmston Drain, starting at Barmston street bridge. Three Reed Warblers are singing, one downstream, and two upstream of the bridge. A pair of Swallows appear to have a nest under the bridge. Swifts fly over, occasionally with chases, all through the walk.

A calling Bullfinch.

Reed Warbler singing.

Looking upstream from Barmston street bridge.

There are two families of Mallard resting on the banks visible from Fountain road bridge. I also spot a Fox playing on the bank.

Three small ducklings on this one.

And five grown ones.

At the Sculcoates stretch, I watch one of the two Whitethroats males in residence singing from a wire. A Lesser Whitethroat sings alternating with a Chaffinch.

One of the coots is resting on the nest.

I take the compulsory detour to reach the next stretch with public access by Clough Road.

I need to ID this plant.

A Stock dove on an ash with holes.

Siver Ground Carpet moth.

Green-veined White.

Harlequin Ladybird.

Greenfinch singing by Beresford Avenue.

Moorhen on nest near Beverley Road.

I had to do a double take, but it was just the silver crow.

Woodpigeon just fledged.

I thought they were water vole droppings, but apparently they are Brown Rat's.

Near Greenwood Avenue, a clump of nettles had many Small Tortoiseshell caterpillars.

The second time I see this hoverfly, Parhelophilus, there were several around.

Dozens of Azure damselflies about, but no other odonata.

Several ovipositing Azure pairs.

In the stretch that curves with the path near the water, the underwater vegetation was luxurious, there were tadpoles and this large snail.

A Sparrowhawk flew onto the waterside, maybe to drink or bathe, but they it spotted me and flew off.

The first Painted Lady of the year.

And the second, further ahead by the Counter Dyke. This one has a damaged hind wing.

On the last stretch by the Counter Dyke, a male Kestrel sat on a pylon. A Buzzard soared over. A Little Egret flew up from the drain.

The Starlings were very noisy today. I spotted my first fledglings of the year. Parents and young calling each other.

Sparrow and Starling.

A very fresh Small Tortoiseshell on dandelion.

A sleepy coot brooding chicks on nest.

Stretches of grass hadn't been mowed and a flock of about 80 Starlings were feeding, no young amongst them.

On the way back I decided to take a detour to Oak Road Lake to look for the Mute Swans. 

As soon as I got there I saw the family, keen to come close to me.

Swans love clover and I often get some handfuls from the banks for them. The cygnets didn't know what to do with it, but mum and dad started pecking and eating in front of them and soon they got the gist of it.

Here the large size of the cobs 'knob' is visible. It reaches it maximum size when cygnets leave the nest. Him and the female were hissing to me occasionally.

I was amazed to see a Tetragnatha spider guarding an almost black egg sac, something I've never seen before.

These male blackbirds were strutting in front of each other on a roof, fluffed up and tails spread.