Risby Warren with Hull Nats

My first visit to this Nature Reserve and SSSI in North Lincolnshire, near Scunthorpe. Risby Warren sits on a post-industrial landscape, result of the open cast extraction of iron ore from an almost 12 km long seam running near the surface, N-S just east and north of the town Scunthorpe, and which fed first its iron production and then the steelworks. The ore extraction led to depressions in the land (The Ironstone Gullets) which eventually filled with water and re-vegetated, and are used for leisure, recreation, wildlife conservation and also as land landfill. Iron ore extraction continues in some areas and the continuous extraction has also led to land subsidence and the appearance of sink-holes. Although Risby Warren NR is on the edge of one of the gullets and not far from ore extraction and iron works, the place feels wild,expansive and remote, perched on higher land that contains the largest relic inland sand dune in Britain. The recent heat waves (three and counting!) and very little rain means that the sandy ground is very dry and many plants wilted or bone dry. The abundant Viper's-Bugloss, Wood Sage and Hound's Tongue retain their greenness. As we expected given the historical use as a rabbit warren, Rabbits are plentiful and together with the effect of wind and sand, are keeping the vegetation short. The heather forms short mounds with flower spikes starting to bloom. We planned the meeting this time of year to try and see the elusive Grayling. John a local who has carried out butterfly surveys for many years greets us and leads the way. We leave the botanists behind and we sweep the area in search for the Grayling. The morning started cloudy, but the clouds are parting, the sun burning every time it shines, but it is breezy, a cool NE wind which appears to deter the species. John has to leave and we have had no holy Grayling!

 

The wheat is ready for harvest. The next field was being harvested as we parked by the reserve entrance.

Labirynth Spider.

Roesel's Bush-cricket.

Painted Lady on Viper's Bugloss.

A huge congregation of Jackdaws rose over the warren.

Brown Argus.

Mottled Grasshopper.

A view of the vegetated dunes.

A view of the mobile dune.

We have lunch under the shade of a lone hawthorn and then we join the botanists and explore the dunes together. We end up doing a circular walk and finish the trip with a few additional dragonflies.

Essex Skipper.

Painted Lady on ragwort.

A group of Exmoor ponies emerges from the dunes by a woodland. They make a very picturesque sight, and they add to the rabbits and some sheep in grazing the common to manage scrub encroachment on the heath and acid grassland.

pony.

Small Heath.

Figham Common with Hull Nats

A warm day with barely a breeze, it was great to record insect along the river Hull and the drain and common. The common was very dry and there was no pooled water. I had taken a bus to Beverley and walked along Beverley Beck and then south along the river Hull. At the end of the beck, I hear and then see a juvenile Peregrine chasing an adult which seemed to be carrying something in its bill. The Minster family in Peregrine school mode. A patch of Himalayan Balsam dampened my excitement. It really has been a long time since I've visited Figham, and the previous time was during my walk along the River Hull in 2017, but that was in Marsh, when the main interest is birds. The marginal vegetation is flourishing in a narrow belt along the river, where the cows and horses of the common can't reach. At the other side, there is a Reedbed, from where Reed Buntings and Reed Warblers sing. The river looks placid and inviting, its waters transparent and I can see plenty of fish. A big surprise is a Common Tern, which I see in the morning and then in the afternoon. It stays only long enough to catch a fish and then fly westwards. I can only think of Common Terns nesting at North Cave wetlands west of Figham, but this is 19 km away! I meet up with the Hull Nats group at Woodmansey after lunch and then we explore the common, walk upstream by the river and return south along the west shore of the Barmston drain.

Beverley Beck

Moorhen and Yellow Water lilies at the Beck.

The Barmston drain at its crossing with the beck. The drain is channelled under the Beck.

A boat at a dry dock at the Beck.

Peregrine juvenile and adult.

Patch of Himalayan Balsam at the river Hull.

The River Hull.

Barmston Drain.

A Black-headed Gull adult and a juvenile rest on the floodbank.

One of a pair of Oystercatchers over.

Buzzard.

A peak flowering River Water-dropwort.

Curlew over.

Common Tern with just caught fish.

A very rushy section of the common.

Butterflies

I recorded 16 species of butterflies on the wing, many nectaring on the abundant thistles, other salting or egg laying. The hedges along the Barmston Drain were especially productive. Many Peacocks, Red Admirals and Painted ladies were fresh, just emerged for the summer generation. 

Comma.

Red Admiral

Small Skipper.

A Painted Lady basking on a cowpat.

Small Whites salting at the bottom of a dry ditch.

And not far off, Green-veined Whites.

A Small Copper on Ragwort.

A few very fresh Peacocks of the summer generation were about.

Dragonflies and Damselflies

Red-eyed Damselflies were plentiful at the Beck. But, once on the river, Banded Demoiselles where the stars of the show, with small groups of males chasing females along the shore. Although the river is still tidal here, the water is fresh and this is demonstrated by the abundance of marginal plants, fish and dragonflies.  

Red-eyed Damselfly at the Beck.

Male Banded Demoiselle.

Female Banded Demoiselle.

Male Emperor Dragonfly patrolling along the river shore.

We watched as this femaleBanded Demoiselle dived underwater to lay eggs in the vegetation.

While we were watching the egg-laying demoiselle, this female Southern Hawker did some astounding behaviour,it propelled itself against the water and somersaulted up, only to repeat the performace a few times before flying away. Apparently they may do this to cool down, although it looks like quite a risky behaviour too!

Back at the drain, two Brown Hawker females egg layed near each other ona floating log.

Southern Hawker.

Robin Pincushion.