Two lovely Grey birds in a (not so) grey day

I had a short trip to Tophill Low this morning. I wanted to see Whooper Swans, but they were nowhere to be seen at D res. On the approach road, however, I had a group of birds running in front of the car. I first thought they were pheasants, but soon was pleasantly surprised to see they were Grey Partridges. I hadn't seen this species for over 12 years. They stopped long enough for me to take some photos, although given the light conditions I had to take them through the windscreen.
  In the reserve itself things were quiet. In D-res many Coots, a few Great Crested Grebes, Pochard, Wigeon and a few Goldeneyes. As I walked towards D woods, a couple of Grey Wagtails fed together on the wall, my second grey species for the day.
 There were many Long-tailed tit flocks about in the reserve, and in D woods I saw Goldcrest, Treecreeper and Marsh Tits.
  Just a moorhen in North Marsh, no sign of Kingfishers. The windy conditions and occasional rain probably putting them off. Other than the colourful Galloway, some works by Helmpholme meadows meant the place was quite deserted.
 As I walked by the straight side of D res, I heard the rattling call of a crow. Two carrion crows were mobbing a Kestrel very vigorously, the Kestrel seemed to be distressed as it kept calling. I wonder if it was a young individual and the crows were taking advantage of its inesperience.
Despite the forecast of rain, the sun shore in some bright spells, and, although there was a bit of drizzle at some point, it was overall a pleasant walk around the north of the reserve.

 Two young rabbits snoozing.

and the snoozing Pochards

Given the poor light conditions, I was happy to get a Goldcrest in focus.

Goldeneye moulting

I like the size comparison of a Common Gull and Herring Gull in this shot.

Unfortunately, the Great Black Back gull flock took off before I could take some shots

This caterpillar, still to ID (please comment if you know what it is!), and some wasps were the only invertebrates I saw today.

Chiffchaff

Bird list

1. Black-headed Gull 
2. Blackbird 
3. Blue Tit 
4. Bullfinch 
5. Carrion Crow 
6. Chiffchaff 
7. Coal Tit 
8. Common Gull 
9. Coot 
10. Cormorant 
11. Dunnock 
12. Goldcrest 
13. Goldeneye 
14. Great Black-backed Gull 
15. Great Crested Grebe 
16. Great Tit 
17. Grey Wagtail 2 
18. Greylag Goose 
19. Herring Gull 
20. House Sparrow 
21. Jackdaw 
22. Kestrel 1 
23. Little Grebe 2 
24. Long-tailed Tit 
25. Mallard 
26. Marsh Tit 
27. Moorhen 
28. Mute Swan 2 
29. Pheasant 
30. Pochard 
31. Robin S - Singing male 
32. Skylark 
33. Treecreeper 1 
34. Tufted Duck 
35. Wigeon 
36. Woodpigeon 

Wren

A sunny sunday in North Cave Wetlands

Unusually, a sunday trip to North Cave with the wonderful company of Jess Stokes and Gui Saúco. It is quite a shock to see a bus and a quite full car park and people everywhere! (I am used to the very quiet mondays), but the weather is amazing, almost 20 oC, no wind and almost clear blue skies. The sound of a large flock of Greylag and Canada Geese greets us, and then a large skein of Pink Foot geese flies high overhead.

While at Turret hide the whole of the geese flock on the village lake takes off and starts flying in circles around the reserve, until they settle again later.

 In Island lake, Jess spotted this Wood Sandpiper quite close to the hide.

 And after leaving Turret hide, there are several invertebrates on the wing:

 Speckled Wood

A very bright male Common Darter (we also see at last two pairs mating)

The hoverfly Sphaerophoria scripta

I only manage this shot of a late Small Copper feeding on rape flowers. We also have a fleeting view of a Comma, followed by a Stoat crossing the path!

This male Migrant darter settled on the butterfly walk

 We got to see these Egyptian Geese, which have been in the reserve for a few days.

This female Marsh Harrier flew a couple of times around the reserve...

..flushing the Lapwing flock.

Bird list

1. Black Swan   
2. Black-headed Gull    
3. Blackbird    
4. Canada Goose    
5. Carrion Crow    
6. Chaffinch    
7. Coot    
8. Curlew   
9. Egyptian Goose
10. Feral Pigeon    
11. Gadwall    
12. Goldfinch    
13. Great Black-backed Gull    
14. Great Crested Grebe    
15. Green Sandpiper  
16. Green Woodpecker 
17. Greylag Goose 100
18. Jackdaw    
19. Lapwing    
20. Little Grebe    
21. Magpie    
22. Mallard    
23. Moorhen    
24. Mute Swan    
25. Pink-footed Goose    
26. Pochard    
27. Robin    
28. Rook    
29. Starling    
30. Teal    
31. Tufted Duck    
32. Wigeon    
33. Woodpigeon    
34. Wren  

Londesborough Park

For a change, I went for a walk in the Wolds this monday. I chose an area of pastures that used to be a deer park, with a lake in the way, with added some interest. The crop had been harvested on the fields and groups of Rooks and Woodpigeons fed on the ground. I spotted a brown rat by a field margin.

 Rook

Brown Rat

  I walked to the lake, where three young swans fed. On my map there appeared to be a path around the lake, but, although there was a path by the weir, it stopped at the lake shore not far away. Amongst the shore plants, I could see a large flock of Gadwall, moorhens with young, adult swans and a coot. Pheasants fed on the path, and I flushed many more on the walk. As I walked uphill towards the village, I disturbed a Mistle Thrush, who rattled and fled from atop a lime tree. The path was lined by old lime trees, and those missing had recently been replaced by saplings.

View towards the lake 

I arrived at the pretty village of Londesborough and walked on the church grounds. A young, sleepy woodpigeon sat atop a headstone. The feathery remains of another woodpigeon, possibly its sibling lay on the grass a few meters away. Most front gardens had bird feeders and one of them had an amazing range of visiting birds. In a random shot of one feeder I managed to get five species. A woodpigeon was feeding underneath, and a robin sung nearby.

Young woodpigeon.

Another young pigeon had been predated nearby

Dead common shrew on the road. If you click to enlarge, you can probably spot bluebottle eggs on it.

Can you spot the five species?

On the way back, two distant Buzzards frolicked over a plantation on a ridge. A Grey Heron landed far from water on a oil rape field.

Grey Heron

Bird list

1.  Black-headed Gull    
2. Blackbird    
3. Blue Tit    
4. Carrion Crow    
5. Chaffinch    
6. Collared Dove    
7. Common Gull    
8. Coot 1   
9. Curlew    
10. Gadwall   
11. Goldfinch    
12. Great Black-backed Gull
13. Great Tit    
14. Greenfinch    
15. Grey Heron   
16. House Sparrow    
17. Jackdaw    
18. Linnet    
19. Mistle Thrush   
20. Moorhen
21. Mute Swan
22. Pheasant
23. Robin
24. Rook    
25. Skylark   
26. Swallow  
27. Tree Sparrow    
28. Woodpigeon
29. Wren