Wild at Hull: Winter at Kiplingcotes and Riffle Buts

Friday, 27 February 2015

Winter at Kiplingcotes and Riffle Buts

The sky was bright and blue when we arrived at the car park on Hudson Way near Kiplingcotes (above), on Monday. We'd had a good start of the trip, with a Red Kite riding on the wind over the road to Goodmanham, and a Kestrel hovering on the hill top. As we got out of the car, Yellowhammer was in full song, while a pair of Red-legged partridges followed by two rabbits run for cover. Shortly after a red-partridge started calling. We walked on the path on the disused railway line over to the little nature reserve. The contrast with my last visit was stark, the grass dry and the hawthorns bare, although, on the ground, the variously shaped young shoots of the many plants in the reserve were starting to sprout.
We investigated under blocks of chalk and flint on the scree, in search for invertebrates. There were many Pogonognathellus longicornis springtails, the largest UK species. Their antennae are longer than their body, and when slightly disturbed they coil them like springs. We also found some tiny snails clinging to the underside of several rocks, a red ant and a black and red beetle (later identified by Robert Jaques as Calathus melanocephalus). I found a lovely, velvety snail, but before I could look at it I awkwardly dropped it and lost it in the moss below, fortunately I had taken a photo of it before this.
We climbed to the top of the site and there was an odd black shape on the hill below. Binoculars revealed a black rabbit, which was surprising. It appears that black rabbits are not unheard of in the area. Just after this, I saw a crow chasing another bird in the distance, it was a Red Kite, which came closer and slowly flew overhead.
We then moved to the road crossing to Goodmanham, where there is a nice spring of clear water. there were many small birds about, then we found out they are being fed nearby. We walked to the small geological reserve, Riffle Butts, the area where it is located goes with the lovely name of Snever Dale. A Treecreeper, a Marsh tit and a shrew, which we saw for a second or two before it disappeared into the ground.

This rabbit was unfazed and carried on sunbathing.

A view of the reserve, with the nests of meadow ants on the foreground

Pogonognathellus longicornis, the largest UK springtail, can reach 6 mm. It does look statuesque here.

The snail Vallonia costata in habitat.

Unidentified young snail on chalk

These tiny, but beautiful snails are Vallonia costata found under rocks, and Pupilla muscorum, kindly identified by Robert Jaques, the Moss Chrysalis Snail, found on moss.