Oakhill and Brick Ponds

A warm, muggy morning with sunny spells spent at Oakhill and the Brick Ponds area on the outskirts of Goole. This was my first visit to the site, a local nature reserve own by East Yorkshire City Council and managed by Friends of Oakhill. The site is an flat area enclosed by railway lines and where old brick ponds are now managed for wildlife. There are wooded areas and well vegetated ditches. There is also a series of small ponds near the brick ponds. The visit started well, with a Southern Hawker checking me out at the car park. The new access road runs by the Tesco distribution centre. There were hawkers on the wing, including some likely Migrant Hawkers, but they didn't settle so I only identified a Brown Hawker, of which there were three more. 

A ditch near the brick ponds.

Butterflies

The most striking today were the plentiful fresh Peacocks (above), but I also recorded Gatekeeper, Ringlet, Speckled Wood, Small Tortoiseshell, Small Skipper and Green-veined White.

Small Tortoiseshell.

Five-spot Burnets mating.

Green-veined White.

Peacock at rest.

An unusual angle of a Speckled Wood.

Peacock on Teasel.

Small Skipper.

Ringlet.

Birds

Jays were in evidence throughout the morning, possibly a family group judging by their noisiness. After crossing the railway line I stopped in my tracks when I heard the lovely purring of a Turtle Dove. It was singing from a large hawthorn by the path but no chance of spotting it. After a while I carried on but 50 m ahead another was singing from the other side of the path. I am sure it must have been another one as I didn't see any flying. Turtle doves are known in the site, but I just wasn't expecting this and I made my day! Other bird highlights included a Kingfisher on the smaller brick pond.

Moorhen on the large brick pond.

Young coots and parent in the small brick pond.

The small brick pond.

Dragonflies
Oakhill has rapidly become a top odonata site for Yorkshire, and the species list of 18 species in 2017 is very impressive and includes Small Red-eyed Damselfly, Hairy Dragonfly and Red-veined Darter, which likely bred last year. I had 10 species, not counting the unconfirmed Migrant Hawkers. On the path after the railway crossing I had my first Ruddy Darter of the day. The small brick pond was a great site, with a patrolling Emperor and a Brown Hawker. At some point a Common Hawker (sp 21 for my Yorkshire Dragonfly Quest) took over, which I managed to photograph in flight as it hunted near the shore, weaving into the branches and plants in search of females, hovering at times and coming very close to me. Azure Damselflies were abundant, and there were at least three Red-eyed Damselflies visible from the shore and a Common Darter. I spent the main part of the morning around it. Both ponds have convenient pond-dipping platforms and seats at regular intervals. By one of the small ponds, an unusual fluttering darter caught my attention, when it settled I saw it was a female Black Darter (sp 22 for the Yorkshire Dragonfly Quest).

Azure Damselfly 

Male Common Darter

Red-eyed Damselfly.

Record shot of Male Common Hawker.

Blue-tailed Damselfly.

Several common darters took their maiden flight away from the ponds as I approached them. 

One of the small ponds.

Male Emerald Damselfly. 

Black Darter.

Ovipositing Azure Damselflies.

A very blue female Emperor ovipositing.

A Ruddy Darter looks up...

...and down.

This carrion beetle larva was under a dead rabbit.

On the way back it was cloudier, but still very hot. A Grass Snake slithered from the path onto the side vegetation, a great end for a great day out.

More information
East Riding of Yorkshire Council nature reserves website.
Friends of Oakhill Website.