A walk to Oak Road and the River Hull

An autumnal, warm, and breezy day with a hazy sun, I head to Oak Road, via Pearson Park, Beverley Road and Beresford Avenue. I make a stop on the Beverley and Barmston Drain at Bereford Avenue to check on the Willow Emeralds. 

Beverley and Barmston Drain

Migrant Hawkers are patrolling the drain, with males squabbling on the edges of territories. The trills of a pair of Little Grebes, a duet reminiscent of a laugh alerts me of their presence. There are Willow Emeralds, but not easy to photograph. I see two individuals in the air, a pair mating and briefly settling. I only take a photo of one, sitting by a Comma.

Little Grebe.

Willow Emerald and Comma.

A male Southern Hawker settles on the bankside vegetation. I'm so glad they are still around, what stunning dragonflies they are.

Male Southern Hawker.

Male Southern Hawker.

Male Southern Hawker.

Oak Road Lake.

I move to Oak Road Lake. In the first fishing platform, a Migrant Hawker is patrolling. A male Common Darter basks on the boards.

Migrant Hawker. 

Common Darter.

I move to the next platform. There is an Alder by the water and I scan its branches. There is a Willow Emerald male!

Willow Emerald Male.

Oak Road Lake seems ideal habitat for them, there are Willows and Alders with branches over water, I was hoping to add them to the site list. I stay for a while, watching the Alder. Shiny metallic blue beetles appear to be feeding on the leaves, they are Alder Leaf Beetles. The species has recently expanded through the UK, it's the first time I see them in Hull.

Alder leaf beetle, Agelastica alni.

There is a small shieldbug too, a parent bug, Elasmucha grisea.

In the braches of a Willow, there are large clusters of Giant Willow Aphid

Then, I scan the branches of the alder. I find some paralell scars on branches over the water, they are the gall-like oviposition scars of Willow Emeralds. I don't know how old they would be, possibly indicate breeding last year?

Willow Emerald oviposition scars.

I walk around the lake. A Migrant Hawker gets an insect over the path. It is processing as it flies and I follow it around. At some point it appears to drop a wing. As I approach to search, it is a Vapourer male, or better, Vapourer minus abdomen. The insect is still alive and I have to pin down a wing to my notebook to take a photo.

Vapourer prey of Migrant Hawker.

On the lake, there are five Tufted Ducks, Coots, Mallard and Moorhen. Only one young remains of the Mute Swan brood, but the rest might have fledged the area.

Tufted Ducks.

Mute Swan young and cob.

I move onto the river (top shot). The tide is flowing. I flush a Little Egret and it flies and settles ahead on the river. I get closer, this time more carefully. It's already feeding on the shore, apparently with some success. Two Mallard pass by. This is the first time I see a Little Egret on the urban River Hull.

Time to head back. A very scruffy young crow walks in the car park.