Sculcoates in August

A sunny morning at the patch mainly along the Beverley and Barmston Drain starting at Fountain Bridge. Swallows are first feeding around the trees, but they start gathering on an aerial near the bridge, many juveniles they seem to have done well this year. I wonder if they are two families, 12 in total. 

While watching them from the bridge, I became aware of a Reed Warbler on the large fringe of reeds. Then there were two and I briefly saw the parent feeding a fledgling. I saw another Reed Warbler carring food upstream in another section of the drain.

Reed Warbler adult, above the young.

The view from the Fountain Road bridge.

I continue south alongside the drain, parallel to Bridlington Avenue and I peek by the bridge at Barmston street. A Migrant Hawker male, with full blue colours, is patrolling over the water. I'm pleased that it stops briefly on the reeds, where I take a photo.

I checked for dragonflies and damselflies from the pedestrian bridge at Abbey Way. There was a patrolling Emperor, and a Migrant Hawker, which kept splashing onto the water surface, presumably picking insects, but I had never seen them doing this. There were 3-4 Common Darters and a pair of Small Red-eyed Damselflies in tandem.

Migrant Hawker.

Small Red-eyed Damselflies in tandem.

The surprised was a passing Kingfisher, which flew under the bridge and landed nearby. Unfortunately I couldn't get a straight view of it.

Kingfisher.

This looks like a water dropwort, Oenanthe sp. which I have never noticed in the drain.

Small Tortoiseshell.

A male Holly Blue, feeding on bramble blossom.

A Speckled Wood looking faded.

And to finish off, a basking Woodpigeon.

Hull Railway Triangles: KC stadium triangle in August

A sunny hour in the afternoon, mainly looking for Roesel's crickets, a species that had been found in this site a few weeks ago. There were plenty of Lesser Marsh grasshoppers, Chorthippus albomarginatus, and just the one Common Field Grasshopper, Chorthippus brunneus, but to start with, no luck with the Roesel's.

Lesser Marsh grasshopper, green and straw morph.

Lesser Marsh grasshopper, straw morph.

We saw a number of Common Blue Butterflies, about 8, mostly on a bank with plenty of Bird's Foot Trefoil. A mating pair fluttered and settled.

Mating Common Blue Butterflies.

Female feeding on Bird's Foot Trefoil.

Male Common Blue Butterfly.

The area with Bird's Foot trefoil.

Not far, I spotted this cool bug on the grass. It is Aelia acuminata aka Bishop's Mitre Shieldbug. A very distinctive species which has recently moved across the Humber, and it is still scarce, so this is only the 4th VC61 record in iRecord.

Meadow Brown.

I decided to stay for another circuit, and I'm glad I did as a Roesel's female jumped onto the path. I refound it on the grass on the side of the path, a nice end to the very hot session.

Oedemera nobilis, female.

The grassland is looking more parched than in June, but there are still flowering Knapweed.

A walk along the River Hull in July

A start with sunny spells, for the clouds to part as the morning progressed, ending in a warm day, ideal for flying insects. My first stop is the Beverley and Barmston Drain by Beresford Avenue. It doesn't take long to find a Willow Emerald. On the way back, when is warmer and more of the water is in sunshine, I make another stop. Then I find three Willow Emeralds, on trees lining the drain and on marginal vegetation. There is also a patrolling Emperor and several Common Darter.

Female Willow Emerald.

I walk to Oak Road Lake next. Little signs of dragonfly activity, but the Mute Swan family is about. A Cormorant rests on the raft. I made butterfly lists along the way and do a count at Oak Road.

Cygnet demonstrating the leg out position.

I climb to the river bank. On a sheltered spot favoured by hawkers I find a Southern Hawker, but it flies into the trees and I lose it. I am luckier with a fresh Painted Lady, which looks like it would belong to the summer generation bred locally.

Painted Lady.

Green-veined White, the most abundant white today.

A young Robin basking.

I carry on along the river bank. I hear a Reed Warbler alarm from a patch of reeds. After some waiting I notice there are two fledglings just visible. My first fledged Reed Warblers, nice to see they are being successful by the river. There are two other alarmed Reed Warblers between Oak Road and Sutton Bridge, but I see no trace of Reed Buntings.

The bend in the river Hull, looking south from Oak Road Playing fields.

Young Reed Warblers. 

Young Magpie.

The river Hull, looking north from Oak Road Playing Fields.

Sutton Bridge visible in the distance.

This young Carrion Crow is feeding on a dead Feral Pigeon by Sutton Bridge.

Three Swallows were feeding near Sutton Bridge.

I reach Ennerdale and take one of the paths to the ponds. In a sheltered glade, there are five Migrant Hawkers feeding. A cloud prompted one of them, a female, to rest on a hogweed stem. 

Immature female Migrant Hawker. Note the milky eyes and brown abdominal markings.

The North pond is now dry.

The South Pond is looking amazing, and I end up having my lunch break there. There is plenty of milfoil, with the flowering spikes offering convenient resting spots for scores of Small Red-eyed Damselflies and Common Blue Damselflies. 

This is a relatively recent pond that has changed quite a lot in the last few years. The marginal belt of reeds and other plants has grown considerably. The pond is fenced up, but the gate is open, so I walk around and end up sitting with my lunch in one of the openings in the vegetation. A female Emperor is ovipositing on the edge of the pond, while at least two males, one of them with a defective leg, sparr and patrol the pond.

Female Emperor ovipositing.

I watch her for a while and take some videos. Then, a Moorhen makes a splash and when I focus my binoculars on it, I realised it's got an Emperor! It must have been an ovipositing female, which are more vulnerable. Before I can get a photo, the Moorhen has given the emperor to its chick. It looks like a very odd thing to do, but the chick takes it happily and moves into the reeds. Although I knew Moorhens fed on small invertebrates, I would have never expected them to take an Emperor. 

The adult moorhen has just given the Emperor to its chick.

I continue watching the dragonflies and documenting breeding evidence for the pond.

Common Darters mating.

Common Darters ovipositing.

Another Emperor female ovipositing.

Small Red-eye Damselflies ovipositing, the female may be totally submerged while doing so.

A Brown Hawker joins the patrolling Emperors in the pond. The wind picks up and tufts of thistle seed float in the air. The emperors check each one out, before realising they are not insects!

The only Blue-tailed Damselfly I saw.

As I sit on the pond, I notice a Common Emerald amongst the reeds, although I can only get a couple of record shots. 

Male Emerald.

Ruddy Darter.

Brown Hawker, Ruddy Darter and Emerald Damselfly are new species for this site.

I walk to the reservoir, hoping to be able to see some dragonflies and damselflies. It is a large area and even with binoculars there is not much I can cover. I manage to see Common Blue Damselflies, with Small Red-eyes ovipositing and a patrolling Black-tailed Skimmer.

Comma enjoying the blackberries.

Common blue Butterfly. I haven't seen many this year, but by the Ennerdale ponds there was a male and a female.

On my return, there is more activity at Oak Road Lake. There are Small Red-eyes, mating and ovipositing, an Emperor and Common Darters. A young Mallard is perfecting a technique to catch damselflies, by sneaking onto them with lowered head, and then sprinting. It is most amusing to watch.

 Mallard catching damselflies.

Common Darter.

Mating Small Red-eyed Damselflies.