Hull City Nature Challenge - Day 2 - Sculcoates, Pearson Park, garden

 

Day 2 of the Hull City Nature Challenge was more promising weather wise, with little or no rain forecast. I had agreed to participate on a moth trapping event, and several wildlife walks at Pearson Park. Two moth traps had been set and the night had been calm and dry, if a bit cold. I got up early and had a wander at the Sculcoates patch to start the recording. What a difference a day makes, I started recording common birds busy feeding chicks.

Starling with food.

The patch started very well, with a pair of Swallows at Fountain Road flying in and out of the bridge. One of them was kind enough to sit on an aerial for a while.

Goldfinch and Swallow on aerial.

As I moved towards the Sculcoates Cemetery the sky become brighter and the sun shone, bringing butterflies, other insects and spiders out. A Whitethroat was singing on territory, the first one for the patch (top shot) in the same spot where they nested last year.

Speckled Wood

Small Tortoiseshell.

Small White

Peacock

Box Bug

Courting spiders.

Very nicely marked female wolf spider.

Nursery Web Spider basking.

It was time to rush to Pearson Park Wildlife Garden for the moth event. Unfortunately, it hadn't been a good night for moths and the trap was empty. Mac, our local moth recorder, had brought the only catch in his garden and the people attending were happy to listen to him explaining how moth trapping works, whilst I went around the garden finding creepy crawlies with the kids.

This one was found in a rummage through my log pile later.

The only attendees to the invertebrate and plant walk said they had sadly missed the bird walk, so I showed them the current, and very fresh inhabitants of the park, a clutch of Coots, the first that has graced the park since I've been recording there.

'Cootlings' on nest.

Blackbird with worms.