Tophill Low in November

A trip to Tophill Low on a calm and sunny day with the Hull Natural History Society. We get to the car park by 10am and have a quick look at D res before heading to the south of the reserve. Amy tells us about the new grazers in the reserve: sheep, pigs, goats and cattle now are the grazing team, it's like Tophill Low is the Yorkshire Knepp! A big pull for me was the Ring-necked Drake that had been reported at O-res, which we ended up missing. We walk south along the new path enjoying the new additions to it like the large reconstruction of the Roos Carr carved figures found in Holderness, now standing in their own bog.

Roos Carr figures reconstruction.

Common Darter

As we got to O-res, we quickly found the Red-necked Grebe. The light wasn't the best to search for the Rong-necked Duck, and a birder there with a telescope hadn't seen it either. 

Red-necked Grebe.

Forty-five Curlews and a pair of Mute Swans were at South Marsh East.

Roe Deer

We had seen a fly-over Whooper from the visitor centre, now it appeared this had landed at O-res. A single brown feather possibly meaning its a young bird becoming separated from the flock.

Fieldfares and Redwings were on the hawthorn on the way to the Watton hide. The goats were browsing under the Hawthorns. As soon as we got there, I had a UK lifer in the shape of 8-9 Cattle Egrets roosting on the shore. Two Little Egrets were about too and then a Great White Egret landed, a lifer for some of the present. The arrival of a Grey Heron completed the set of Ardeidae for the day!

Cattle Egrets and Greylags.

Cattle Egrets.

Great White Egret.

Large White Egret, Little Egret and Grey Heron posing well for comparison purposes.

Tufted Ducks.

Fieldfare.

Common Darters. We saw a total of 5 individuals. A Peacock was also seen.

The striking Dog Stinkhorn.

This is a record shot of the Red-crested Pochards.