I couldn't find my bins this morning, and I thought I might have left them at work, so I changed my plans and walked to work instead, no bins. I walked to Oak Road. It was a sunny and a light wind westerly wind warm, but not as much as yesterday. I thought I'd try and document as much breeding as possible.
I peek over the bridge over the Barmston Drain at Beresford Avenue and there is a Coot on a nest with some young cootlings, but nearby there is a swimming chick. A photo reveals it is a Little grebe chick (I like to call them greblings). An adult appears and the chick starts begging. I try to take the path by the drain but it is too overgrown, the grass taller than me.
Little Grebe chick.
Adult Little Grebe and chick.
Coot and chicks.
I carry on towards the lake. The first young is a Magpie, but in the best surprise is that there is a duck on the lake that doesn't look like a Mallard...it's a Pochard with three medium sized ducklings (top shot and below). It is the first time that I see Pochards breeding in Hull.
The family climbs to a floating trunk to rest.
As I talk to someone on the river bank, a Mute Swan's head pops up from the grass: the Mute Swan family has gone for a trip to the river and are waiting to go back. I'm surprised they have done this. I've seen the cob walking back from the river, maybe there is not enough food in the lake. Sure people bring food for the swans, but there is little floating vegetation, the perimeter of the lake is mostly reeds, which may be too tough for the cygnets. In any case, the parents walk slowly and stop and watch attentively. Every time thry stop, the cygnets sit down for a rest. It must be quite an effort to walk the distance. I watch them as they return to the lake. The cob flaps its wings and flies/paddles to one end of the pond.
The parents watching from the edge of the river.
The parading family.
Reed Bunting in song.
Dragonflies
It is a great morning for dragonflies. On the lake there are two patrolling male Emperors and both stop eventually. A single Four Spotted Chaser is also about, and, for the first time ever, I see at least two male Black-tailed Skimmers on the fishing platforms. To complete the odonata list, a single female Banded Demoiselle and a couple of Blue-tailed Damselflies.
Black-tailed Skimmers.
Female Banded Demoiselle.
Four-spotted Chaser.
Male Emperor.
Butterflies
Red Admiral.
A comma licking salts from the edge of the pond.
My first Small Skipper of the year.
Although not in large numbers, Small Tortoiseshells seem the most common butterflies about.
To finish off, a Buzzard flying over as I walked home.
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