Swinemoor with Hull Nats

A mild afternoon with sunny spells and a stiff breeze, we visit Swinemoor, one of the commons of Beverley. Unlike the Westwood, on the foothills of the Wolds, this is in the river Hull valley, an ancient floodplain which was fen before embankment of the river, and the digging of the Beverley and Barmston Drain dried it. It has peaty soil and it is still flooded seasonally, small parts year round unless it is a dry summer. It is still acting as a common land, with horses and cows grazing in the summer months. The area still holds some plants that are uncommon in the area and represent marsh. wet meadows and marginal and aquatic plants, despite many losses over the years. One of our members is a local who takes pleasure in showing us the Swinemoor botanical delights. We enter the common by Hull Bridge and walk along the river bank, recording the marginal and aquatic plants that have survived grazing thanks to the protection afforded by the moorings and jetties. Despite the very wet winter, when the common was flooded between the river and the drain, the long dry spring meant that the moor was very dry. We walked across an expanse of dried and exposed peat, which was now mostly dry towards 'Bricky Bridge'. It was amazing to see the density of Brooklime and celery leave buttercup in huge areas. There were one or two places where the peat was damp, but the only area holding water was a pool just north of the bridge, on the east side of the Barmston drain. There, to everyone's surprise is a pair of Avocets with two grown chicks. One of the adults flew off and called in alarm constantly, while the other led the chicks quickly away. They calmed down as we got to the bridge. A pair of passing crows lifted six Lapwings and soon enough we counted a few scattered chicks, beautifully camouflaged. I was amused to see how the Lapwings mobbed the Swifts, two fantastic flyers in pursuit. A small flock of Canada and a Greylag, some Pied Wagtails including a fledgling and a pair of Shelduck were also around the pool.

 We then walked on the west side of the drain where we recorded a patch of Adder's tongue, and found some Marsh Arrowgrass, the latter a first for me. 

Goldfinch singing by the Barmston Drain.

Female Banded Demoiselle. The wind kept the flying insects down. I record a Common Blue damselfly and this Banded Demoiselle. A large dragonfly, maybe an Emperor, patrolled the drain at Hull Bridge, but we didn't manage to clinch the id.

This is River Water dropwort, Oenanthe fluviatilis, a strange aquatic umbelifer, with fine sub aquatic leaves, which flop when out of the water giving it a sickly appearance, it has thick stems.

Appearance of the sub-aquatic leaves of the River Water dropwort.

Brooklime.

Hemlock Water dropwort..

Three white geese. A flock of white geese has been at the river at least since 2017.

Swift.

Water forget-me-not.

11 spot ladybird.

Alarming Lapwing.

Avocet and chicks.

One of the several horses at the Moor with pool on the background.

Shelduck.

Lapwings and chick.

Barmston drain by Bricky bridge.

Territorial Swan.

Slender Groundhopper.

Adders tongue.

Adder's tongue.