Figham Common with Hull Nats

A warm day with barely a breeze, it was great to record insect along the river Hull and the drain and common. The common was very dry and there was no pooled water. I had taken a bus to Beverley and walked along Beverley Beck and then south along the river Hull. At the end of the beck, I hear and then see a juvenile Peregrine chasing an adult which seemed to be carrying something in its bill. The Minster family in Peregrine school mode. A patch of Himalayan Balsam dampened my excitement. It really has been a long time since I've visited Figham, and the previous time was during my walk along the River Hull in 2017, but that was in Marsh, when the main interest is birds. The marginal vegetation is flourishing in a narrow belt along the river, where the cows and horses of the common can't reach. At the other side, there is a Reedbed, from where Reed Buntings and Reed Warblers sing. The river looks placid and inviting, its waters transparent and I can see plenty of fish. A big surprise is a Common Tern, which I see in the morning and then in the afternoon. It stays only long enough to catch a fish and then fly westwards. I can only think of Common Terns nesting at North Cave wetlands west of Figham, but this is 19 km away! I meet up with the Hull Nats group at Woodmansey after lunch and then we explore the common, walk upstream by the river and return south along the west shore of the Barmston drain.

Beverley Beck

Moorhen and Yellow Water lilies at the Beck.

The Barmston drain at its crossing with the beck. The drain is channelled under the Beck.

A boat at a dry dock at the Beck.

Peregrine juvenile and adult.

Patch of Himalayan Balsam at the river Hull.

The River Hull.

Barmston Drain.

A Black-headed Gull adult and a juvenile rest on the floodbank.

One of a pair of Oystercatchers over.

Buzzard.

A peak flowering River Water-dropwort.

Curlew over.

Common Tern with just caught fish.

A very rushy section of the common.

Butterflies

I recorded 16 species of butterflies on the wing, many nectaring on the abundant thistles, other salting or egg laying. The hedges along the Barmston Drain were especially productive. Many Peacocks, Red Admirals and Painted ladies were fresh, just emerged for the summer generation. 

Comma.

Red Admiral

Small Skipper.

A Painted Lady basking on a cowpat.

Small Whites salting at the bottom of a dry ditch.

And not far off, Green-veined Whites.

A Small Copper on Ragwort.

A few very fresh Peacocks of the summer generation were about.

Dragonflies and Damselflies

Red-eyed Damselflies were plentiful at the Beck. But, once on the river, Banded Demoiselles where the stars of the show, with small groups of males chasing females along the shore. Although the river is still tidal here, the water is fresh and this is demonstrated by the abundance of marginal plants, fish and dragonflies.  

Red-eyed Damselfly at the Beck.

Male Banded Demoiselle.

Female Banded Demoiselle.

Male Emperor Dragonfly patrolling along the river shore.

We watched as this femaleBanded Demoiselle dived underwater to lay eggs in the vegetation.

While we were watching the egg-laying demoiselle, this female Southern Hawker did some astounding behaviour,it propelled itself against the water and somersaulted up, only to repeat the performace a few times before flying away. Apparently they may do this to cool down, although it looks like quite a risky behaviour too!

Back at the drain, two Brown Hawker females egg layed near each other ona floating log.

Southern Hawker.

Robin Pincushion.

Holderness: Long Riston to Routh along the Monk Dike

I start the walk at Long Riston, leaving my bus 24 at the school stop as children are getting in. The sun is shining but it's quite windy. I had to bite the bullet with this walk as I wasn't looking forward to visiting Routh. There is no public rights of way from it, it sits on an intersection between the busy A1035 and another narrow, winding road with no footpaths. But it had to be done. I walk along the churchyard at Long Riston. Some bumblebees are basking on a dry hedge. I cross the road and take Carr Lane, a straight paved lane that leads in a slow incline to the flat, and very low lying Riston Carr. An old, hollow ash sits on a gap in the hedge, a Yellowhammer calling from it. The hedges are busy with birds singing, including Chaffinch, Reed Buntings and Robins.

Buff-tailed Bumblebee

Old ash.

Yellowhammer.

Carr Lane descending to the low-lying carrs.

Chaffinch.

Reed Bunting.

I soon get to Carr Farm, which sits at 0 m over the sea level. The peat that had formed on the beds of the carrs dried and shrunk as the carrs were drained, meaning that areas of the river Hull valley are now lower than the river itself. The waterlogged terrain in these low-lying areas shows after the rainy winter we've had. The Monk Dike, which used to be named Wyth, was named after the Meaux Abbey monks who either dug the dike or improved it to drain part of the eastern side of the valley. The Monk Dike eventually merges with the Holderness drain and the Foredyke Stream at Noddle Hill pumping station. After walking around the farm I climb onto the banks of the Monk Dike and walk north, outside of the sheltering of Carr Lane hedges, the dyke is very exposed to the wind.

A pond with willows and a reed bed. A Reed Bunting sang from it. This area is under sea level.

Low lying area by Carr Farm.

Lesser Celandines flowering on the banks of Monk Dike.

Monk Dike. Part of the bank seems to have slipped.

A Buzzard flying near Monk Bridge.

Monk Bridge.

Looking North from Monk Bridge.

Mute Swans at Heron Lakes country park.

At Monk bridge, I cross the A1035 and walk along the cycle/pedestrian lane. The traffic is heavy, but at least the plantation shelters me a bit. Soon I get to the first buildings of Routh. I walk to all Saints Church at Routh (top shot) and record some plants and lichens in the churchyard and church walls. Then I take the bus to Beverley. After a quick lunch, I check the peregrines at the Minster. The male is on the tower.

A mounting block near Routh.

Kestrel at Routh.

Peregrine.

Stock Dove.

Jackdaws.