The River Hull at Snakeholm Pastures

I headed to Wansford and Snakeholm Pastures, a sunny, very warm morning. I tried to stay on exposed, breezy sites as horseflies were very aggressive, and took any opportunity to attack when I was holding the camera with both hands. I first had a little walk around Wansford, Driffield Navigation and the Mill Farm lake.

A school of Minnow near the bridge.

Roach and...

Brown Trout in Driffield Navigation

The only things of note on the lake were a family of Pied Wagtails with three fledglings and a Little Grebe.

Little Grebe.

Pied Wagtail.

 After that I walked by the river side on Snakeholm Pastures. An Oystercatcher flew over, and a Lapwing looked alarmed on an almost dry pond on the opposite shore. They were the only waders of the day.

 I was surprised to see a hunting Barn Owl in broad daylight, almost in the very same spot as last year during my walk on the River Hull. I watched it again on the way back, where it appeared to be hunting on a meadow. I saw a Kingfisher three times in my walk, as they were flying up or down river.

Dragonflies
I was very pleased to spot two Banded Demoiselle males patrolling along the riverbank. They didn't settle so I couldn't take photos. The same stretch of river was also hunted by a Brown Hawker, I only managed some poor flight shots as it was very active and didn't settle. I was luckier with Ruddy Darters, and damselflies, including my second Emerald Damselfly of the year. Altogether 7 odonata species.

A female Ruddy Darter perching in the obelisk position. This is a characteristic behaviour of sunny days adopted by dragonflies that hunt using the sit-and-wait strategy from a favourite perch and minimises the exposure of their abdomen to the sun.

A male Ruddy Darter on the obelisk position.

Male Ruddy Darter.

Female Ruddy Darter.

Mating Azure Damselflies.

Female Emerald Damselfly

A poor shot of one of the hunting Brown Hawkers. Their name doesn't make them justice as they look like burnished brass in the sunshine

Butterflies
Several species on the wing, Red Admiral, Small Tortoiseshell, Small and Large Skippers, Ringlet and Meadow Brown. Several silver Y as well, which didn't settle.

Small Skipper.

Small Tortoiseshell.

The river was looking particularly stunning today, with the water crowfoot in bloom and the water very transparent.

 

River Hull. Stage 15. Snakeholm Pastures and Wansford

A balmy, calm day with sunny spells, I start the stage at Wansford. I have a foray around the village, and walk along Nafferton Beck, one of the tributaries of the river Hull. A couple of Grey Wagtails fly off, one of them singing from a roof. On the lake at Mill Farm, a large flock of Wigeon takes off. There are also Little Grebes, Little Egrets, Cormorants and Greylag. I return to the bridge over the river Hull (called West Beck here) and enter Snakeholme Pastures, a small YWT nature reserve comprising a couple of fields by the river Hull. A Kestrel flies ahead of me.

 The river has clear water over the chalk, with a lot of marginal vegetation and plenty of aquatic vegetation and occasional willows and elder on the banks. The flow of water is faster than downstream and the river crosses 5 m altitude contour line in this stage and the banks don't appear to have been artificially embanked, although dredging has taken place until recently. In a deep pool with a gravelly bottom I watch a group of Grayling, lazily swimming in the current. Later I see a large Brown Trout on the edge of the stream.

I surprise a Barn Owl sitting on a large hole of a dead tree, but I am too slow to take a photo before it flies away. The river meanders and so do I following it, trying to stay close to it. A Kingfisher calls coming downstream and turns swiftly over as it spots me. 

As noon approaches, the sunny spells become longer and I heard the mewing of some Buzzards that have started soaring. Crows, Rooks and Jackdaws fly up to ride the rising air with some gulls too.

As the temperature also rises, many adult Caddis fly and there are active Common Darters, with a mating pair. Small Tortoiseshells, Red Admirals and Small Whites are on the wing.

 Snakeholm Pastures joins Copper Hall and Skerne Wetlands in a large protected area lining the east side of the river. There is evidence of some work to improve the river margins, reducing erosion, but the section in the farm with Galloway cattle is almost bare in the river bank.

 On the way back a couple of Jays fly into an oak in a small copse by the path. I saw a total of 55 birds during the stage. Altogether, a beautiful, wildlife-rich stretch of river.

Nafferton Beck at Mill Farm.

The lake at Mill Farm.

The entrance of Snakeholme Meadows.

View of Wansford Bridge over the River Hull.

A wobbly bridge over the river.

A group of Grayling

And my best shot of one of the Grayling showing the large, colourful dorsal fin.

I sneaked close to this Brown Trout, which was swimming close to the bank.

Common Darter.

Mute Swan flyover

An impressive Ash tree on Copper Hall farm.

Little Egret

Caddis Fly.

More information

Snakeholm Pastures. YWT website here.

Skerne Wetlands. YWT website here.

Interview with Jon Traill, the site manager of Skerne Wetlands.