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.

Urban chicks

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.