Sunny afternoon around Hull Bridge, Tickton

Another sunny afternoon after a cloudy, cool morning, I head to Hull Bridge at Tickton, back to the River Hull. I'm hoping to find Banded Demoiselles, Calopteryx splendens, a species that is not very common east of the Wolds, but that in recent years it has established itself in some stretches of the river Hull. I park right by the bridge over the Beverley and Barmston drain and right on cue, just as I leave the car a male Banded Demoiselle flies past. I look over the bridge into the canal and there are around nine males and at least a female, flying over a large patch of Potamogeton crispus, males chasing and hovering over the plants, which will be the female's choice of ovipositing sites.

Although they are great fun to watch, they are a bit distant, so I decide to walk by the drain and see if I can get closer views. As the drain runs closer to the River Hull I climb the bank to have a look at the river and it is on the river bank when I find a settled female on a willow, and later of a male, which alights close to the female. There are many settled males on the grassy bank, I count 15 individuals in a short stretch of river.

A male Banded Demoiselle on the River Hull, with some male Azure damselflies.

Female Banded Demoiselle.

Male Banded Demoiselle.

I cross the bridge to Stork Hill Wood, a place I haven't been before. From the bridge, more Banded Demoiselles and Azure damselflies ovipositing.
 Stork Hill Wood was planted in 2004, a board informs me, and the map shows a small pond in the middle, so I head for it. The water level is quite low and it looks like it might dry any day, but there are many Azure Damselflies ovipositing and a single male Large Red Damselfly. An Emperor flies past at some point but doesn't settle.

Azure Damselfly.

Ovipositing Azure damselflies.

Mayfly in Stork Hill Wood (Ephemera vulgata)

Azure Damselflies were ovipositing everywhere, these on the Stork Hill Wood pond.

Male Large Red Damselfly.

On my return I walk to the ford on the drain in Swinemoor. There is a nice patch of Potamogeton with ovipositing Azure damselflies, but I also find a teneral and a male Common Blue and a male Red-eyed damselfly patrolling away from the shore, a very distinctive species even from a distance, with a strong flight and a distinctive dark thorax, with a bright blue band near the tip of the abdomen.

Teneral female Common Blue damselfly.

Male Common Blue Damselfly.

Pair of Azure Damselflies in tandem.

Male Red eyed Damselfly, it only settled in the middle of the drain.

As I got to the car I had a last look at the Banded Demoiselles on the drain, I was rewarded by a Water Vole, crossing the drain and disappearing into the sweet reed grass, a great end to a great day!

North Cave Wetlands in a cold summer day

The showers and overcast weather didn't bode well for a trip to North Cave wetlands. At least the hides come in handy to shelter from showers. It was quite chilly, with a persistent wind, and there were only the briefest of sunny spells at midday, but overall the insects performed noticeably well, probably raring to go in what is being a very cool season so far.
 The visit started well with a stoat crossing the road in front of the car as I was getting to the reserve. There were many Swifts and Sand Martins on the reserve today. There was a Kestrel hunting by East Hide. No terns on the raft, just more and more Black Headed gulls. I moved on from the hide. Turret hide was closed as one of the steps was broken. I wasn't too bothered, as the black-headed gull racket is a bit too much there. I searched for bee orchids on the banks, but no luck.
 It was far too cold and overcast on the dragonfly ponds for any hopes of a dragonfly. A Large Skipper appeared briefly on a birds-foot trefoil, but disappeared before I could take a photo. I got a very bright moth instead, new for me, the Yellow Shell. It started to spit. I put my hood on and sheltered the camera and binoculars and sat on a bench by Reed Bed. It looked that it wouldn't last long and it didn't. There were many Avocets but no sign of chicks. Some were sitting on nests. An avocet was quite defensive and kept attacking a Black-Headed gull, which in turn was being chased relentlessly by a couple of juveniles.  A Reed Warbler sung nearby, a Reed Bunting in the distance. I heard a Sedge Warbler. It was at the top of north hedge.
 I popped into Crosslands. Little of notice, there were a pair of Common Terns and scattered little ringed Plovers. On the shore of the deep pool a group of immature and adult Lesser Black-backed gulls.
 At the start of the butterfly path, on a sheltered area, I got my best sunny spell. Dragonflies appeared in numbers, and three Common Blue butterflies followed each other. Hoverflies and flies, including a male Square-spot deer fly with stunning eyes, appeared as well.

The soldier beetle, Cantharus figurata

Yellow Shell moth

Little Ringed Plover

An Avocet, Black-headed gull confrontation. The BH gull chicks weren't helping, just pestering the parent for food.

A neat Black-headed gull nest.

This Moorhen appears to have copied the nest design and position of Black-headed gulls. I've never seen such exposed Moorhen nest!

A Sedge Warbler, singing and keeping an eye on overhead predators.

Poppy

An inquisitive Whitethroat

Male Blue Tailed Damselfly

 Female Blue Tailed Damselfly, form rufescens

Female blue tailed damselfly, form violacea

Male common blue damselfly

Male Deer fly, Chrysops viduatus

A Black Snipe fly

Two Common Blue butterflies checking each other

One of three highland cattle grazing on the reserve.