East Park in August

I was keen to have a dragonfly survey at East Park. Early August is a good time to survey as many species are on the wing. The morning was sunny and warm, with a light breeze, although it had become a bit windy by the time I finished at 11:30. I had parked in the East end of James Reckit Avenue, and as I got to the boardwalk, a Kingfisher darted across the lake, towards the fishing lake. Soon I found a greylag/canada family with two hybrid goslings. As I approach, it became apparent the father was the greylag. The goslings appeared quite dusky. I found them later, swimming by the jetty area.

Mixed Canada/Greylag family.

Hybrid canada/greylag goslings.

This Pied Wagtail stood on the lake shore. On the background, moulted feathers of the park geese form a carpet over the water.

The Great Crested Grebes had three young.

The water was quite transparent today, the bottom visible. These are young perch.

Another species of fish.

Aquatic snails.

Great pond snails feeding on fallen leaf.

Swan Mussel.

A green wall at the water park.

Close-up of the green wall.

The hoverfly Volucella inanis.

Terrapins on the central island. A total of 5 basking on the fallen tree trunks on the central island and the first eastern island.

Terrapins on the east island.

Dragonflies and damselflies

The first dragonfly was a Black-tailed Skimmer. Unusually, it was perched vertically on a stem, probably because it was quite early and the sun still low. This species usually rests on the ground.

Two Red-eyed damselflies were present on the main lake and boating lake.

Azure damselfly.

Red-eyed damselfly.

Common darter.

Small Red-eyed damselfly.

Black-tailed skimmer, a second male on territory.

Male Ruddy darter. My first record at East Park.

Brown hawker. One of 4 individuals present.

Brown Hawker.

Overall, a very successful Odonata count: six species of dragonfly (Emperor, 1; Brown Hawker, 4; Migrant Hawker, 9; Common Darter, 3; Ruddy Darter, 1; Black-tailed Skimmer, 2) and five damselflies (Azure, 2; Blue-tailed 10; Common Blue 21; Red-eyed Damselfly 2; Small Red-eyed damselfly 8). No evidence of breeding other than males on territory was obtained.

A July visit to Foredyke Green pond

It's Dragonfly Week, and, to celebrate, I visited Foredyke Green Pond, which is my top dragonfly pond in Hull. We are in the middle of a heat wave and I was there at 7:45, warm enough, almost 20 oC and sunny, not a cloud in the sky. Early in the year most of the perimeter path was inaccessible due to the high water level. The water is still quite high, and you need boots or wellies to go all around, the area at the back still wet and muddy, but the pond dipping platforms are out of the water now. 

First in the list were Blue-tailed Damselflies. Some tenerals were about, and a mating pair.

An Emperor was patrolling the pond. I watched intently hoping it would settle, but to no avail. Another male started patrolling over the eastern side of the pond, but they eventually met and one chased the other over the hedges. At some point, what appeared to be a female turned up and both makes started chasing in a very different way. I did not see her ovipositing. No photos of emperors today I'm afraid. A Brown Hawker appeared. He didn't like the Emperor and there were frequent squirmishes. I feel like the Brown Hawker had the upper hand, but both stayed in the pond. Two Brown Hawkers were at the pond at one point.

On the marginal vegetation it was easy to pick up Azure damselflies. A mating pair looked for a place to oviposit, and were disturbed by passing males.

Azure Damselfly.

Pair of Azure damselflies getting ready to oviposit.

I was very pleased to spot a Four-spot Chaser. It posed beautifully on sticks. Three individuals were present.

One of the last species to stir was the Common Darter. I finally found one on an end of the pond, and later two more turned up.

I scanned the center of the pond with my binoculars and spotted blue damselflies chasing. One of them stopped and I could inspect it to determined it was a Common Blue Damselfly.

I'm hoping to see dragonflies and damselflies every day this week!

End of september at East Park

I spent a morning and early afternoon at East Park. I was searching for Willow Emerald damselflies for Hull Dragons, but none were seen. There were plenty of Migrant Hawkers about, concentrated around the boardwalk, with three copulating pairs and an ovipositing female. A single Common Darter was ovipositing near the boardwalk. After a few weak dips in the water, it fell in. If helplessly tried to climb a fence post, with no luck. I ended up rescuing it with a long stick. It looked like an old individual, with a front leg missing and a red flush. After sitting on my hand, basking and drying, it flew up onto the trees.

Male migrant hawker.

Migrant Hawkers mating.

Ovipositing Migrant hawker.

A common darter female fell on the water.

I walked around the lake a couple of times. The oaks are bursting with acorns. A group of Rooks, which I haven't seen on the ground in the park, flew onto the oaks. Two pairs of Jackdaws were about too. A Grey Heron sat on the central island.

I hear regular Wingflap noises coming from a tree. It sounds like a Woodpigeon's, but single flaps, not like a fight. I get closer and peer amongst the foliage. There is a Woodpigeon sitting on its nest, and a Carrion Crow, right beside it. The woodpigeon's neck is expanded, it jabs with its bill, but mostly flaps at the crow. Turning around the nest as the crow tries to go around. This goes on for a while and I can't say how the standoff finished, but I guess that's how crows get Woodpigeons eggs.

Two Grey Wagtails fly across and along the lake near the bridge. Earlier in the year, some recently fledged were in the same area.

I look under the willow branches, and spot a pale duck. It is a Red-crested Pochard. When I first came to Hull there were a few at East Park, probably of captive origin, but I hadn't seen one there in ages. This one appears quite nervous and doesn't come to the open much, sticking to the area under the willows, by an island.

Red-crested Pochard.

And right by the pochard, on an old coot's nest, three terrapins basking on the sun.

As I walk by the other side of the lake, where there are plenty of hawthorns and rowans, I spot two Redwings. I have been seeing Redwings in flight for the last few days, it feels quite early to see them already in Hull.

Redwing.

The Great-Crested grebe family has done very well, and three grown chicks are fed, while some Black-headed gulls look on, just in case they can snatch the fish that the adult is bringing to the chicks. 

In the paddling pool area, a chaffinch is having a bath.

Some Jackdaws have also landed there. A bird that is not very common in Hull.

A Chiffchaff calls from a sycamore near the splash boat.

Caddis fly.

Little Grebe with stickleback.

All in all I list 41 species of birds seen, not bad for an urban park at all.