A cold May morning at Kiplingcotes nature reserve

An early Sundaymorning trip to Kiplingotes with Robert and James mainly in search of invertebrates. As we arrived three hares fed in the field opposite the car park. Willow Warblers and Yellowhammers were singing and Linnets passed overhead several times.
There were a few sunny spells, but the wind was relentless and chilly, so not as many insects on the wing as we would expect for this time of year. We kept to the sheltered bottom of the reserve, where we inspected the scree and chalk stones, logs and nettle beds (one of my knees is still throbbing!). Two butterfly species were on the wing, a couple of Wall Browns and a Dingy Skipper (above), which was a first for me. Another nice first was the Ant Woodlouse, which we uncovered under a rotting log, and then found more under rocks near yellow ant nests. A photo selection follows.

Wall Brown

Deroceras reticulatum

Black and red leafhopper, Cercopis vulnerata

Candidula intersecta snail on a walkabout

Cinnabar moth

Millipede Polydesmus sp.

Silpha tristis, a snail eating beetle.

A black clock, Pterostichus madidus

A comparison of Pill Millipedes (two at the top) and Pill Woodlouse (bottom). Pill woodlouse seem to be quicker to unroll than the pill millipedes.

An ant woodlouse, my first! We saw many under a log.

An unrolled pill millipede.

A tiny Cecilioides acicula, shell

Arion intermedius, the Hedgehog slug.

View of the reserve

A flock of Linnets on the chalk.

And to finish, one of the hares, happily munching grass away.

Kiplingcotes Chalk Pit and the Hudson Way

It was my first visit to Kiplingcotes Quarry YWT Nature reserve today. The site is a site of scientific interest and is a disused quarry. Chalk was extracted to be used in the embankments of the Hudson Way between Beverley and Market Weighton. It took me a while to triangulate it, as the entrance is not visible from the road, just from the path of the railway line, but after parking on Kiplincotes station and returning I managed to find it. Thanks to my slow driving while trying to find the site I managed to get some photos of a Little Owl right on the edge of the reserve, and not far from it a pair of Grey Partridges, which made for a very good start of the morning. It was still quite overcast, but in my little walk on the Hudson Way, a disused railway line, Ringlets, Meadow Browns, Marbled Whites and Large Skippers were active.
 There were some young warblers (not sure if Chiffchaff or Willow) on the hedges. I heard a male Chiffchaff sing nearby.
 By the time I got to the reserve the sky was starting to clear up and it was quite warm. Hundreds of butterflies were present, with some bramble bushes and a couple of patches of creeping thistle teeming with Marble Whites, Ringlets and Meadow Browns. Elsewhere in the reserve there were active Large Skippers, Small Heath and Common Blue and I saw a single Small Tortoiseshell and Red Admiral too, taking it to eight species of butterfly present. There were also several day-flying moths, Cinnabar, Six spot burnet, silver Y and a Bordered Sallow (thanks to Chris @VerwoodGarden for ID).
 At some point a Red Partridge started to call, that, the butterflies, the calling grasshoppers and the vivid memory of the the Little Owl sighting made me feel like I was in Spain.

Little Owl

Grey Partridges

Marbled White on Pyramidal orchid

Ringlet

Willow or chiffchaff young?

Common Spotted Orchid

Male Large Skipper

Swallow

Mullein

Rabbits and wild pansies

Yellowhammer, one of two males singing in the reserve

Wild pansy

Marbled White and 6 spot burnet

Yellow Rattle

6 spot burnet

Bordered Sallow moth, Pyrrhia umbra, also feeding on bramble

Robin's Pin Cushion

Cinnabar moth

Mating large skippers

Stonecrop

Pisaura mirabilis, Nursery web spider with nursery

Male Common Green Grasshopper

Meadow Brown feeding on Selfheal

Marbled White

A bit battered Male Common Blue

Small Heath feeding on Eyebright. This was the first time I saw this species of butterfly. It rests with wings closed and leans to one side to face the sun, some times almost resting on one side.

Marbled White and Meadow Brown on Creeping thistle

Common Blue

Silver Y feeding on Meadow Cranesbill

More information
YWT site. Here.
NBG site with information on the flora and fauna of the reserve. Here.
Hull Valley Wildlife group site. Here.

Bird list

1. Blackbird
2. Blackcap
3. Blue Tit
4. Bullfinch
5. Buzzard
6. Carrion Crow
7. Chaffinch
8. Goldfinch
9. Great Tit
10. Grey Partridge
11. Linnet
12. Little Owl
13. Long-tailed Tit
14. Magpie
15. Red-legged Partridge
16. Robin
17. Skylark
18. Swallow
19. Whitethroat
20. Woodpigeon
21. Wren
22. Yellowhammer