Snuff Mill Lane in June

It had been almost a year since I had a proper wander at Snull Mill Lane fields. The main path into the fields from the car park was blocked by brambles and nettles, but another path had been opened into the woodland of hawthorn and this was an unexpected surprise (top shot and below). 

I come then to a glade rejoining the old path. Blackcaps, chiffchaff and Whitethroat singing, a Bullfinch calls.

A Bullfinch called from a Hawthorn.

In a clearing I find the first Volucella pellucens of the year, hovering first, then it sat for a while

The main field.

After crossing the main field, I move onto the field by the railway track field at the back. I'm hoping to see some Chimney Sweeper moths. They are small black moths that fly like butterflies in bright sunshine. It doesn't take long to find them, Two males were patrolling the patch of Pignut, their foodplant, flying bobbing up and down, but with some speed. Photographing them is a different matter, as they stop very briefly, so I have to content myself with a couple of record shots.

The pond. There was a loud plop, maybe a Mallard or a Moorhen.

Pignut.

Conehead nymph.

Meadow Brown.

Chimney Sweeper moth.

Small Copper.

Ringlet.

The Pignut field.

Volucella bombylans.

Silver Y moth.

Lesser Stichwort.

Red Admiral.

I spend a long time in the field, and make my first butterfly list of the year, 7 butterflies, including 1st Ringlet and Meadow Browns of the year and two day flying moths.

A walk along Spring Bank West to Springhead Pumping Station

 Springhead Waterworks was built in 1862 to increase water supply to the growing city of Hull. The marshes where Hull was built and the river Hull were too salty for driking water, so freshwater from wells at the foothills of the Wolds at Anlaby, which included Julian's Well were used. This was piped, but had been by ditches earlier, and hence, 'Spring Bank' which led to the name of one of the main arteries of the city. Spring Bank runs almost straight from Springhead, at the westernmost edge of the city, to the city centre in its confluence with Beverley Road. Nowadays this makes a E-W green corridor that links the playing fields and allotments of Anlaby, through a green lane that includes the disused Hull and Barnsley railway tracks and sidings at both sides of Calvert Lane now rewilded, through to Stable Walk, and the Western and General Cemeteries. A large tract of Spring Bank West has a wide central reservation, likely a legacy of the old tram system, with a verge and trees which contributes to this green corridor.

It is a cold and cloudy morning. I walk west from home making my way to the Pumping Station alongside Spring Bank, and the parallel path just W of Calvert Lane, a brownfield site with birch and meadows. Bird's foot trefoil is blooming. Blackcaps and Chiffchaffs sing, a Fox scuttles ahead into the verges.

A displaying collared dove, bowing and stretching, and doing some footwork in between

The southern path along the western sidings off Calvert Lane. The brownfield that were the disused railway tracks of the Hull and Barnsley railway are now wooded, mainly with birch, and have an interesting flora.

A meadow with flowering Pignut off the railway sidings

I finally get to the Springhead Waterworks. There is a public footpath around it, but the fence and hedges around it makes it hard to get good views.

Behind the waterworks there is a ditch, the Sand Dike, running south-north to the confluence with the Setting dike.

The football pitches just south of the waterworks were teeming with rabbits, I counted 20, many of them young.

Woodpigeons and rabbits on the playing fields.

The waterworks octogonal tower.

The very pleasant Spring Bank West green lane.

Grey Squirrel feeding on a male pine cone.

This Chaffinch sung while sitting on a branch, maybe something wrong with its feet?

One of the ten Swifts flying over Spring Bank West, the highest number I've seen this year.

May WeBS count in the River Hull

Before the wetland bird survey count of the River Hull today, I took a slight detour and headed to the last stretch of the Beverley and Barmston Drain before it ends in the river. It was warm and sunny all day, with the occasional breeze, but very pleasant for an early morning walk.

The two surving Elms of Brunswick Avenue.

At Lockwood Street, I pause to enjoy the birds. A Swallow sits atop a lamppost. It's LED these days, but the Swallows have probably been sitting on older versions of lamp posts for many years, as it's a great singing spot by the bridge over the drain were they nest. The view SE at the top of the post.

Swallow

Song Thrush.

Reed Warbler.

From the river I could see the golden Greenwich Time Ball atop the Guildhall, now that all the scaffolding is gone. It looks great! I only noticed as I was scanning the sky following House Martins and Swallows, trying to find out where the House Martins might be nesting.

This Swallow was at the dry dock of High Street, singing. There are two or three pairs in my WebS stretch. One of them went to a nest under Drypool Bridge. I flush a Grey Wagtail from one of the docks.

Lesser Black-backed gull. There were not many gulls around today, which seems a feature of this year, possibly Avian Flu effects? 

I got into a car park to take a photo of this sign. It's probably been a long time since mooring was an issue. Very little boat traffic in the river these days. Drypool Bridge in the background.

This other Swallow was singing nearby.

I was very surprised to see this spider in the open, the reason being that it had caught some prey. It's my first Steatoda nobilis, or Noble False Widow.

My heart skipped a beat when I saw two odd birds in the distance. They turned out to be domestic mallards, probably siblings with the same pattern.

A female Mallard was leading her four ducklings along the river. One of them was a bit reluctant to get to the water.

On the corner of Half Penny bridge there are a few pools in the mud as the tide drops. There were many mud shrimps, which were great to watch with their oversized antennae. These are favourite food for waders such as Dunlin and Redshank.

To fishish up, these Herring Gulls didn't mind walking on the glass of St Stephen.

This one even sat down.