Snakes Alive

I was on my way to the Community Woodland via Rolston village a few days ago when I came across a sizeable Grass Snake. It was heading from one hedgerow to another over a rough track and although I only had my phone camera with me, the photos are OK I reckon:

This was the best view I've ever had of Grass Snake and I'd guess it was about 2.5 feet long.

Have you any idea what you're doing?

House Martins are smashing birds. They arrive here in early Spring every year from southern Africa  in order to follow their instincts to travel north, mate and rear their young.

We have 3 House Martin nests on our house, one each on the east and west gable end and one under the small overhang to the north. Most of the houses around us have House Martin nests which is great. They are most welcome and we consider it a privilege that they choose to nest on our house.

There are no House Martin nests on the south facing side of any house here that overlooks the fields. I've checked and there isn't a single one, although there are south facing nests on houses that don't overlook the fields but these seem to be in solid shadow most of the day as the construction of the houses is different. This seems to bear out the oft-quoted fact that House Martins prefer to nest facing north or east.

So why did a House Martin start to build a nest next to one of our bedroom windows where no House Martin has gone before? It also didn't appear to have seen the plans for the nest, as it used a scatter-gun approach to positioning the mud pellets over a brick and a half before abandoning the attempt and going, I hope, down the pub. Any chicks born in a nest where this bird started building may well have baked very nicely under the heat from the Sun as there is little or no shade through the day.

In this bird's defence I have now looked at several other nests and the walls around the nests look to be liberally scattered with mud pellets, suggesting that they start to place pellets quite randomly before a pattern of a nest may emerge? One thing is for sure, they don't have OCD 😃😃😃

The Last Few Days at Hornsea and Cowden

Well the Northerly/North Easterly winds are still with us, making the air appear cooler than it is (or should be).

Most of the migrants are with us at last and have settled down to breed. It's great when you walk along the south side of The Mere and can hear Sedge Warbler, Reed Warbler, Willow Warbler, Whitethroat, Blackcap and Chiff Chaff along with the Cetti's Warblers that are with us all year round. Up above the Swallows, House Martins and Swifts are merrily eating insects and Sand Martins are doing the same along the cliffs.

Chiff Chaff at Wassand

Our resident Marsh Harriers are hopefully breeding but it will be a while before we know for sure, and they are regularly seen hunting over the reed beds.

male Marsh Harrier

male Marsh Harrier

Not only birds are active, we have damselflies galore and a few dragonflies buzzing around the fields:

Common Blue Damselflies (male)

male and female Common Blue Damselflies

On a morning visit to Cowden I came across a pair of Cuckoos. I heard then saw the male and then heard the female's distinctive call very close-by. A minute or so later they appeared over the trees, apparently fighting, as they flew upwards claw to claw before dropping out of sight. I heard the male several times more but not the female.

All the expected warblers were present in very good numbers:
Willow Warbler - 9
Sedge Warbler - 5
Chiff Chaff - 7
Blackcap - 7
Whitethroat - 12
Lesser Whitethroat - 2

Willow Warbler at Cowden

Barn Owl

Singing Skylarks, Yellowhammers, Barn Owl, Bullfinches and a Little Grebe all added to a fabulous morning's walk through the old MoD site. Nature has firmly taken hold of the area again and the tarmac roads are quickly disappearing under vegetation. There weren't many butterflies unfortunately but it was a bit cool and breezy so not too of a surprise.

I walk to the Community Wood at Rolston every now and again and a recent visit on a damp, misty morning was a pleasure. There are lots of Willow Warblers there because there is a large patch of willow grown for biomass use, and after the willows have been harvested and the willows have regrown they quickly repopulate the area. I counted 8 on my visit.

Roe Deer in the mist near the Community Wood

Roe Deer, 10 yards closer

In the woodland near Wassand Hall the local birds are kept bust feeding their broods of young. A Great Spotted Woodpecker was visiting its nest to feed its noisy chicks as I walked nearby:

'pecker feeding young

Great Spotted Woodpecker checking if I'm still there

We have a few partridges around Hornsea. This is a bit surprisng as although there were quite a few when we first arrived here 7 years ago, they gradually dwindled in numbers until they were non-existent. This year however has seen a resurgence with both Grey Partridge and Red-legged Partridges seen again in the fields to the south.

Un Red-legged Partridge

Deux Red-legged Partidge

To finish on a non-birding note, the lovely Chimney Sweeper moths are flying again in the fields around Hornsea. They are tiny, almost pitch black moths that fly in the daytime so are relatively easy to see as you don't need a torch!! Their name needs no explaination from me.

Chimney Sweeper moth