Change Of The Guard

 If you wanna get thru' the years
It's high time you played your card
If you live in this world
You're feelin' the change of the guard

Change Of The Guard, Steely Dan 1972

Spring is here and it's time to change the local wildlife at Hornsea Mere to reflect the season.

Gone are most of the wildfowl that have been here holding our interest through autumn and winter, together with the wintering passerines such as Redwing, Fieldfare and Blackbird. Chiff Chaff and Sand Martin have appeared in their place.

Woodcock and Snipe have moved on to be replaced by Redshank, Dunlin and Lapwing, although only Lapwing will breed near here.

The Barnacle Goose herd that over-winters here went in early March this year, and the Pink-footed Geese that were such a feature of early mornings as they left the Humber and came overhead have fizzled out. The only visiting goose left is a Russian White-fronted Goose.

White-fronted Goose still hanging on

Marsh Harrier, Buzzard, Sparrowhawk and Kestrel will be joined soon-ish by Hobby and perhaps more fly overs of White-tailed Eagle will occur. Osprey is another raptor to look out for in the next month as they make their way north.

Resident Kestrel in first field

Great Crested Grebes will perhaps try their luck at nesting on the Mere in summer, although they usually fail unfortunately as the nests I've seen are built on water crowfoot that cannot bear the weight of the grebes.

Great Crested Grebe on the Mere

Although we can't get in there to watch them, Great Spotted Woodpeckers and Treecreepers are pairing up and nest hunting/building. Luckily some birds come to the fringes of the wood and small copses so I can see them and photograph them there. I wonder if we'll get access to the wood before the breeding season is over?

Treecreeper

Great Spotted Woodpecker

Meanwhile, through all the avian changes, other wildlife has got on with spring.

Butterflies seen are Comma, Small Tortoiseshell, Large White and Peacock. The one I expect to see early on, Brimstone, hasn't appeared yet.

Large White

Comma

Wild flowers are coming through to make the fields and meadows alive with colour, not least the Green Alkanet that appears each year on Hull Road as you approach the footpath entrance to first field.

Green Alkanet

We have had brief visitations by a few good birds over the first few days in April, including Mediterranean Gulls, Goosanders and several Redshanks.

Goosanders

Adult Mediterranean Gull

Redshanks

OK, that's got us back up to date with just today's stuff to sort out and post, and I'll get onto that in the next day or so. Until the next update, enjoy the longer days and somewhat warmer weather 😎