Autumnal Bounty

 The autumn colours are starting to show themselves in the trees and hedgerows, so I thought I'd photograph the great array of food choices our wildlife have. I haven't included the grass and leaves that obviously make up a good proportion of the daily intake for creatures such as deer, hares, geese and what have you, instead I've concentrated on the seeds and fruits.

 

 An obvious omission is the humble acorn because no matter how hard I looked, I couldn't find a single one that the squirrels or Jays hadn't eaten or pilfered already and added to their winter cache. Acorns do arrive early so I've probably left it a bit late!

 

Beech mast

Horse chestnut aka conker

Blackberries

Ash keys

Apples

Holly berries

Rose hips

Haws

Elderberries

Sycamore samaras (helicopters 🤣)

Sunflower seeds

Sloes

All the Rowan berries on this tree have gone already

Pine cones

There are lots that I've missed (especially in the set asides) but I've tried to get those we are most familiar with. The largest possible source of winter food would be stubble fields and the spilled grain they hold, but unfortunately they no longer figure in the farming plans.

 

We have had a few autumn migrants touching down around the town and Mere, with at least three Yellow-browed Warblers reported. I haven't seen one myself, hence no photo on here. Same goes for Brambling I'm afraid.

 

The only uncommon bird I've seen and photographed that is not included on our resident list or wintering list is the Black-tailed Godwit. There has been one at the Mere for the last couple of days and I got it this morning on KP. I flushed it from Bull Hole first, then it circled and landed further along the shore. 

Black-tailed Godwit flushed in Bull Hole

Blackwit on KP

This and those above, Blackwit.

 Great White Egrets continue to fly in for a few hours each day with up to five seen on two or three days last week. This one was feeding along the west end reed bed.

Great White Egret

Green Woodpeckers have been enlivening the mornings recently, calling from Wassand wood and trees around Weatherhill. Fleeting glimpses have been the order of the day until Sunday when one landed in a dead tree near Weatherhill and stayed there for about 10 seconds before flying off.

Green Woodpecker near Weatherhill

The winter Linnet flock has started to build and I counted 137 a couple of days ago. The set aside is attracting other birds too with 20+ Reed Buntings, 15+ Chaffinches, a couple of Greenfinches and Yellowhammers seen in the field and hedgerows. 

Yellowhammer

 Another daily sight is at least one Kestrel. They are a grand sight as they hover with motionless heads over the fields. In this case though it had landed and was motionless in a tree 😉

Kestrel

Not only birds were flying over the Mere yesterday...

Possibly flying out of Leeds/Bradford airport?

Butterflies are scarce nowadays as the days shorten and cool down so it was good to see five Red Admirals enjoying the warmth yesterday morning on an ivy bush. 

Three of five Red Admirals on ivy

Dragonflies are still with us and another good count of Common Darters (8) was recorded yesterday. Also three Migrant Hawkers and a single Willow Emerald damselfly.

Male and female Common Darters

 Over the last two weeks I've been wandering the highways and byways of Hornsea photographing things that catch my eye. Nothing unusual there of course as I do this on 95% of the days anyway. Here are some that I didn't include in the narrative above.

Wood Avens

Spider's web in the early morning sun

Treecreeper

Marsh Harriers

Golden Plover over North Cliffs

Flamborough Head and the two lighthouses

Shouting Buzzards

Young Gannet flying over Red-throated Divers

Diving Gannet sequence - 1

2

3

4 - beak in the water

5 - entering the water

6 - the splash

Not Much ABout

 It's been a quiet time over the last couple of weeks and that, allied with a few days away, has meant there isn't much to report I'm afraid. 

 

A walk along the sea front was of interest though as I spotted a skua flying by relatively close in to shore. I took photos as it flew by and checked them when I got home, as it looked to be something other than a Great Skua. A kind and helpful friend confirmed id as being an Arctic Skua. 

Arctic Skua off Hornsea sea front

Arctic Skua and a photo bombing Red-throated Diver

Arctic Skua

Red-throated Divers

The first of the Autumn's Pink-footed Geese have been flying over and I saw a small group that had landed south of the Mere, joining Barnacle and Greylag Geese.

Pink-footed Geese

The Red-legged Partridges that have been seen regularly around the Mere through Spring and Summer are still here, only four now though.

Red-legged Partridges

During the dearth of interesting birds I've been catching some of our resident birds through the lens. Here is a small selection of those I saved.

Teal

A scruffy Magpie

Kestrel

Same Kestrel as above

Great Spotted Woodpecker

Heron Landing

The insects still showing in the warmish days of early Autumn are quite numerous, although I can't say that that description applies to butterflies! Red Admirals, Commas and Whites are about in greater numbers than Small Coppers (I saw one of those 😂). 

Small Copper

Common Darters, Ruddy Darters and Migrant Hawkers lead the way in the dragonfly stakes, with 18 Common Darters seen during a morning walk. 

Ruddy Darter

Finally for this update, a young Roe Deer was trying to get out of a field but was having some difficulty finding a lowish part of the fence to jump over. It managed eventually I'm glad to report.

One of this year's young Roe Deer