Withernwick Lane, Cowden Lane Circular walk

Dry, sunny, 8 degrees, light westerly wind
Start 07:00
Bird species: 38

I had a fine walk along Withernwick Lane/Cowden Lane towards Withernwick then back through the fields to the north of the lane. Only just a tad over 5 miles and on a glorious day like today it was very enjoyable.

The route

I'd wanted to wander around this area for a while so when a friend mentioned he had seen a Turtle Dove there recently, this morning seemed a heaven sent opportunity to check it out.

I have driven down the road so I knew it was single track and pretty quiet so I wouldn't be bothered by loads of cars whizzing past. Only about half a dozen passed me the whole time I was walking along there and stepping onto the grass verge to let them by safely wasn't any bother.

If wind turbines are your thing then you get wonderfully close views of them along the road. They were quiet today as the wind was quite gentle.

I checked every field boundary as I went along hoping to see a Grey Partridge, but I didn't even see a Red-legged never mind a Grey. There were however plenty of warblers in the hedgerows and trees - Willow Warbler, Chiffchaff, Blackcap, Whitethroat and a Lesser Whitethroat.

During the walk two things stood out:
1) that there were more Brown Hares than rabbits hereabouts,

here a hare...

there a hare...

everywhere a hare hare.

2) someone had put up lots of nest boxes for owls and raptors.

two nest boxes in one tree

For the most part the walk was simple, following the markers and an obvious path but the OSMaps app on my phone was needed a couple of times when the path was blocked by crops and I needed to find a way round and back onto the path. It also doesn't help when way markers have been removed...

removed way marker - needs sorting

I know that council cut backs have reduced services but I'm sure there are plenty of willing volunteers that could check out such things for East Yorkshire Council - me for one 😊

Along the route I came across the first large patch of common flax I've ever seen, it looked lovely in the morning sunshine, although my photo doesn't do it justice.

As it's the middle of Spring lots of birds were singing. Those you'd expect in an arable area such as Linnet and Yellowhammer and Skylark of course, but they were all out done by the loudest song of the day from this Wren.

Wren shouting

Roe deer gave me the third mammal of my walk to add to hare and rabbit. There may have been squirrels in the wood but I never saw any.

Roebuck