Skylarks, cliffs and rain

February to date - 97 miles
Year to date - 266 miles

Well it's been wet all over the country and although we've been rained on a lot, my heart goes out to those friends in Calderdale whose homes and businesses have been flooded yet again. The ongoing flood defence work is still in progress but has been overtaken by events.

Here, the Mere water level is the highest I've seen it, though I don't have much history to look back on as we only arrived over here in 2011. The boat house is nearly surrounded by water but the part between it and the cafe is still OK.

Hornsea Mere boat house Monday 17 Feb

Boat house today, Tue 18 Feb

Kirkholme Point with eroding turf disappearing

Flood water doesn't normally obey signs

The two Long-tailed that are usually to be seen around the boat jetties are not hanging around them at the moment, mainly because the jetties are under water. One LTD has been seen over by Swan Island.


I walked on the cliffs to the south yesterday morning and the lack of birds is noticable. A pair of Skylarks were flitting about in the strong wind in a half-hearted attempt to pair up.

Skylark showing a nice crest on south cliff

Skylark

Skylark

Down on the promenade the 5 Turnstones that are to be seen daily were still there.

Turnstones

Turnstone

Turnstone getting even closer

They came right up to the camera so eventually I couldn't focus on them with the 400mm lens.

Green Woodpecker at Wassand

February to date - 11 miles
Year to date - 179 miles

The last 2 mornings I've been tracking Green Woodpeckers around the wood trying to get decent photos of this locally elusive species. There is a pair in the I've got distant shots in the past but it would be better to have some better images.

As I stood waiting for the bird to approach the mature trees I was standing near, a 'pecker landed low down in the trees about 40 yards away! Of course there were lots of twigs and branches between me and the bird:

Almost a good photo of Green Woodpecker

Nearly...

 I've had better photos of Cetti's Warbler 😂 and all those are rubbish too.

An hour later and the sun came out for a while which made finding the GW's easier, but didn't help photographing them at all.

Last one - there's always tomorrow

As I was wandering about the Great Spotted Woodpeckers were calling and drumming - probably 5 different individuals through the whole wood but it's hard to be certain.

The habitat looks pretty good for Lesser Spotted Woodpecker as there is a decent amount of dead wood, but given there are so few Lessers about in the country as a whole it is unlikely that they will turn up here. Unlikely, but not impossible.