Hornsea Mere Circuit

It's been a while since I walked around the Mere so I rectified that this morning. At last the wind has veered south and we have seen the back of the cold easterlies and northerlies - for today anyway! So it will be warmer today.

Bird sightings worthy of note:
Avocet
Wheatear (f)
Little Egret (3), Grey Heron (2)
Grasshopper Warbler, Whitethroat (5), Lesser Whitethroat (3)
Willow Warbler (2), Chiffchaff (6+), Blackcap (5), Sedge Warbler (7)
Cetti's Warbler (4)
Marsh Harrier (m), Buzzard
Green Woodpecker, Great Spotted Woodpecker (4)
numerous Swallow and Sand Martin over the Mere
Greenfinch (2)
Little Grebe

A msg from my personal Hornsea Mere RBA told me that there were 2 birds worth seeing on the north side, so as I was heading that way I was OK. 15 mins later as I was well along the north side, another alert told me the birds were now swimming briskly off 1st field towards the east end reed bed, Hey ho, what can you do 😎

Up on the footpath through the fields there were a few birds around incl. Linnet, Yellowhammer, Whitethroat and Lesser Whitethroat but the bird that excited me most there was a couple of Greenfinches. We have very few of these birds so it was great to see them.

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Greenfinch

Among the flowers springing up all over was a good-sized patch of white dead nettle.

White Dead Nettle

Why is called dead? Well apparently this nettle doesn't sting you. A friend of mine didn't believe me so he tried it - and said it was true.

The light wasn't very good when I set off at 06:20 but it got better as the sun came out. A wren obligingly sat out and sang its loud song for me, so I checked the better light with a photo.

A noisy wren, nice song though

Into the place where there be warblers, Sedge were the most numerous with Chiffchaff and Willow Warblers singing along. No Reed Warblers yet though for me.

Sedge Warbler

As Swan Island hove into view Jon checked the Avocet was still present - it was. Distant but id-able.

Avocet - honest

The Grasshopper Warbler was still on location and was a little more distinct today so I didn't need to strain  my ears to hear it clearly.

Into first field and a female Wheatear was feeding and doing its best to ignore me.

female Wheatear

Spotted some tasty morsel...

Success

Well that was enjoyable, but back to reality after a wonderful walk in fine weather. I'm already looking forward to tomorrow morning.

Another Lockdown Walk

Month to date - 140 miles
Year to date - 638 miles

Sunny but with a chilly north easterly wind.

I certainly haven't been racking up the miles over the last month or so since the lockdown started in earnest, but I'm not doing too badly. It would be good to wander off somewhere else but that can't happen for a while so I'll make the best of our local paths. 

I don't know why I even think of complaining because I'm so lucky to live in a place where I'm only a few minutes from the fields and countrside. Those with real problems live in big towns and cities so I'm blessed really 👍

A walk to the sea front, with low expectations of seeing anything of interest, turned up a nice surprise with a fine male Wheatear. I've seen several here in Hornsea this Spring but this is the first one on the beach.

male Wheatear on Hornsea beach

male Wheatear on Hornsea beach

We aren't particularly well served with a multitude of bird species due to the longshore drift tides washing our beaches clean of seaweed etc. every day, so there is precious little food to attract birds. This doesn't stop me looking though :)

On my way to Wassand from the sea front and eventually along the Mere south side footpath I saw a couple of Little Egrets. We don't have them breeding here - yet.

Lovely birds and we are quite blasé about seeing them nowadays!

As I was standing watching, hoping and listening for a Grasshopper Warbler to appear around Snipe Grounds, I was surprised to see what I thought was a small dog running down the path towards me. I looked again and saw it was a hare so I got my camera into position for a few pics, the hare saw my movement and swerved into the hedgerow. Got a couple of photos which aren't the best.

Brown hare

Go on I will then - hare today gone tomorrow

 Spring is moving on and the flowers are growing nicely. Red Campion, Bluebells and Garlic Mustard all showing well.

Bluebells in the dappled shade

Red Campion

Garlic Mustard and Red Campion

Also in the dappled shade was my first Speckled Wood of the year, another beautiful creature that we see often but probably under-appreciate.

Speckled Wood butterfly

I don't know why but I am seeing so many more Song Thrushes every day this year than in previous years. Their song is fantastic and it's often the first sound I hear as I walk down the allotments to the Mere.

Song Thrush

I live in hope that we will be lucky enough to get a bee or two nesting in our garden so I was made up when I spotted a hole in our lawn and a small bee going to and fro. I went for my camera and sat watching the hole for an hour or so, hoping to get a photo so I can get a positive id of the bee species. Of course the little devil came around but never landed or went in the hole. More on this in the coming days I hope.

Mining bee or solitary bee or carder bee hole

World Curlew Day

Today is World Curlew Day.   https://www.curlewaction.org/world-curlew-day/

From The Yorkshire Post:

Nearly 30 percent of the world’s curlew population can be found in the county and with numbers halved over the past two decades, World Curlew Day, was established two years ago to raise awareness of our largest wading bird and help safeguard its future.

It's aim is to highlight the dramatic decline in species numbers. The date, April 21, was chosen as it is around the time the first new chicks hatch, but this year breeding has been delayed. The first curlews arrived in the county amidst the wettest winter on record and food was easy to find, but the ground is so hard now they can only forage in wet flashes where springs carry water to the surface. The dryness and lack of growth of the grass sward is delaying their breeding.

This dry spell needs to end quite soon as birds and crops need it.

I saw my first Curlew of the year on the beach here at Hornsea yesterday. I'd heard them calling but hadn't seen one.

In celebration of the Curlew and its song, here are a few photos I took on the moors near where I used to live.

What a fantastic bird - it should be adopted as the county's bird.

A Glut Of Yellowhammers

What is the collective noun for a number of Yellowhammers?
An ingot perhaps? Or maybe a dazzle?

Sightings on today's Mere walk included:
Treecreeper
Yellowhammer (5) all males
Linnet (4)
Marsh Harrier (3)
Kestrel
Sedge Warbler
Chiffchaff
Willow Warbler
Blackcap
Cetti's Warbler
Song Thrush (4)
Jay

Another bright, sunny day but with a chilly north easterly breeze blowing that made sure I wasn't able to don my shorts. Time is getting on, but so am I :)

Yellowhammers were all over this morning I'm glad to say, filling the air with their cheesy song. One was even singing from the ground which I don't remember seeing before.

 CLICK ON PHOTOS FOR A LARGER IMAGE

Yellowhammer

Yellowhammer with seed

Y. singing on the ground

Yellowhammer singing in its rightful position

Treecreeper is always a nice bird to see and strangely this one was the first I've seen this month, although chances have been reduced since we can't walk through the wood due to the lockdown.

Treecreeper

Not the best photo of Treecreeper but it shows their agility

Another day, another set of Marsh Harrier pics...

female Marsh Harrier

OK I'll stop at just two today.

I came across a deceased shrew. Not many things eat shrews as they leave a nasty taste in the mouth - or so I'm told 😂

A late shrew

Some wag had been making patterns in the sky for we grounded mortals to admire -

A fine caption competition for a Rush album...

Migrant Warblers and Locals

It was dry and sunny here in Hornsea, as usual it seems recently. A cool easterly was coming in off the sea to ensure we didn't get giddy and change into shorts and tshirts.

I was hoping for Lesser Whitethroat and Common Whitethroat today as previous year's records show them arriving about now. Jon said he'd had Lesser Whitethroat a couple of days ago, which I missed, but I came across Common Whitethroat singing in them hedgerow.

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Common Whitethroat

As we can't go to the hide that overlooks Decoy where the Marsh Harriers hang out, we can't tell for sure if they are nesting or not this year. However they do drift over the fields every now and then so they can still be seen. A male was flying straight towards me this morning but it soon changed direction as it saw me when it cleared the hedgerow I was standing behind.

Male Marsh Harrier

A female came by soon afterwards but wasn't as close.

Female Marsh Harrier

My ongoing quest to get a good photo of our resident warbler, Cetti's Warbler, continued today and yet again I failed miserably. I had one sitting out on a branch for about 10 seconds, unfortunately I was 100 yards away 🙄

Cetti's Warbler from afar

Over the last few days I have seen small flocks of Linnet almost where ever I've been. On the sea front, down at Rolston, in the fields round the Mere and this morning I saw them in the allotments. Pairs are gathering nest material too and this one was doing just that.

Linnet

As I was homeward bound I heard a Greenshank call as it flew westwards. Didn't see it though as I think it was behind the trees.

Yesterday we sat in the garden and a Brimstone butterfly came through, followed by an Orange Tip. Both firsts of the year for me :)