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