Grasshopper, when you can take good photos, you are ready to leave the temple

Sitting in an English green field waiting for the sun

If the sun don't come you get a tan from standing in the English rain.

Well, it didn't rain thank goodness but I didn't get any sort of tan either. 

 

While I was sitting in first field by the Mere I found that I was surrounded by grasshoppers, and I realised I've not really made an effort to id grasshoppers. Since a Roesel's Bush Cricket was found a few years ago I've always looked and listened for them, but sort of ignored the grasshoppers.

I set out to remedy that and hoped (hopped?) to find a few species, but could only find and id two - Meadow and Lesser Marsh.

Meadow Grasshopper

Lesser Marsh Grasshopper

Lesser Marsh Grasshopper (poor focus, stay in the temple)

Lesser Marsh Grasshopper

I also came across a new beetle for me, what I think is an Orchid Beetle (Dascillus cervinus) but I'm open to alternate possible id's if anyone has other thoughts.

Orchid Beetle (Dascillus cervinus)

 

At last some good news to share. The numbers of Greenfinch and House Martin locally has definitely improved this year.

Over the last 10 or so years Greenfinch numbers nationally have been reducing, primarily due to trichomonosis, a disease that spreads among finches through food supplies. Bird feeders put out by we well-meaning people helped to spread the disease. In the last 5 years I have only seen and heard a few Greenfinches around Hornsea, with just 2 locations holding breeding birds. This year I have found at least 4 locations with breeding Greenfinch and a few more with singing birds but no evidence of breeding. Fingers crossed that we have turned the corner with these lovely birds.

Greenfinch at Wassand

Likewise, House Martin numbers in Hornsea have been hit hard over the last 4 years, one of the contributing factors was a large scale weather event in the Mediterranean that wiped out thoudsands of migrating birds. We noticed a significant drop in nesting birds where we live. When we moved here we had 4 House Martin nests on the house, and had 3 consistently thereafter until 2018 when we had none. None in 2019, 2020 or last year but we have one nest this year, and the number of birds seen is much higher - I counted about 40 this morning. Hopefully the House Martin population is on the increase but it's early days yet and we'll see what next year brings.