A Walk On The Wild(life) Side

 I'm amazed that this blog post title hasn't occurred to me before!! A shocking omission from the canon of available songs, albums, artists and what not. However, we got there in the end.

I walked along the south side of the Mere, through to Wassand Balk, to Goxhill and back along the Trans Pennine Trail, a distance of about 8 miles. I'll add it to the list of walks when I have time.

I'll omit the photos I took along the south side as they are old hat and pick up at Wassand Balk.

One of three Brown Hares at Wassand Balk

The same Hare as above

Just one of many Rabbits seen along the way

 200 or so yards further on I thought I was going to have a repeat of the time a few days ago that a Brown Hare came running along Southorpe Road towards me. It wasn't to be though, as a dog walker shouted to/at his dog behind me and the hare.....hared off 😂😂

Getting closer and closer

No, hang on, there's something I'm not sure of...

 ...and away it went. I know that folk have to walk their dogs somewhere but how often it disturbs my enjoyment of wildlife is a bit annoying. No resolution to this, just saying 😉

Then to the highlight of the morning. In a field, along the grassy edge, a Roe Deer doe and a fawn.

Roe Deer fawn suckling

I stayed out of sight as much as possible to enjoy the sight of this pair. Completely unconcerned they just did what comes naturally and eventually they moved away, along the field edge.

A Roe Deer buck appeared from across the field and something happened between them because they ran off through the hedge and left the fawn.

Doe and buck run off and leave the fawn

No idea what happened and I trust that all was well in the end. 

Further along three hares were cavorting - it's not March so again I have no idea what may have been going on 🤔

A fourth hare ran along in the background

Nearing the TPT a Kestrel put in a welcome appearance. There were definitely fewer birds along the road side than I saw and heard last year at this same time. Whitethroats, Chaffinches and Yellowhammers all down in numbers.

Kestrel in its usual pose

Leven Canal walk then Decoy Hide at Hornsea Mere

 I walked the length of the Leven Canal on Friday on what was the hottest day of the year for me at 20 degrees by the time I finished at about 12:45. It was a fantastic walk though and enjoyable from beginning to end. The canal from where I parked in Leven is only 3.5 miles, so 7 miles there and back, but I walked along the river for a while so got the total to over 10 miles.

I didn't see some wildlife I wanted to see but there was so much on offer that I didn't miss it.

Here are several views of the habitat along the canal. For long stretches you are hemmed in with reed bed on one side and hedgerow on the other. I'm fine with this because through late spring and summer there are flowers, damselflies, dragonflies and mammals to see, plus of course birds to see flying over and to hear from all directions.

There are open sections too so scan the water surface for dragonflies

Far Fox Aqueduct looking west

Far Fox Aqueduct looking east

Looking north from Far Fox

The River Hull at the west end of the canal

More of the path on the way back

Panorama view looking north to the airstrip

Lovely knees!!

The wildlife was great, looking magnificent in the sunlight.

Four Spotted Chaser

Azure Damselfly

Four Spotted Chaser

Flag Iris

Yellow Water Lily

Fox (still had wide focus setting on unfortunately)

One of 13+ Little Egret

I'd heard a Cuckoo calling distantly for a couple of hours before it eventually made its way towards me and landed on a tree top for a second or two.

Cuckoo incoming

Cuckoo landed but it didn't stay long

Buzzard hassled by Black-headed Gulls

Buzzard seen off by crows

Shelduck on Leven Carrs

Brown Hare

Sedge Warbler

Peacock

Hairy Dragonflies

Grey Heron and Shoveler on Leven Carrs

On the way home I stopped off at Wassand and walked along to the hide at Decoy Channel. It was a warm sunny afternoon so I expected Hobbies to be up and doing and I wasn't disappointed, seeing at least 3 at the same time.

Hobby - this and the 4 below

Having seen Azure Damselfly at Leven I wasn't particularly looking for them here, but you just get into the groove sometimes:

Azure Damselfly in flight over a teneral Common Blue Damselfly

I also saw a few Four Spotted Chaser at the hide but couldn't get a decent image.

Four Spotted Chasers, poor image but recognisable

In the reedbed I found this - a Long-jawed Orbweaver I think