An Update Is Well Overdue

 Things have been a little hectic at home since I last posted, all in a good cause of getting the house sorted.

The primary object of my attention away from home has been a couple of Hobby (Falco subbuteo) that have been making themselves heard at the Mere. I heard, then saw, a couple of adults flying around the trees on the south side and saw them several times through the week. The next time I got a good sight of one, then both of them, they had morphed into juveniles 😂😂 so I'm guessing the adults had left the kids to it.

I tried many times to get close to them as they perched in trees or on a stack of straw bales but I never got closer than a hundred yards or so.

Hobby

This and all below - juv Hobby

Two juv Hobbies

Juv Hobbies, one with prey?

Also at the Mere I saw the most Grey Herons I had ever seen there at one time - eight of them flying over going west. Another one perched in the Cormorant trees brought up a grand total of nine for the day.

Four of eight Grey Herons

Eight Grey Herons

 Our visiting warblers are fast disappearing. This was possibly my last sighting of Lesser Whitethroat for the year, with Whitethroat and Willow Warbler in the photo.

Lesser Whitethroat, Whitethroat and Willow Warbler

It was good to see a Bullfinch again after seeing the last one a month or so ago. This one was accompanied by what looked to be a Chiffchaff that kept appearing on the wire.

Bullfinch

Bullfinch and Chiffchaff (probably)

Butterflies are still scarce but a few whites are seen every day, mainly Small White and Green-veined Whites.

Small White

The set aside flowers are coming along nicely and sunflowers are beginning to emerge.

The first two sunflowers are out

Alfalfa in the set aside

At the sea front I saw the first returning Turnstone and four Sanderling. Autumn already?!

Sanderlings

Turnstone

While scanning the sea for signs of life I wasn't expecting to see a kayak with kayaker near one of the buoys. A pleasant sight with the sun shining on the sea.

Harvest Time

 It's that time of the year and the harvesters are out harvesting the crops. The weather has been kind to the farmers (are they still farmers even if the workers are contractors working for large companies?) and the wheat and barley has ripened well. It's good for me too as I can see the wildlife much easier once the crops are gathered in.

Proper sized straw bales!

Roebuck in the stubble

Brown Hare seeking out what cover it can find

Poppies in a patch of non-crop field

The common and numerous butterflies and dragonflies were showing well so I took more photos. I'll have to delete some of these soon as my PC storage is filling up  😂

Female Common Darter

Female Common Darter

Speckled Wood

Close up of Migrant Hawker

The Barnacle Geese arrived back a few days ago and have been seen most days since. They are the birds that were ringed in North Yorkshire but their leg rings can't be seen easily  due to the long foliage.

Barnacle Geese

Barnacle Geese - 29 in number

Magpie

 

I usually find that Magpies have a hard look, befitting their status as bullies and despoilers of passerine's nests, but this one looked a bit soft and cuddly!! Or is it just me?

Lesser Whitethroat

Warblers have been keeping a low profile over the last few weeks but they are getting more vocal and noticable now. Chiffchaffs are singing again, as are Willow Warblers. Blackcaps, Whitethroats and Lesser Whitethroats are quiet still but are still flitting about. I've managed to see a single Sedge Warbler but no Reed Warblers in the last week.

The set aside field is now coming into flower and is looking just great with Flax, Phacelia and Perenial Sowthistle the blooms that catch the eye at the moment.

Set aside field looking good

No sunflowers showing yet but they usually are in the mix so we'll see when they show themselves.

An Abundance Of Wildlife At The Mere

 Although Hornsea Mere is a great place to have as a local patch and I do appreciate it, sometimes it gets a bit samey and I struggle to get inspired. The last few days however have been just brilliant. Nothing extra special, but just lots of it with a couple of scarce sightings mixed in.

Yesterday a Great White Egret appeared at the west end in the tree tops. Luckily it flew up there as I wasn't in a position to see it otherwise.

Great White Egret in the treetops

Another "great" sighting - a Great Crested Grebe this time. We don't get anywhere near the numbers of this bird as we used to, and nesting attempts are certainly a thing of the past unfortunately.

Great Crested Grebe

Common Terns are still flying through or hanging around, mingling with the Little Gulls.

Common Tern

Yellowhammers have been another pretty scarce bird this year, with numbers down a little on last year. This one looked a bit washed out against a lovely blue sky.

Pale Yellowhammer

 The juvenile Black Tern was still here over the weekend and at one point it landed on a piece of flotsam in the middle of the Mere.

Black Tern perching on flotsam

Roesel's Bush Crickets are thankfully holding their own, with sightings most warm days. These two were sunning themselves. The male is the smaller of the two and the female is the larger, green one.

Male Roesel's Bush Cricket

Female and male

Male Roesel's

Close up of the male

Close up of the female

 Dragonflies and damselflies are out in reasonable numbers now, with Migrant Hawkers and Common Darters the most numerous. It was good to come across a Ruddy Darter for a change.

Ruddy Darter

The Comma butterfly is always a welcome find and this one was particularly patient with the me as I got up close and personal...

Comma

More usual view of Comma