Hoopoe in Hornsea

 A Hoopoe appeared at Longbeach caravan park a few days ago but I didn't hear of it until yesterday afternoon. I walked over to try and see it, and for a change I was successful. 

It was in a field of long-ish vegetation and there it sat for about 20 minutes after I arrived. Just as I decided to go it took off and flew towards the large pond. A quick repositioning and I saw it land on the grass for a few seconds before it flew off again, but was not refound while I was there.

Hornsea Hoopoe - my first here

Hoopoe with its crest raised, but vegetation in the way

I went back early this morning but couldn't find it again. While I was searching, a Sparrowhawk landed on a fence close by.

 

Sparrowhawk

Pink-footed Geese are flying over most mornings on their to feed further north. I watched a skein of 128 go over on Wednesday.

128 Pink-footed Geese

Zoomed-in shot of PFG

A Lovely Part Of The Country

 We live in a beautiful part of the country. I appreciate the views most places I walk and I have noticed this year that the wooded areas of the town and surrounds are getting more mature. Specifically, there are more paths with overhanging trees that create a tunnel effect as you walk through.

One of many tunnels through the trees in the area

We've had a couple of misty mornings this past week and they are reminiscent of autumn days - but it is just a tad early to be speaking of that season, even though today is the first day of autumn 😂

Mist and sun, a nice combination

The massive stacks of straw bales from the crop harvest were being collected by large lorries - I love it when a vehicle registration mirrors the role the vehicle performs!

Check out the reg number on the lorry 🤣

Not much wildlife to report from the highways and byways apart from the usual creatures. One bird that is under-appreciated is the Pied Wagtail. Black and white with shades of grey, it's quite lovely seen close up.

Pied Wagtail (Motacilla alba)

Back home another large moth showed itself, one of several Large Yellow Underwings came out of the hedge as I was trimming it.

Large Yellow Underwing

 Also at home, a large diving beetle landed on the drive. Pity we don't have a pond yet. If it comes back next year it will have somewhere to feed.

Large Diving Beetle (Colymbetes fuscus)

I was surprised to see a late-flowering Hogweed along the road margin.

Hogweed

Finally, the Pink-footed Geese have started to fly through in the morning. A good sized skein passed over the Mere on Wednesday but they were too distant to count so a photo was the best way to get a near accurate count.

Pink-footed Geese over the Mere

Marsh Harrier Comma Chiffchaff Comma Greenshank

 I spotted a cream crown Marsh Harrier in one of the south side fields so I used the limited cover to get as close as possible. Looked like a juv rather than an adult female bird.

Juvenile Marsh Harrier

 I also got possibly the same bird in flight drifting along the reed bed.

Marsh Harrier

The brambles are still attracting bees and hoverflies - I tried to get hoverflies in flight but was only partially successful I reckon.

Tapered Dronefly and Marmalade Hoverfly

At the sea front the strong north and north easterly winds brought through plenty of good birds off shore. Me? I don't do sea watching because my id skills aren't good enough, but I do scan the sea with my bins hoping to get something close enough to shore to id. Red-throated Diver and Common Scoter are seen often, but rarely close enough to grab a photo, so I was quite pleased to have a small flock pass by near the shore.

Common Scoter off Hornsea

Most of the warblers have left for their southwards migration but Chiffchaffs are still here. I hear a song every now and then but usually it's just a call from them.

Chiffchaff

I was down at the hide for a change and heard a call I hadn't heard all year - Greenshank. I found it circling the Mere, probably looking for somewhere to land, but as the water level is so high there was no chance and flew through going west. Not very good images as it was a bit dark.

Greenshank

 Up to date now and there were 6 species of butterfly on the wing today, three of them whites: Large White, Small White, Green-veined White, Red Admiral, Comma and Speckled Wood.

Speckled Wood butterflies

Green-veined White

Comma

Green-veined White in flight

Is It Too Soon?

 Is it too soon to say the nights are drawing in? Sunset is at 19:43 tonight so the long summer evenings are certainly over. This morning felt a bit autumnal with the cool northerly wind but the sun was still very warm when it did venture out from behind its mask of thick clouds.

We haven't got masses of Swallows gathering on the wires ready to set off southwards on their homeward migration but a few are practicing.

 

Arty farty Swallow pic

Swallows on the wire

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Another autumnal morning a few days ago yielded some rather atmospheric images of a boat on the Mere. I'd been out for a couple of hours and was contemplating heading home when the sun came out and burned off the early morning mist.

Cormorants are back in numbers and are in their usual roosts, leaving through the morning to head off out to sea.

Cormorants leaving the Mere for the sea

Our insects are looking good now that summer is almost done with - a highlight was this morning when Matthew (currently working away on our kitchen) pointed out a large moth on our wall - a Red Underwing! Cheers Matt 👍

Red Underwing at home

Red Underwing - detail

Red Underwing close up

Common Darter dragonfly

Migrant Hawker dragonfly

Nettle Ground Bug (Heterogaster urticae)

Wild flowers are everywhere now, although the umbellifers are coming to their end. Wild Carrot still looks pristine though.

Wild Carrot (Daucus carota)

Poppy with camomile as a backdrop

Teasel heads with seeds waiting for Goldfinches

Alfalfa

In the garden we enjoyed watching a wren having a dust bath. The House Sparrows seem to have deserted us for pastures new but hopefully they will return at some point.

Wren enjoying a dust bath