End Of Year Round Up

 At this time of year it is traditional to look back over the whole year and remember the best bits. Here they are then from January to November - hopefully you can remember December 🤣

 

January - frozen Mere; Golden Plovers; Redshank and Sanderling; Sanderling

January 2024

February - Short-eared Owl; Snowdrops; Stonechat

February 2024

March - Great White Egret; Roe Deer; Barn Owl; Common Buzzard; Smooth Newt, Marsh Harrier

March 2024

April - White Wagtail; Brown Hare; Orange Tip; Roebuck; Egyptian Goose; Beefly; 7 Spot Ladybird on Bluebell

April 2024

May - Common Sandpiper; Holly Blue; Hobby; Marsh Cinquefoil; Roe Deer swimming; Speckled Wood; Nettle Weevil;  Purple Sandpiper

May 2024

June - Giant Hogweed; White Ermine moth; Pyramidal Orchid; Great Spotted Woodpecker juv; Reed Bunting; Large Skipper; Sedge Warbler; Whitethroat

June 2024

July - Gatekeeper; Common Tern and juv; Pheasant and juv

July 2024

August - Roesel's Bush Cricker; Common Darter; Diving Beetle; Common Tern juv; Turnstone in remnants of breeding plumage

August 2024

September - Chiff Chaff; Common Scoters; Greenshank; Large Red Underwing; Sparrowhawk; Hoopoe

September 2024

October - Greenfinch; Grey Squirrel; Lapwing; Wrinkled Peach; Whooper Swans, Stonechat

October 2024

November - Bullfinch; Little Egret; Redwing; Whooper Swan juv; Treecreeper

November 2024

Just in case December is still a bit of a blur for you, here are some reminders and some unpublished December images.

December - sun rise; Cold Moon; Moorhen; Long-tailed Duck; Grey Seal

That's all folks. 

Have a healthy and happy New Year and I'll see you on the other side of the celebrations.

Jeff

A Quiet Time

 It has been pretty quiet on the wildlife front - hence no update until now. Even though I've waited and waited for something of interest to post I am still struggling! 

Let me clarify that when I say something of interest, I mean something interesting that I've managed to get a photo of. The recently sighted Ring-necked Duck was of course very interesting, but I didn't even manage to see it, never mind get a pic. Likewise the drake Smew that was here a week or so ago.

 We have been without a Green Woodpecker locally for two years so it was great to hear one on the south side of the Mere last week, and almost every morning since. I've seen it a few times now but have been unable to get a photo. Hopefully it will stick around for a while and present more chances of photos.

As I was walking along Southorpe Road earlier this week I heard a squealing, shrieking noise coming from the trees just ahead. Wondering what the heck it was I approached slowly and a Sparrowhawk flew out with a Blackbird. It landed in the ditch and was looking to settle down with its meal but unfortunately I disturbed it. Last I saw, the Sprawk was disappearing into the trees, meal in talons.

Sparrowhawk

Mammals have been few and far between since Autumn disappeared and I've had to make do with glimpses of Brown Hare and Fox. Squirrels and Roe Deer are still around around to provide some photo opportunities though.

Roe Deer munching on crops

Four Roes of deer

I mentioned a couple of posts ago that Little Egrets were not being seen as regularly these days. Since that I've seen them often!! Another one (or the same one - who knows?) was in a flooded field by the old railway line.

Little Egret

The festive spirit has been captured wonderfully by the Hornsea Inshore Rescue Team. Their christmas tree in the lifeboat compound shows some skill and ingenuity, making the tree out of lobster pots, the star from a lifebuoy and baubles from fishing floats.

Merry Christmas from HIR

We've had some excellent sunrises over the last few days - here's a few images of them.

This and two below at Weatherhill

The next three are from the sea front where a strip of sunlight was just visible under the heavy clouds.

Hornsea sea front sunrise

Westermost Rough to left of sun, Humber Gateway to the right

The above pic highlighted the two off shore wind farms that are visible from Hornsea -  Westermost Rough which is 15 miles south east from here, and Humber Gateway which is 27 miles south east.

Westermost Rough wind farm

Humber Gateway wind farm

Apparently the December full moon is called the Cold Moon. Here it is in all its glory.

Cold Moon

The early morning light is great for photos and adds a lovely warmth - even though the temperature was nowhere near "warm" this morning!

Hornsea Mere looking warm-ish

Linnets (83 today,139 on Tuesday)

Marsh Harrier

Having said it's been quiet, there's always something to see 😉

The Road Less Traveled

 You can find little gems where ever you go if you look hard enough. Down a quiet, small ginnel in Hornsea town centre I found such a gem.

Ivy-leaved Toadflax

 This lovely little plant that grows on old walls throughout Britain isn't a native species. It was introduced in 1640 from the Mediterranean area and became popular as a rockery plant, soon escaping into the wild.

The flock of Barnacle Geese that arrive each year to spend winter with us are now firmly established in my daily search pattern when I walk the south side Mere footpaths. They move around the fields so you never know where they will be from day to day.

Barnacle Geese with St Nicholas church as a backdrop

Barnacle Geese this morning

 We started with 38 when they arrived and we've seen up to 61 at times, but yesterday and today they were down to 37.

I spent a while down at the sea front yesterday and today as the strong winds in the wake of Storm Darragh were north easterlies. Hoping for a sight of Little Auk I set up my scope in the open window of the car in the "Wave Watcher's" car park yesterday morning and settled down - but not for long. The strong wind buffeted the car so much it was almost bouncing on its suspension and I couldn't keep the scope steady. I tried with the bins but again, the movement of the car was too much, so I gave up, took the car home and went for a walk (without the scope).

This morning was a little calmer so I went to the small shelter on the sea front and settled down there. I didn't have to wait long for the first Little Auks to come along. The light wasn't good but you work with what you're given 😊

This and all above - Little Auks flying North off Hornsea

I walked south along the promenade towards home and stopped at one of the gates down to the beach, waiting and hoping a few more auks would fly along - and they did so I got even better views.

More Little Auks off Hornsea

Also passing close in were Gannets, Kittiwakes and Cormorants.

Juvenile Gannets

Kittiwakes

Kittiwakes

Kittiwakes

Kittiwakes incl. juv

The Trans Pennine Trail marker on the sea front is a well known local land mark and sun behind it looked very nice.

Trans Pennine Trail marker