Bearded Tits in First Field Reedbed

 I found a couple of Bearded Tits in Hornsea Mere first field reedbed this morning. They don't seem to come through this far along the south side very often, preferring the larger reedbeds to the west of the Mere. Maybe they were migrants just passing through?

Male Bearded Tit

Female Bearded Tit

The male with an insect

Insect repositioned and ready to eat

Going...

Going...

Gone.

Common Darters are still to be seen around the Mere in sunny, sheltered places.

Common Darter

There were plenty of Reed Buntings around the set aside this morning, probably 20+ but difficult to count when they move about so much.

The Barnacle Goose herd was at 128 this morning, nicely spread out and easy to count.

Barnacle Geese

The fields and footpaths are at last becoming softer as the rain begins to ease the harsh, dry soil. We need a heck of a lot more though as the field drains are still dry, and the Mere water level is very low for this time of year.

It was a lovely calm and sunny morning and just perfect for meandering through the fields and wood, with no where to go and no one to see I really enjoyed my walk this morning 🙂

A Wren in Heslop's

A raindrop in Wassand Wood

Tree Sparrow

Waning Hunter's Moon

Don't Count Your Pigeons Until They're Plucked

 This afternoon Linda came to tell me that there was a lot of noise from crows and magpies in the field at the back of the house. 

We looked from the bedroom window and saw that a Sparrowhawk had caught a pigeon and had landed with it in the field.

The pigeon didn't move so we thought it was dead and the sprawk started plucking it.

I stopped taking photos and was going to get my tripod when the pigeon struggled free and flew off, leaving the sprawk looking a bit bemused. It took off in pursuit but the pigeon had a good head start 🤣

Looked like a young male Sparrowhawk still learning its trade.

America

There's a bit of a backlog of photos building that I keep meaning to post, but then things get in the way and I somehow just don't do it. The ideas for post themes come and go each day then they just disappear into the ether, never to be seen again.

Therefore as a way of catching up, once again I give you a post with no cohesive narrative, which may be a good thing?

Blogging is in some ways a better method of sharing stuff than social media (I don't consider a blog to be social media) as the format is more flexible, but you don't get any feedback so you think your audience (whoever they are) are OK with whatever you're posting. If my audience get fed up with seeing whatever is on here then they'll vote with their mouse, or finger if it's a tablet or phone, and go elsewhere. I will be unaware and will watch the world carry on (cf Estonia by Marillion). 😊

Anyway, you may have gathered that I have this thing with music. I love music and I've heard so much over the years that now most things I hear and see remind me of songs, lyrics, album titles or whatever, and this sometimes drives my posts and gives me a theme.

Today's post title for example references America, a band who released "A Horse With No Name" in 1971. This came to mind when I thought of not putting a name to this post, hence A Post With No Name, hence America.

Some of these photos were taken locally, some weren't. 

A link to Hobby Horse With No Name perhaps?

The charming Little Grebe

Never seen a Kestrel messing with its prey in flight before

The seldom seen Reed Rabbit

This male Sprawk had eyes in the back of its head 😂

The Goldfinches and Roe Deer were taken this morning at Rolston, the Sprawk was also this morning on South Cliff, so I'm up to date now. Job done.

Forever Autumn - Part 1

The summer sun is fading as the year grows old
And darker days are drawing near
The winter winds will be much colder
Now you're not here

 The days are certainly getting colder - I may even have to put the shorts away soon.

Yew berries

Sloes and acorns

Jay food

Joe Bonnamassa gin

Raw apple pie

Helicopters, well that's what we called them

The trees and bushes are laden with food for the wildlife that will eat them and then spread the seeds. Most berries and seeds are looking OK despite the drought, except for the blackberries that are looking very forlorn and wizzened.

The best news of the year for me came in the form of a Willow Emerald damselfly, found near the hide at Decoy. Turns out it's the first record at The Mere so I'm proper chuffed about that.

Male WIllow Emerald at The Mere

There are still lots of Migrant Hawker dragonflies about, along with one or two Common and Ruddy Darters. Speckled Wood butterflies have had a good year and can still be seen in the hedgerows. Red Admirals, Small Coppers and Comma have also been seen in the last week.

Small Copper in the set aside

The harbingers of autumn are arriving now - Greylag Geese are gathering in the fields and the regular wintering herd of Barnacle Geese has made a late appearance too.

Barnacle Geese

Barnacle Geese coming in to land

Greylag Geese

Greylags in the foreground and Barnacles through the gap

 

The wild flowers have disappeared sharpish, although a few sunflowers still brighten up the set aside field. Teasels have shed their colours and are mostly brown spiky husks, but one still had a little colour which was a lovely surprise.

Teasel from above

As the flowers are fading so are the insects getting fewer and fewer. A Footballer hoverfly was looking for the last few balls of pollen to kick about, but the rest of its team appeared to have left the pitch already.

The Footballer hoverfly - come in number 7...

As a confirmed royalist I was deeply saddened when her majesty Queen Elizabeth II passed away. I believe she enriched the lives of many people and touched the hearts of so many of us with her grace and steadfast attitude to life. She will be missed.