Common Buzzard V Marsh Harrier

 A territorial dispute broke out over the Mere this morning with a Buzzard and a Marsh Harrier flashing talons at each other. Not sure who came out the winner though 😀

Marsh Harrier left, Common Buzzard right

Early butterflies are now being seen quite regularly, but are still scarce.

Small White

Speckled Wood

A Barn Owl was hunting along the south side again this morning. Enjoying the spell of dry weather I think.

Barn Owl

Grey Squirrels are not my fave mammal but when a photo opportunity arises one just has to go for it.

Grey Squirrel in Wassand

Blackcaps are not as numerous as I thought they would be yet, but there's time of course. Males arrive before the females in order to claim their breeding territories ready for the ladies.

Male Blackcap

Wild flowers are everywhere now and I found both Dog Violet and Early Dog Violet close by Weatherhill.

Dog Violet

Early Dog Violet

White Dead Nettle

Ground Ivy

I also came across a white Forget-Me-Not which I think may be Water Forget-Me-Not.

Water Forget-Me-Not

As well as butterflies there are now lots of bees and hover flies to be seen. Tricky blighters to id these insects.

Orange-tailed Mining Bee

Tawny Mining Bee

Furry Drone Fly

Tiger Marsh Fly

There is so much going on now that these blog posts could be very long indeed if I didn't take care not to outstay my welcome on your device of choice, so I'll end there and pick up the continuing development of spring here in Hornsea in a few days time.

End Of An Era

 Since June 2011 when I first started visiting the Mere on a regular basis I have been on a quest to get a decent, unobscurred photo of a Cetti's Warbler.

I've been close on many occasions but none of the images was just what I was after.

Until today.

This morning along the south side I got the one I was after.

Nearly...

come on...

singing too! But not quite out in the open...

Almost...

Yes!

Better!

Best. Got it 👍

I also thought I had video of the bird singing but it turned out the camera operator got it wrong and pressed the right button at the wrong time 😂

So what do I do next? I'm not sure but something will occur to me over the coming days. For now I can rest easy and just enjoy the Cetti's whenever I come across them.

Continued Rain, Continuing Arrivals

 Despite the cr@p weather and extremely soggy fields the welcome summer migrants continue to invade our lands.

If they had any sense they would hang around sunnier climes a bit longer, but then again they don't know what the weather is like until they arrive by which time it's too late 🤣

Willow Warblers are now an everyday occurence, joining Blackcaps and the well-established Chiffchaffs. Swallows are new in over the last few days, with Sedge Warbler and Lesser Whitethroat arriving this morning. No pics yet.

A Whooper Swan was found at last this morning, my first of the year at the Mere. By this time we've usually had several small flocks landing for a while, on their way north to their breeding grounds.

Whooper Swan with Mutes, taken through a hedge

Yet another Brown Hare came running towards me this morning and got very close before it realised I was in its way and diverted into the set aside.

Brown Hare approaching

Brown Hare just about to turn left

Yesterday morning (it was sort of dry for a while!) I saw a Great Spotted Woodpecker preening atop a branch. It had a birds-eye view of me so I couldn't get close enough for a better image.

GSW sitting out in the open

The bluebells are out in the woods and copses along with their white counterparts. Just waiting for the Wood Anemones now. Note that bluebells are toxic to humans and dogs, so If you ignore best practice and pick bluebells anyway for whatever reason, do remember to wash your hands before you handle anything edible or you may end up being a bit sick.

Blue and whitebells

A few Roe Deer were making sure the crops don't get too high which is very helpful of them. I'm not sure everyone will appreciate their efforts though.

Roe Deer

Back to Saturday now. You may remember the last nice, warm, sunny day we had? 19 degrees if my memory serves me well, sodding different to today's 10 degrees!!

The Marsh Harriers were up and doing early on and while I was watching them the highlight of the morning flew by - a Brimstone butterfly. It was way too far away for a decent photo but when it landed on a bush I couldn't resist...

Brimstone (cropped)

Brimstone (uncropped)

As I was concentrating on the Brimstone I had not noticed a Common Buzzard that was in the long grass just 40 yards away. I soon took notice when it flapped into view but I wasn't quick enough with the camera 😂

Partial Common Buzzard

I spotted the Brimstone again on the wood edge and tried to get flight shots but it was too fast for me.

Brimstone in flight

Everything is bursting with life as the days get longer and the sycamore buds have morphed into leaves. It is a very wonderful thing to see new life everywhere - even if the leaves now make it more difficult to see the warblers that I have waited so long to see 😉

Finally we go back almost a week to last Wednesday for a couple of pics of another Great Spotted Woodpecker - a female this time.

Female GSW

Ooops - I think I made the nest hole too big!

Patchy Weather, Great Wildlife

 Some mornings are just marvelous. Monday was just such a day with lots of birds around and more hares than you can shake a Corsa at. A joke in poor taste? Probably.

Brown Hares all over the place

 Along with hares there was a Brent Goose and the long-staying White-frointed Goose in a field with the resident Greylags.

Brent Goose

White-fronted Goose

More Brown Hares

A couple of Barn Owls were hunting over the south side of the Mere this morning. I didn't see them catch anything but I hope they were successful. As I didn't have my camera with me I took a video with my phone camera through the bins. Sort of OK and better than nothing.

Fungus is usually something I look for in autumn rather than spring but when you come across such a fabulous patch you just have to take note. Sulphur Tuft just erupted and fresh.

Sulphur Tuft (Hyphaloma fasciculare)

Bullfinch are not as common as they used to be at the Mere (since the lovely large patch of habitat was cleared from the bottom of the ridge and furrow field in fact). I went to Rolston on Sunday morning and came across 4 Bullfinch showing why orchard owners don't like them 😂🤣 they were merrily feating away on buds.

Male Bullfinch

Female Bullfinch

There were two Siskin up there with them in an adjacent alder but they moved through without hanging around.

There are just loads of spring flowers coming through now with Red Dead Nettle and Forget-Me-Not showing beautifully in the sun. I'm looking forward now to so many more flowers joining them in the coming weeks.

Red Dead Nettle

Forget-Me-Not

The Forget-Me-Not always brings to mind Roy Harper's song of the same name, it's a catchy little ditty from his best album - HQ.

We're like the springtime together, we'll change and we won't
We'll have much more to say when we say it and much less when we don't
Forget-me-not, I love you, yes I do
Forget-me-not, I love you, through and through

I've quoted this song in a previous post when I was rambling on about the Yellowhammer, an old English name for which is the Scribble Lark, which is also mentioned in this song.

There are still the odd Redwings flying through on their back to their European breeding grounds, easily distinguished by their "tseep" calls as they move through the tree tops. Wassand Wood down by the hide is a good place to hear them.

Redwing

I'm out looking for Treecreeper nests again but although I've seen a possible pair of birds in the wood I haven't been able to locate their nest yet. A work in progress.

Treecreeper

I'll leave you with a couple of photos from our pond - one of last year's efts was out in the open water on Sunday. Still tiny (maybe an inch long) and hopefully it will survive and grow to maturity. We won't see it though as we are leaving our home of almost 10 years shortly. We will dig a pond in our new garden and watch it mature and attract wildlife, as all ponds do 😉

Smooth Newt eft