A Grey Day on the Horsefield

A Grey Day on the Horsefield

A day of mixed sun and cloud continues a run of very cold weather again since the recent rain, which barely dampened the ground round here.  However it turned out to be warmer than I expected, perhaps because the wind has gone around to the west.

Greater Willow herb is pushing through rapidly now and will soon be in flower.  We also found a hawksbeard sp and dove's foot cranesbill in flower.  Hogweed is just beginning to appear and it will not be long before it takes over from cow parsley.  At the moment the hedgerows are frothing with may blossom and cow parsley.  My mum, brought up in the Witham Fens of Lincolnshire used to call cow parsley keck or kecksy.  Unusually a pair of mallards flew over the horsefield, another tick.  I was pleased to see swallows again, but still await house martins and swifts.  I saw both green veined white and small heath butterflies on the wing, both firsts for the year.

At Peakes Tunnel we met another couple, also out birding, who told us that they had just been watching yellow wagtails bathing in the puddles the far side of the bridge.  I looked for them but to no avail; perhaps tomorrow.  Undaunted, we continued on the track round to the YMCA, crossed Peakes Parkway, once the route of the old Louth railway line and returned via the crematorium and woodland burial ground.

View over to the Horsefield

Horsefield edge with the crow's nest ash tree.

The crow's nest ash tree.

The horsefield

The horsefield

The horsefield

The horsefield

The horsefield

The horsefield

The horsefield

The horsefield

The horsefield

The horsefield from Peakes Tunnel.

The horsefield from Peakes Tunnel.

Track to the Woods

Track to the Woods

The Woodland Burial Ground

The Woodland Burial Ground

The Woodland Burial Ground

Green veined white

Small Heath

Mothing Disaster

A Moth Trapping Disaster

As it was a fine warm afternoon yesterday I decided to set the moth trap, despite the poor forecast for today.  I went to bed thinking that I would be OK, after all the weather is never as bad as the forecast.  At 4.00 am I was suddenly aware that it was raining; not just raining but siling down.  I shot out of bed and out in my pyjamas to gather up the trap and accoutrements.  Fortunately the egg boxes inside the trap were still dry.  I finally checked it at 7.00.  Only four moths but all different species, two that were new for the year (NFY):

• Common Quaker
• Heart and Dart
• Miller (nfy)
• Campion (nfy)

The next challenge came with the photography in the bitter cold and strong winds.

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Campion

Campion

Miller

Miller

Horsefield Meanderings

Hoping for Butterflies on the Horsefield

Again it was a superb day of weather: hot with wind from the south west and I only needed to wear a teeshirt.  As I crossed Gooseman's Drain I noticed that the tadpoles were still there despite it being merely a shallow muddy trickle.  Hopefully there will continue to be enough water for them to complete their metamorphosis.  Once over the drain and into the Horsefield it was obvious that hawthorn has now taken over from blackthorn blossom.  It is thick in the hedgerows and this is really a May Blossom Year unlike some years when it has not flowered until June.

With it being so warm I was hoping to see more butterflies but in that I was disappointed.  A few tired peacock's and tortoiseshells and some large whites and later just before the end of my walk when I came across several male orange tips settling on a patch of ladies smock or cuckoo flower.  I was surprised as I had seen both holly blue and speckled wood in the garden earlier in the day.

I was delighted to find that the hedgerow crows now had chicks; I could see their scrawny necks rising above the edge of the nest.  Increasing numbers of flowers were coming into bloom now and I include them in the list below.  By the earth bank alongside the drain I came across a pair (Three?) whitethroats chasing each other for an extended period; courtship behaviour I mused.

Birds

• House sparrow
• Starling
• Crow
• Robin
• Whitethroat
• Linnet
• Skylark
• Blackbird
• Wood Pigeon
• Song thrush
• Willow Warbler
• Chaffinch
• Jackdaw
• Yellowhammer
• Long Tailed Tit
• Blue Tit
• Chiffchaff
• Great Tit

Flora

• Red Campion
• Eyebright
• May Blossom
• Cow Parsley
• Dandelion
• Earth Nut/Pignut
• Speedwell
• Buttercup sp.
• Red Clover
• Hawksbeard
• Ribwort Plantain
• Greater Plantain
• Tufted Vetch
• Ladies Smock

Butterflies

• Large White
• Peacock
• Small Tortoiseshell
• Orange Tip

Cow Parsley

Hawthorn Blossom

Red Campion

Hawthorn Blossom

Large White

Ribwort Plantain

Orange Tip

An off road ride inti the Wolds with Heather

An off-Road Ride into the Wolds with Heather

An excellent ride with Heather again today, again off-road but this time out into the Wolds as far as Beelsby.  We rode out through Scartho Top to get the Dixon's and then Bradley woods; greening up quickly now but still with bluebells and stitchwort in flower.  The stitchwort, in particular, shines out from the shadows like a host of stars.  We continued over the fields to Laceby Manor Golf Course and out, briefly onto Barton Street before heading off-road again, this time up hill to Irby Holmes Wood.  Again everywhere is greening up and here the beech trees, in particular looked splendid with their verdant green leaves.  This, too, is a good wood for bluebells, in fact, we give it the nickname of Bluebell Wood.  I was also delighted to hear large numbers of garden warblers and black caps singing loudly.  

All the hard work over, now, we stopped for coffee and Christmas cake before continuing on road through the hamlet of Beelsby, down off the Wolds to Barnoldby-le-Beck.  It would have been wonderful to stop off for a pint in the warm sun sitting in the garden as we have done many times before, but in these troubled times not possible.  We returned home via Bradley Gairs Wood and Springfield.

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Another Trip to the Seaside on the Stumpy.

Another Trip to the Seaside on the Stumpy.

Apart from the strong and very cold easterly wind off the sea, this was an excellent ride on the mountain bike to the coast.  I set off to Waltham and then down Cheapside and onto Waithe Church.  I have been keen to explore the lane beyond the church for sometime being attracted by studying the OS map and the possibility of Waithe Mill.  Although on private land the footpath continues through the property and speaking to the lady who lives there, she was only too pleased for me to photograph the mill, which still has the remains of the water wheel in the old mill race.  She also gave me directions for continuing my ride.  A bit of single track and then a good vehicle track over the golf course to Tetney.  From here it was road riding until Tetney Lock and then off road again to the sea lock where a lot of work is going on.  From here I continued on to the Fitties and onwards to Cleethorpes Country Park before returning home via Weelsby Woods and the Horsefield.  An excellent 20 miles.  I was delighted to see/hear 5 warblers: at least 6 singing reed warblers, a single sedge, several chiffchaffs and black caps and willow warbler on the edge of the woodland burial ground.  A good day.

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Waithe Church

Waithe Beck

Waithe Beck

Waithe Mill

Waithe Mill

Waithe Mill

Louth Canal approaching the sea lock

Tetney Marsh

Cleethorpes

Cleethorpes