The Full Monty on the Local Patch

It was such a beautiful day today that I decided on a full circuit of the local patch, starting in the cemetery and woodland burial ground and taking in Weelsby Woods, The Dead Wood (Carr Plantation) as well as The Horsefield (Gooseman's ); a walk of over six miles.  It was bright and clear again with a few clouds and a mild 13C.  I was absolutely delighted to find two redwings in the cemetery, my first for this year.  Making my usual way around the woodland burial ground, I was pleased to see the bullfinch pair again and to hear the familiar chiff, chiff, chaff of my first summer visitor: a chiffchaff.  A great spotted woodpecker was drumming in the woods and, although no skylark today, I was pleased to see a linnet fly up in front of me from the thick bramble hedge on the edge of The Horsefield; good to see that they, too, are return to their breeding ground.  My final bird sighting of note was a buzzard soaring over Scartho school field.  Butterflies were again forthcoming with three small tortoishells and a very tatty comma.  Spring has definitely arrived.

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Goat Willow

Chiffchaff

Wren

Buzzard

A short Walk along the Freshey

 A short walk along the River Freshney today for dog walking purposes.  It was unusually overcast but still mild as we set off from Little Coates Church with Jet.  It was good to see butterbur in flower as well as lesser celendine.  I noticed a tree I couldn't instantly recognise so photographed the bark and later narrowed it down to black poplar.  I was fascinated by the patterns on the bark.  Although it was only a quick half an hour out and then back I was pleased to see 16 bird species although no butterflies.  Our forward progress along the river bank was halted anyway by two huge ash trees that had been brought down in recent storms and not yet cleared away.

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Bluetit feeding on willow catkins

Butterbur on the bank of the Freshney.

Mallard

Mallard

Goat Willow

My First Butterfly of the Year

 Another mild day today so I decided to renew my acquaintance with the Horsefield which I have not visited for a while.  It was cloudless and mild at 14C with a pleasant south-easterly breeze.  My route took me straight through the cemetery where I noticed delicate pink herb robert in flower on an old grave. Today I bypassed the woodland burial ground making my way out through the crematorium and crossing the road to follow the farm tracks round to Peaks Tunnel, the old bridge over the Grimsby to Louth Railway, now the route of the busy Peaks Parkway road.  A flash of yellow alerted me to a yellowhammer as it flew up off the crop but otherwise things were quiet of the bird front.  Crossing over the bridge, I then busied my self taking some abstract close-ups of an old burnt out car on the Horsefield.  Moving on round the perimeter of the meadow I was delighted to both see and hear two skylark and find my first butterflies of the year: a small tortoiseshell and then a peacock.

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Cemetery Birding

 Today turned out to be yet another mild and pleasant early spring day with mixed sun and cloud and temperatures of 14C despite a brisk south-easterly breeze.  I was pleased to find some blue anemone in the cemetery, presumably escaped from a grave.  Blackthorn was just beginning to come into flower in one or two spots but it is very slow; in many other locations it is now well out.  Walking round the perimeter of the woodland burial ground, I became aware of a movement and then a quiet tseep, tseep call. A pair of bullfinches were feeding on blackthorn buds; a lovely find.  On moving back into the cemetery I hoped, as always to find goldfinches and redpoll on the group of alders, but again no luck.  However, the wind was now making its presence known, roaring like a distant surf in the line of poplars and reminiscent of the roaring of the Atlantic breakers rushing onto the beach at Sandwood Bay in the far north-west of Scotland and heard from a mile away.

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Chaffinch

Signs of spring in the cemetery.

 As I turned sharp right just after entering the cemetery to follow my usual route around the perimeter, there they were.  Pale, creamy yellow flowers with a deep yellow eye lined with honey guides set on a cushion of crinkly green leaves: my first primroses of the year.  Spring is on the way.  I had already photographed my first blossom a delicate, pale pink cherry plum (Prunus cerasifera) set off by reddish brown leaves.  The pale pink flowers have a rich nail varnish centre from which emerge the stamens surrounding a bright yellow stigma.  Birds were singing, now, and despite the chill 7C temperature with a brisk easterly breeze, when sheltered from the wind, the sun was warm and gathering strength.  Daffodils and crocus were  in flower with aconites still hanging on, although snowdrops are already fading.  Hawthorn is beginning to come into leaf and I saw my first bumble bee of the year, a busy buff-tail.  I remember my mother, brought up on the edge of the Witham fens in deepest Lincolnshire, used to eat the leaves and referred to them by their country name of bread and cheese; they have a fresh sweet, nutty flavour and are good in salads.  Surprisingly the mass of blackthorn in the woodland burial ground and on the Horsefield is not yet in flower, although I have seen plenty elsewhere; that treat is yet to come.  As I wandered around the outside of the burial ground I was delighted to spot a party of long-tailed tits industiously foraging in the young oaks.  After leaving the woodland burial ground, as usual I checked on the small group of alders where I have seen goldfinch feeding acrobatically and hope, one day, to find redpoll.  Today neither were present but the catkins were looking magnificent.

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Alder catkins

Alder catkins with last years cones.

Cherry plum (Prunus cerasifera)

Primrose

Galgate, Day 5

Woke to a grey morning again for our journey home.  At least it's not yet raining and we are hoping to see red kite on the way home.  Over breakfast I managed to capture some images of out local grey wagtail outside the lounge window.  Despite the weather the journey home went well, stopping for lunch in Otley and managing to see some kites as we passed through Harewood.

Grey Wagtail

Galgate Day 4

A mixed morning of weather today; I initially dry and clear but soon clouding over and turning to light rain.  Before breakfast Linda pointed out a pair of grey wagtails on  the wall outside to lo ge window and a hare in the field.  This provided me with half an hour's amusement but it didn't result in any successful images as the light was too poor.

Eventually we girded our loins and set off for Dunsop Bridge in the forest of Bowland.  On the way over we were delighted to find a large flock of golden plover, many in handsome breeding plumage.  Our walk took us up the Dunsop Valley, attractive despite the low cloud and rain.  We were pleased to find 5 dippers including 2 pairs, one with a singing  male.  We also heard a yaffling green woodpecker and saw some smart stonechats.  We managed to find an old cowshed to have lunch before heading back down to the car into the rain.  It was pleasant to get  back to the warm cottage and a cup of tea.  After adding today's records to Bird Track it was with wry amusement to note that my list for the year stands at 99!