Signs of Spring in the Woodland Burial Ground.

 The chiffchaff was in the same spot again, onomatopoeically repeatedly calling its name. This one was on the edge of the main cemetery but I found four more in the woodland burial ground. It is wonderful to hear them again after a long dreary winter, especially on a mild sunny day. Most chiffchaff around here leave us at the end of the summer, some flying as far as North Africa. Increasingly, though, with our warming climate, some choose to over winter, especially in Southern England and Europe. It's a gamble for them,however, balancing the ability to find food in the colder northern climate as opposed to the energy costs of a long, arduous migration flight. Those that remain are able to breed earlier, so passing on more of their genes to the next generation.

In the woodland burial ground I enjoyed watching and photographing a buff-tailed bumblebee feeding on pussy willow pollen. There was also a small flock of elusive bullfinches here and a larger one of chattering goldfinches.

I only saw two butterflies today, both small tortoiseshells.

Female bullfinch

Buff-tailed bumblebee

Buff-tailed bumblebee heading for the hills.

Buff-tailed bumblebee

Buff-tailed bumblebee

Chiffchaff

Chiffchaff

Chiffchaff

You know it's spring when horse chestnut starts to open.

A Satifying but Soggy Walk Around the Patch

 It was another lovely day today with sunny intervals and 15C. I was over cautious with clothing, however, and was soon far too warm. Everywhere was very wet, the 'lake' in the woodland burial ground remains and other parts of the cemetery are flooded. It is some time since I walked around The Horsefield and I have never seen it so wet. I was pleased to come across three singing chiffchaff, my first of the year and delighted to locate six singing skylark on The Horsefield; this 'waste ground' is a precious resource for animals, birds and insects and I hope that it continues to be undeveloped. I saw my first brimstone butterfly in the cemetery where the primroses are looking magnificent and found a small tortoiseshell on The Horsefield as well as three peacocks and two more peacocks in the woodland burial ground.

Blackthorn

Blackthorn

An early bee enjoying the blackthorn blossom

Blackthorn

Blackthorn

The Horsefield looking down to the cemetery.

Magpie

Peacock

Primrose

Snakeshead Fritillary

Snakeshead Fritillary

Snakeshead Fritillary

A wet woodland burial ground

Chiffchaff

Brimstone.

A Windy Walk from Buck Beck to Tetney Marsh.

 It was a poor start to the day but by the time Brian and I arrived at Buck Beck car park it had stopped raining and the sun was beginning to make an appearance, although there was a brisk SW wind. Despite this it was quite mild at 13C. We had arranged our visit for high tide but it was not as high as I expected. There were none of the hoped for wheeling flocks of waders; perhaps most have already moved north to breed. Disappointingly there were no bar-tailed godwits to be found. We saw 30 species in total and I was pleased to find my first coltsfoot flowers out.

Coltsfoot

Coltsfoot

A Session at the Feeding Station.

 Unusually it was pleasant and mild as I walked through the wood to the feeding station. I was soon set up and settled in the hide and enjoying my go to lunch of Heinz tomato soup and my Christmas Cake. I had even treated myself to a packet of salt and vinegar crisps on the way - such decadence. It was a very pleasant session with all of the usual suspects turning up apart from the woodpecker pair. I was suprised but pleased when a wren arrived and even more suprised when it posed for a photo before whizzing busily off again. Before leaving I collected another bag of wild garlic for soup, quiche and badger breath pesto.

The Wood

Blue Tit

Blue Tit

Chaffinch

Chaffinch

Coal Tit

Coal Tit

Great Tit

Great Tit

Grey Squirrel

Nuthatch

Nuthatch

Nuthatch

Nuthatch

Pheasant

Pheasant

Pheasant

Wren

A Bitter Day at Frampton but the Lesser Yellowlegs Remains.

 The weather had not improved any when Peter and I drew up into the car park at Frampton RSPB Reserve, just south of Boston. Retreating to the cafe with binoculars for hot chocolate we managed to tick off 30 or so species in the warm. Returning to the car, we put all of our winter gear on before setting out. The long staying Lesser Yellowlegs was still on the wet field adjacent to the car park, today being bullied by a solitary ruff. Again there were large numbers of whistling wigeon on the wet grassland as well as displaying flocks of lapwing. Teal and other wildfowl were also present and there was a constant background base note of thousands of brent geese. Periodically hosts of golden plover flew up into the sky to give wonderful displays with flocks of dunlin mixed in. There were whooper swans present along with good numbers of little egret and a couple of great white egret. Great crested grebes were back here as well. We visited all three hides before girding up our loins and climbing up onto the sea wall overlooking the Wash and distant Norfolk. Here we received a thorough blasting from the wind and it was pleasant to drop down into the relative shelter of the bank to return to the visitor centre for tea and bacon bun. Another good day with 42 species.

Avocet

A small section of a huge flock of brent geese

Dunlin

Dunlin

Lesser Yellowlegs

Lesser Yellowlegs

Wigeon

Wigeon

North Cave Wetlands and East Halton Marsh

 It was cold, overcast and drizzling when we parked up along Dryham Lane at North Cave Wetlands, a Yorkshire Wildlife Trust reserve just over the river from us. My brother had come to stay for a couple of days birding and the weather was disappointing to say the least. We had picked Brian up at Keelby on the way and now our first port of call was coffee and cake at the excellent Little Butty Bus.

Undaunted by the weather, we set off around the reserve. We had not gone far before we came across our first brambling. The feeding stations on the reserve had been closed down but there were still a reasonable number of bramblings and siskins remaining. It was good to see great crested grebes back on the Village Lake; these handsome birds are starting to return to their breeding sites and we should soon be treated to some exotic and elaborate courtship displays. We were delighted to hear a green woodpecker yaffling too. We called in at the Turret Hide and were pleased to see a kingfisher zip by, a blur of red and brilliant turquoise. Like everywhere else the reserve was very wet and muddy and we were pleased to have wellies on. On the west path we had exceptionally close views of siskin and reed bunting and managed to take some photos.

Back at the car it was time for wild garlic soup and, from the Little Butty Bus, bacon buns. Next it was time to head on to our next destination: returning over the river to Winter's Pit and East Halton Marsh. We briefly came out of the murk but drove back into it when we turned off the A180 for Winter's. Although we were only here and at Skitter Ness for an hour we were delighted to see 36 species including the marsh harrier and goldeneye again as well as hearing the strident calls of a couple of cetti's warblers. It was good to see that the great crested grebes were back here too.

Male siskin, North Cave Wetlands

Reed Bunting, North Cave Wetlands

Male siskin, North Cave Wetlands

Male siskin, North Cave Wetlands