Monday 21 June 2021

North Cave Wetlands

We spent last Sunday morning (13th) at the Wetlands, the sun was out, mostly and it got pretty hot. First off was a cuppa and a bacon butty from The Little Butty Bus (we may have also got large chunks of cake too before we left!). 

It took us about 40 minutes to walk up Dryham Lane as lots of dragonflies were out and we got caught up taking photos! I've yet to confirm some of the ID's.

Azure Damselfly



Blue-tailed Damselfly





Blue-tailed Damselfly




Four Spotted Chaser


Not just dragonflies either


Furrow Orb-weaver


Long-jawed Spider


Rabbit


6 spot Burnett Moth caterpillar I think


The pesky Horseflies were in abundance including the giant one below and some deceptively pretty Twin-lobed Deerfly, one of those managed to bite my husbands arm, thankfully not badly. We had some pretty bad bites a couple of years ago so are quite wary of them!

The wildflowers were glorious and buzzing with all sorts of bees. We spotted a moth by one of the hides which I think is a Common Swift Moth. 





The whole time we were at the reserve we saw 5 butterflies - all different species but only 5 individual ones - Large Skipper, Speckled Wood, Small Copper, Red Admiral and Small Tortoiseshell. I've noticed a distinct lack of butterflies all year so far.

Large Skipper


Speckled Wood

The reserve was full of birds, lots of noisy Black-headed Gulls, Avocets, Oystercatcher, Lapwing, a Common Tern, Sedge Warblers, Whitethroat to name a few.

Sedge Warbler with a damselfly


Oystercatcher


Black-headed Gulls


We watched this family of Long-tailed Tits for a while, they were constantly on the move through the hedge.


Along with several other birds that I couldn't quite get a photo of! Perhaps the Cettis Warbler that's around this part of the reserve?


Distant Whitethroat

A Longhorn Moth (Nemophora degeerella) near the reserve entrance

We left before lunch it was far too warm to be walking for me - I handle the heat less well these days and it was very humid! It pays to get up and out early!

10 comments:

  1. Lovely set of photos Pam, and you got to see a good amount of wildlife. One place I have not been yet.

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    1. Thanks Amanda, it's great for insects of all sorts there and of course the birds. Just a shame about the horseflies!

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  2. After a good healthy breakfast to start your day, you had a fine time, Pam! Lots of great sightings. Deer flies and horse flies can be a real nuisance here too, and when they bite they hurt! There is a particularly nasty form in western Canada that is colloquially known as a Chunker since it removes chunks of your skin! And I am with you when it comes to heat and high humidity. It is not pleasant at all. On a cold day in the winter I can dress up and stay warm, but oppressive heat is impossible to escape. Enjoy the summer that has just begun - without too many steamy days, hopefully.

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    1. Haha well yes perhaps not the healthiest but I figure I walk it of!! The Chunker sounds like something to avoid, I thought ours were bad! At the moment it's cooled a little here which is a bit of a relief.

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  3. HI Pam, a really terrific walk around with your camera, I too enjoy the dragonflies and agree its hard to ID them. AND I also agree there is less butterfly than usual. Seems there is less of everything except people these days. I love the shot of the Sedge Warbler! Humid here of course as summer is just rain rain rain here in the east and fire fire fire in the west! I don't know but, I think we need to be using our resources to figure out a way to change the air currents on this planet instead of going to Mars? Have a wonderful week!

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    1. I agree with you there, why so much money on Space, to look for somewhere else we can ruin?! Thanks Sondra

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  4. It looks a lovely morning out Pam with some great wildlife. Great photos and good to see damsel and dragonflies! Its worrying the lack of butterflies being seen this year by so many people :( I am very wary walking near water re: biting flies!!! I had a bad bite a few years ago from walking by a canal! I don't like hot weather either especially when it gets humid!! :(

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    1. Thanks Caroline :) It's not great is it, 5 on the whole reserve is quite shocking and yes it's the same elsewhere :/ I don't blame you with the flies!

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  5. Looks a lovely place to spot lots of wildlife. Great to see the damselflies, I've seen one this year and not many butterflies. Know what you mean about the humid heat and avoiding bites if possible, I once had a bite from a horsefly which was quite painful:)

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    1. It is a great place, we're lucky to have it nearby :) Noboy likes a horsefly, all the walking we've done and it's only the past 2/3 years we seem to have come across them....unforunately!

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