North Cave Wetlands

We spent a few hours at the Wetlands on Saturday morning, apart from getting caught in a brief downpour just before we left it was really hot and sunny.

First things first though, we got bacon sandwiches cafe there and watched the Acovets as we ate, a couple of Mallards and Sparrows were around our feet and there are signs up saying not to feed the birds!

I'd seen on twitter that a Little Gull and Mediterranean Gull have been seen on the lake and I managed to pick out the Med Gull from the Turret hide amongst all the BH Gulls, no luck with the Little though.

We also saw Herring and Common Gulls, Little Egret, Shoveler, Shelduck, Greylag Geese, Pochard, Common Tern, Oystercatcher, Lapwing amongst others.

This Rook was taking a drink from the pond.

As we watched Dragonflies in the grass by the maize field my daughter walked ahead and came across a Green Woodpecker on the path in front of her! By the time she had got our attention it had flown across to the other side of the field, too far for my camera but it lingered on a fence post in the sun for a while so we got good views before it flew down into the grass. This Woodpigeon wasn't quite as flighty though.

My husband saw a Grass Snake but by the time I got there with the camera it had gone. I've yet to see a snake in the wild in the UK!

There were plenty of Butterflies about, we saw Brimstone, Speckled Wood, Peacock, Orange-Tip, Small White, Common Blue and also Carpet and Burnet moths. Most stayed on the wing but I caught a couple.

The Dragonflies were pretty flighty too today but a gentleman pointed out this one that kept settling in the same spots as it flew around one of the ponds, just stunning!

Four Spotted Chaser

Then this one, which perched nearby, some help on the ID and I'm told this is a Teneral Blue-Tailed Damselfly. I looked up Teneral, which i'd not heard before and found it means an insect which has recently moulted. It's always good to learn something new!

There were lots of Beetles and Ladybirds in the grass too.

Seven Spot Ladybird

Soldier Beetle

This one was my absolute favourite, we saw a few around. I knew it was a Longhorn and again a little help with the id and it's a Golden-Bloomed Grey Longhorn!

From the Turret hide we watched a Kestrel hunting and saw Little Ringed Plovers running around. Avocets chased off a Great Blacked Back Gull, which looked like it had something in it's mouth. 

The Gulls were all waiting on the lake at the opposite side of the hide! The Gulls were in various states of plumage so I figure the photo's I took here will be great to practice my ID skills on......

Rodley Nature Reserve

Sunday morning saw us at Rodley just after it opened. It was a decent morning again and no rain forecast today.

There were lots of geese - Greylag and Canada - in the field by the car park. In a tree nearby a Greenfinch, first one i've seen in a while.

We sat in the Lagoon hide for a while and watched the Moorhen feed the chicks on the raft. We also saw Common Tern, Great Crested and Little Grebes, Coot, a couple of sleeping Oystercatchers and flitting about in the trees in front were several lbjs which I thought were Reed Warblers. The Sand Martins are making use of the bank here.

We did see Reed Warblers from the Duck Marsh hide, a pair of them hanging the reeds. A Greylag Goose family were on the grass, the parents keeping the goslings quite well hidden.

Along the willow path a bank vole was in the usual spot, hiding behind a little bit of grass.

As we sat down in the Reedbed hide a Jay flew across into the trees by the river, we always seem to see one in the same spot every time we visit. The Lapwings were very defensive and chasing off Crows and Jackdaws if they landed anywhere near.

We saw a fair few insects and butterflies around the reserve including a beautiful moth, a Carpet Moth I think?

The ponds were full of tadpoles and a patch on the river walk was full of snail shells.

Making use of the lovely visitors centre we stopped for a coffee and watched the birds on the feeders around it - Bullfinch, Dunnock, Reed Bunting, Blue Tits...

Up at the managers garden is was a little quiet, a few Blackirds, Dunnock, Reed Bunting and Jackdaws. Then a movement off to the side, the Little Owl! It landed on a branch at the back for a few moments and then was off. We got talking to the chap sat there so ended up staying a while and the Owl came back, landing on the same branch. Fantastic!

We made a bit of a mistake on the way out - we went for another look out of the Lagoon hide and saw a bit of a horrible nature moment! One of the Moorhen chicks had fallen off the raft, it kept trying to climb up the chain at the side without success of course. A Coot spotted it and unfortunately went for it, one of the adult Moorhens attacked the Coot but it was too late for the chick and we thought the adult took a bit of an injury to it's wing too but I think it was ok.

We should have ended the day with the Little Owl and skipped the hide I think!

St Aidan's

Our 2nd reserve of the weekend, just as we left Fairburn it started to rain, I was expecting rain and came prepared so we parked up, covered up and set off! I actually haven't been here since the visitor centre was open last time so we picked up a map as I remember it being big!

Also I forgot how open it all is - not so great with the wind and rain. Still we saw a Common Tern fly by and several Skylark along the fence right from the off. The further we walked the nosier it became, Gulls where everywhere!

If we thought we'd had close encounters with Swifts at Fairburn that was nothing compared to here, Sand Martins, Swifts and Swallows in large numbers everywhere you looked. The rain had brought out an immense amount of flies and the birds were loving it (me not so much when I inadvertently caught the odd one, talking and swarms of flies don't mix!). I have never seen them in such numbers before and they were amazing to watch.

The rain did not make for good photos and it was difficult to see at some points even with the binoculars but we persevered and the rain did let up a few times and the sun dried us up before we got soaked again.

On the water we saw Geese, Tufted Duck, Great Crested Grebe, Gadwall, BH Gulls, Swans to name a few.

In the reeds we saw Reed Bunting, Reed Warbler and heard more Sedge Warblers. A pair of Linnet landed in a gorse bush nearby. Willow Warblers and Chiffchaff sang in the trees and a Jay flew by.

As we headed back to the car park I heard another Sedge Warbler, this time in a small tree by the path, best views i've ever had of one and it was singing pretty much the whole time. Lovely end to the walk.

We spent about 3 hours here and it would have been longer had the weather been better, there is a lot to see and a large area to cover. Well worth a trip, I don't know why we haven't been more often!

Fairburn Ings

Fairburn was the first of three reserves we visited over the weekend arriving about 9 o clock on Saturday morning. It was warm and sunny and just about perfect weather to walk around in.

From the pickup hide we watched Herons squabbling, Cormorants and Egrets fly over and a Common Tern was fishing. I noticed there were no Sand Martins at the bank, I guess they haven't taken up residence there this year?

A Blackcap was singing in the trees and we heard Chiffchaff, a Robin and Chaffinch too. On the dipping pond a Coot family came over, soon losing interest when they realised we had nothing for them.

I was hoping for a Cuckoo today and we headed up to the Coal Tips. Before we even got there we could hear one, it was just in the trees off to the left as the riverbank trail starts. I couldn't get a clear enough view for a decent photo as it was perched high on a tree behind several others!

It was the only one we heard all morning.

On to the tops and it was a little breezy but still nice. We saw quite a few Reed Buntings, Tufted Ducks, Coots, Crows and Jackdaws. A Weasel ran across the path in front of us a one point and I almost stepped on a toad too, my daughter just stopping me in time!

Down towards the river a couple of Red Legged Partridges were wondering about. We started to notice a lot of Swifts at this point and for the rest of the walk around we had some very close encounters with them buzzing around our heads.

I could hear Sedge Warblers in the reeds as we walked around, I didn't manage to spot any though. Down towards the moat we could see lots of Cormorants, Geese and Herons. A Willow Warbler sat singing on the top of a tree on the embankment. A little further along and a Skylark was up in the air.

We spotted a lot of Cardinal Beetles and Ladybirds. I saw my first Brimstone (which didn't stop for a photo!) and Orange-tip butterflies of the year.

I loved these vines

A quick stop for lunch and we were on to St Aidan's...............