cliftonbirding: Odds and sods

Clifton Ings update, since we lost our dog I haven't been getting down as much although I do try and visit at least once a week, the soggy summer hasn't really lent itself to any unusual sightings although it has given me a patch tick, with all the rain a couple of large puddles have formed in the Cornfield and not had a chance of drying out, during May they attracted a Little Ringed Plover in until the crop started growing, there was also two or three Wheatears and a pair of Grey Partridges present during the same period, the crop is quite well grown now but the puddles remain and are enticing one or two Gulls and the occasional Oystercatcher down, fingers crossed I may get another good wader. Anyway despite the wet there seems to have been a good number of young birds about although the Sand Martins have naturally been badly effected, there does seem to be more about though so maybe they at least got one brood off, Insects on the other hand have not fared so well with relatively few sightings of Butterflies and Dragonflies but on saying that there has been a good hatch of Meadow Browns, Ringlets and Large Skippers over the last couple of weeks and a prolonged dry spell could change everything.

ever present dark clouds

although it could be quite summery at times

paths through the Country Park copses

a rather luxurious looking flood basin

Monkey Flower

Buttercups

Yellow Rattle

Creeping Thistle

and Spear Thistle

Smooth Hawks-beard

Lucerne (I think)

Red Campion

Hedge Woundwort

Azure Damselfly

Speckled Wood

a good hatch of Meadow Browns

and Ringlets

and Large Skippers

plus the odd Moth, a Shaded Broadbar

During this past week I've been out a few times visiting Askham Bogs, which was relatively quiet, and West Lilling on Friday morning and again in the evening on my way home from work, there are at least four Quail singing although they're right out in the middle of the fields, I don't know how I'm ever going to get a photograph of this species, also a Barn Owl out hunting in the evening.

Common Water Crow-foot

and Marsh Thistle at Askham Bogs

Blacky and Wood Pigeons outside work

Swallow and Yellow Wagtails at West Lilling

some interesting Moths, this a Riband wave

and although this looks quite distivtive I couldn't determine what it is

On Sunday morning I went up Bransdale with an outlook of maybe photographing Ring Ouzel, Whinchat and Redstart, it was quite windy and fairly quiet birdwise though and I didn’t even see Ring Ouzel or Redstart plus the Whinchat remained distant, most intrigueing sighting though was of a couple of juvenile Wheatears, I can’t remember whether I’ve seen juvs before, very distinctive birds.