Time to turn up the thermostat

The longest day may not be quite here - but summer's been and gone if you're a green sandpiper.  Thanks to Roy L for this one making its return journey on Hempholme Meadow:

The great white egret still showed briefly on Sunday morning - but had apparently left the site before 9am - thanks to Bill Eggleton for this one on Saturday as it flew past North Marsh:

Ian Spalding was the last observer on Monday the 17th - when again it was feeding on Hempholme early doors at 7am.  The otters put in a very brief appearance - glimpsed in the distance by one on the Saturday night walk - Bill had better views earlier in the day:

And a secretive water rail:

Kingfishers though are the show stealer - often on the North Marsh.  Thanks to Zoe Shreeve for these great pictures:

Bill:

And Steve Smith:

More to see if you look closer too like the marsh frogs - Zoe:

And four spotted chaser:

Thanks to Roy for these of large red too:

However I shall not dwell on insects - the subject has been excellently covered on three excellent blogs all worth looking at - Paul Ashton's, Steve Routledge's and Martin Hodges.  A whole host of new species added to the Tophill Low list on these sites.  We'll be adding these to the blog lists in due course - but we just need a few darker nights to get round to that...

A few fledglings about too - young blue tit by Bill:

And Sedgey by RoyL

Lesser whitethroats and willow warblers were also picked out over the weekend as new arrivals.

Egretted leaving us?

First off a quick event update; the otter walk tomorrow night is fully booked - so please do not turn up on the night as there is physically no room! We've had quite a bit of interest in the walks so we may add some more dates later in summer...

These few days represent summer's peak - and is a bit steady migrant wise - so make the most of the flowers and insects in the interim.  Perhaps the main news of the week has been the great white egret which disappeared after last being seen at 7am on Sunday morning - apparently then reappearing two days later up at Filey Dams (details here).  This was after another was seen back on Alkborough Flats on Monday.  We assumed it was gone, but it then reappeared last night back on Hempholme Meadows and again this morning.  So is it the same one doing circuits of East Yorkshire? or are there 1/2/3?

Perhaps the other main news is the Kingfishers back on North Marsh - when it's not BBC Look North reporters!:

The birds have been giving excellent photo opportunities - thanks to Richard Willison:

and Tony Simpson for these:


But we fulfilled a threat from the last two years - the novelty kingfisher perch! Thanks to Bruce Pillinger who bagged the first shot...

And Tony Simpson:

We'll leave it in for a week or two - so make the most of your Springwatch / Countryfile / Christmas card photo op whilst there - then we'll return it au naturel.  Although we do have a gnome with a fishing rod?....

Just a few egrets

Yes unfortunately we're back to more egret puns - but undoubtedly a seal of approval from the heron family in the new Hempholme Meadows habitat.  The reserves third great white egret record certainly a satisfying sight given the number of volunteer, Yorkshire Water contractor (and warden!) hours put into the restoration of the wet grassland.  A sea of buttercups this year compliments the impressive bird well as in this excellent shot by Martin Lonsdale:

More shots by Bill Eggleton:

Including this interesting aspect:

The great white was not seen yesterday but was picked up by Jeff Barker (another good picture on Flickr) this morning before flying off south down river.  Thanks to Roy Vincent too for these of little egrets as a useful comparison:

Elsewhere 5 little gulls, 5 common terns, unseasonable merlin on the approach road and jay in O woods.  Cuckoo's still on the go.  The ringing team managed a selection of young and fledgling birds today - including willow warbler, robin, wren and long tailed tit; more details as ever here.

Not a bad turn out for 'the quiet time of year.'  A great time to turn your eye to some of the other life on the reserve - marsh orchids in bloom now by Brian Spence:

Hedgehog:

Scorpion Fly:

Common Blue's:

And four spotted chaser:

For more insect updates including the excellent scorched wing see Martin's blog here - likely with updates soon on a hoped for three new species for site in three days.  Lots of warblers still calling - lesser whitethroat by Brian:

Reed Warbler by Tony Simpson:

And Roy:

Reed bunting also by Tony:



The now fledged tawny owl chicks from the East Scrub barn owl boxes by Roy L:

But perhaps the most eagerly anticipated reserve inhabitants are seemingly back - the kingfishers of North Marsh.  Thanks to Bill Eggleton for these great shots:

My own theory is that the kingfisher presence reflects the water temperature - when the water warms in late summer the ten and three spined sticklebacks on which it hunts rise higher in the water column into cooler surface water - making them easier to catch.  Thanks to Karen Williams for this one:

And Roy V for these:

Along with this short video of them hunting (along with a sneak peak of otter on the trail camera):

Great white in the river Hull

Things have calmed down a little of recent - certainly a noticeable decrease in warbler song on Saturday's reserve walk.  Cuckoo is still actively calling around the reserve - meaning individuals like this reed warbler by John Pickering need to keep an eye out:

However the undoubted highlight was picked out by John Leason on Monday night; Great white egret alighting in the trees next to North Marsh.  We surmise that it was the same bird which turned up at Hornsea Mere the following day and possibly even the same which had been seen at Alkborough Flats earlier that morning as per here. 

It was refound again today by John Wilkinson this morning on Hempholme Meadows where it made repeated visits throughout today - last seen at 19:52 heading back there over North Marsh when Vaughan Grantham snapped it:

Elsewhere a couple of garganey on Watton NR on Tuesday the best of the rest.  Things always go quiet in breeding season - so to look on the bright side autumn starts in 9 days! First green sandpiper on the return journey usually expected around the 15th of June!  Green silver lines livened up the moth trap on Wednesday morning: