Monday 5 April 2021

Humberhead Peatlands...An Excellent Visit!.....Saturday 27th March 2021.

An all day visit to the superb NNR that encompasses both Crowle and Thorne Moors NNR today,saw some really good sightings during the 9 hours i was on site.The following is an account of what i saw on my visit to this fantastic area.

On arrival at dawn,the promised showery start soon dissipated and the weather began to brighten.

The first section of the walk along Moor Middle Drain and then North Tram,saw some nice views of Roe Deers being had,with 3 buck's and 5 doe's being logged in the notebook and other notable sighting's included 2 Fieldfare,a drumming Great-spotted Woodpecker,3 singing male Chiffchaff and 2 male Diurnia fagella roosting on an Oak Tree.

As i crossed the new bridge over the Swinefleet Warping Drain and into Yorkshire,a singing male Cetti's Warbler was heard,with that explosive song and the first of 3 'Yaffling' Green Woodpecker's for the day was also seen and heard.

I continued along Goole Moors Tram,seeing a single male Stonechat and several more Chiffchaff.

The weather by now had much improved and was a mix of sun and cloud and as i walked 6 Whooper Swans trumpeted their way back to their northern breeding grounds and i wished them a safe journey.

I eventually reached the Fison's Limestone Road and found a pair of Stonechat to add to the earlier male and watched as the flycatched from several bushes and then i flushed 2 Pipits,both Water's and hoped they would fly back and land on the track and one bird thankfully did.

Water Pipits,as birders know,are a pain in the proverbial usually to see on the deck,but this bird showed nicely,but briefly and was soon off again.They are very attractive birds in summer plumage and it was a pleasure to see one in its finery.These birds have been present all winter and i recalled seeing one earlier in the winter at Blue Bridge on Boxing Day 2020.

The remainder of the visit on Thorne was taken up mainly by more Chiffchaff sightings,a single Common Buzzard,6 Redwing and 5 Goosander which graced Will pitts Scrape.

It was along here and on the opposite bank of the Warping drain,on Crowle Moor,in the shelter from the northerly wind that i logged some nice insect sightings which included several Tachina ursina,Eristalis intricaria,2 Dark-edged Bee Flies,a female Tree Bumblebee and a Small Tortoiseshell,all first records for the year and most welcome ones at that.

So with my first visit of the year here under my belt and excellent views of both the 'Rare' and scarce visitors to the NNR today,i travelled home a slightly weary but happy boy.

The New Crowle NNR Signs.

Tachinid Fly Species,Tachina ursina,Crowle Moor NNR.

Coltsfoot,Crowle Moor NNR.

Will Pitts Scrape,Thorne Moors NNR.

The Flooded Limestone Road,Thorne Moors NNR.

The Edge Of The Paraffin Cuttings,Thorne Moors NNR.

Big Skies And Some Lovely Contrasting Colours Over And Around The Parrafin Cuttings On Thorne Moors.




Goole Moor Tram,Thorne Moors.

Micro Moth Species,Diurnia Fagella,Crowle Moor NNR.

Another Male Diurnia Fagella,But A Slightly Darker Individual,Crowle Moor NNR.

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