"The Early Worm misses the bird!"

For the last few days it has been around lunchtime when I ventured out and it has been hot. So a change of plan for today, get up and out early.
First stop was Kiplingcotes Nature Reserve near Market Weighton.

0830 as I left the car park and walked towards the reserve.

whitethroats, willow warblers and yellowhammers were singing from the safety of the hedgerows.

This notice got me thinking about what I might see.

After walking around the reserve, I saw nothing! Too early for the orchids and butterflies.
Time to go to North Cave Wetlands.

A few changes since my last visit.

No benches in the hides.

I presume that this is to deter you from sitting in the hides all day long and not observing social distance, So birdwatching from the hides has to be done either by kneeling down to look out of the window, crouching down.
Plenty of whitethroats and sedge warblers singing but not many birds to be seen

Out and about

I decided to do my daily exercise in Bishops Wood, near Selby. However when I got there all the car parks were full so I decided to go to "goal" instead.

My friend Chris had been here earlier this month.(www. chrisdownesbirds) and he photographed some sand martins.

The sand martins were not landing on the wall today but a house martin paid a visit.

I then walked down the lane that leads to the RSPB reserve.   A swallow was perched on a phone wire.

A view across the main lake.

The metal hide a little further on was open and there was nobody in it so I sat a while.

Not many birds to be seen and none close enough to take a photo of. I then walked along the riverside trail.

 The viewing area was open with a good view across to the village.

Not many birds to be seen but a disturbance in the water drew my attention to what I thought was a diving bird. I was wrong.

Large fish were not far from the edge of the lake. I walked on to the "Big Hole" and then returned to my car in the village.
On my way home I decided to give Bishops Wood another try, and the car parks were fairly empty.
I parked and before I set off to walk, as this was my first visit,  asked a young lady which paths to take and how far it was to walk around. She pointed to a path and said just keep walking and turn left, It is about a mile and a half all the way round, I started walking at 1340 and got back to my cat at 1600, A bit of research indicates that I probably walked about 7KM!
It was a pleasant walk, no hills and paths wide enough to pass people and maintain social distancing. Not that I met that many people, so where the other car owners were.

 On one edge of the wood I came across a small pond.

Yellow flag

One dragonfly on the wing but it did not settle, but lots of tadpoles.

On the island in the middleof the pond I noticed some orchids.

On my way back, or so I thought to the car park, I was walking through a part of the wood where the sun was shining through the tree canopy.
My phone rang and when I amswered it, it was an email from a friend about speckled wood butterflies. As I put my phone away I noticed a speckled wood butterfly!

A little further on I saw more orchids, but these were pink in colour rather than purple.

A pleasant walk but probably best visited in spring when there are less leaves on the trees and I might stand a chance of seeing the blackcaps, willow warblers and chiffchaffs that I heard.

Strensall Common and Brumber Hill

Time for exercise and I decided to visit an area on the outskirts of York.

The common is a pleasant place to walk and in the past I have seen adders, cuckoo, woodlark and tree pipit. There were lots of vehicles in the car park, so I was a bit nervous about how many people I might meet.
I need not have worried. I dont know where the people from the vehicles were, but I did not meet them on my walk. The military were having a day on the shooting range as the sound of gunfire filled the air. The first bird I heard was a male stonechat, singing from a tree on my left. A few carrion crows were flying around, otherwise it was quiet.

I noticed a few round leaved sundew plants.

Further along near the Forestry Commission Wood I heard and saw tree pipits. I also heard my first cuckooof the year, but I could not locate it.

After tea I decided to go for another walk and drove to just outside Appleton Roebuck, where the railway lines to Leeds and London merge. A place I have visited often in the past.

I walked down the lane and like my last visit I saw a red kite.

 

Yellowhammers were singing from the hedges, but I only got the odd glimpse of them.

This whitethroat was close to the car park.

Lots of daisies in the grass verges.

A pleasant way to spend an evening.

 

Temple Newsam and St,Aidans

I went for two walks today, that is why I have linked the two places together, before anyone starts searching to find out what St. Aidan was doing at Temple Newsam.
I had to visit an emergency dental clinic in Leeds today and had a couple of hours wait, so spent it at Temple Newsam. I cannot remember when I was last here, so I just had a gentle stroll, and took the following pictures.

Plenty of open space for social distancing.

 

The ape at Go Ape looks a bit glum.
After collecting my denture I called in at St.Adains. I parked near the hide that overlooks Astley Lake, How long before we will be allowed back in bird hides?

As I walked along the path I stopped to look back over Astley Lake and saw a drake garganey asleep on one of the islands.

Whilst I have been staying at home, nature has been carrying on and there are lots of young birds about.

I wish they would include the distance on the sign post.

 

 

The car park and visitor centre are still closed, will they be allowed to open soon?

I started my walk back to the car and saw a whinchat on a fence post. A sedge warbler decided to climb up a reed and start to sing.

Just before I got back to the car I managed to see a willow warbler, I had heard planty but until today I had not managed to see one. 146 on my year list.