Today was the first day that Blacktoft has been open since the lockdown. It was raining when I left York, there were three lots of roadworks between home and Goole and then when I got to Goole, there was a long queue of traffic as a ship was leaving the dock and the road bridge was closed.
Under the new arrangements, only part of the car park is open and you need a day permit. Just like the old days in the 1970's s when you had to apply for a permit to visit a reserve.
I was the second person to visit the reserve so parking was not a problem. I decided to visit Marshland hide first.
As you can see, there is plenty of mud for waders to feed in.
lapwings, ruff and a black headed gull on one of the islands, and a dunlin and ruff closer to the hide.
I then walked to Xerox hide and on my way saw this moth.
not brilliant pictures as the moth was finding it difficult to stay on the flower due to the wind.
The view from Xerox hide. As you can see the team have been working hard to cut the vegetation on the islands and they have also put tape etc, to restrict the number of people who can access a hide.
This was the boat that caused the traffic queue as it left Goole docks.
Lots of ducks on the lagoon, including large numbers of shoveler. However something disturbed them and they flew off.
As I walked along the path to the next hide I saw lots of little frogs/toads.
Only a pair of gadwall on First hide so I continued to Townend. Lots of white butterflies about.
Teal, mallard, shovelers, gadwall, spotted redshanks, bar tailed godwits and ruff on this lagoon.
2 spoonbills were busy feeding.
Singleton lagoon had lots of ducks and 2 little egrets.
I then decided to visit Ousefleet hide,
plenty of berries in the hedgerow, food for the winter thrushes when they come over from Scandinavia.
plenty of ducks on the scrape at Ousefleet , viewed from the screen.
The Humber bridge, from the hide.
The vegetation is growing well and will provide plenty of food for the ducks when it floods in winter.
A very pleasant visit to this reserve and I look forward to more visits.
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