Here and there.

 Bank holiday weekend, where to go? Will people flock to the moors and coast? So decided to stay local.

First stop North Cave Wetlands.

I parked at the far end of the lane and walked to the "new workings". Cuckoos had been reported from here but they were not to be seen today.

a pair of med gulls were with the black headed gulls.

A walk down the path along side the north hedge was rewarded with a speckled wood

and a wren was singing a little further on.

I have seen lots of orange tipped butterflies this year, but this was the first one that I have seen land long enough for me to get a photo.

a lapwing was in one of the fields

From the turret hide I could see two greylags with some goslings

By the time that I reached the reserve entrance it was 11am. Maurice had set up his membership recruitment stall, there was a long queue at the butty van and the car park was nearly full. Time for me to move on.

I arrived at North Duffield Carrs about noon and walked down to the bottom hide. The volunteers and staff have done a good job repairing the path etc.

I was pleasantly surprised to find so much water still in front of the hide.

A female shoveler was close to the hide.

 On the bund was a single whooper swan, how much longer will it stay?

lots of mute swans and a black swan feeding a bit further out where the water is very shallow,

Since leaving North Cave, the sunshine had gone and now it started to rain. This brought the insects low down over the water and I was able to enjoy watching the swallows, sand and house martins feeding.

After about half an hour the weather improved. I noticed some disturbance amongst the birds and saw a marsh harrier, it had a red tag on both wings. The hide has been repaired and some of the windows now have wood not glass, so all round vision is a bit difficult. I just managed this shot.

a buzzard then decided to have a fly around until it was mobbed by crows. I then walked back and sat in the Geoff Smith hide.

A mute swan was sat on the nest and its partner chased away the greylag and canada geese. No sign of little grebe, little ringed plover or common sandpiper.

A whitethroat was singing and then flying to another bush, singing and then returning to the first bush.

While I was trying to photograph the whitethroat I could hear a willow warbler, when I looked up it was just outside the hide!

It was time to go home

I ventured out again and arrived at Fairburn Ings at 5pm

I started out at Lin Dike end and parked my car near the "moat".

Looking across the water I could see pochard and coot on the water. Cormorants flew past, but no sign of a spoonbill. I heard then saw my first cuckoo of the year.

I then drove on past the visitor centre and was able to park in the village, something I am not always able to do. A quick look towards the "goal" did reveal any martins using the nest holes so I walked down along the path that cuts between the lakes.

Lots of common terns flying about over the village bay.

I will try to get to Staveley soon to see if the tern have returned there.

I walked along the path and heard and saw jays before turning right and walking to the village bay viewpoint. From here I could see swallows and sand martins, great crested grebes and tufted ducks.

All the terns I saw were common ones, no sign of any arctic terns or little gulls.

Time to go home. I drove home the "scenic" route, the last part was over the old airfield at Acaster Malbis where I saw some grey partridge. 

These were the first grey partridges that I have seen this year, taking my total to134.