A rainy Monday morning at Staveley

It was raining as I set off from the car park at 0830.

The flower meadow still had lots of colour

Only mute swans in the distance as I looked out of the first hide.
From the second hide the common terns were busy fishing to feed their young, which are now able to fly/

A reed warbler was feeding its young in the reeds in front of the hide. No clear views of either bird.

A family of mute swans were the only birds to be seen from the next hide. I followed the path and passed lots of flowers.

I crossed the river.

As I walked along the path next to this crop, swallows were swooping low as they hunted for insects.

 

I followed the path and re-entered the reserve.

I followed the path to the right

I did not see any birds from this hide.

I walked on until I came to the next hide.

It reminded me of the Crossland hide at North Cave Wetlands.

A good view from the hide.

Lapwings, gulls and ducks were on the water.

a sedge warbler was singing from in front of the hide.

 

Lots of reed buntings.

A very pleasant, if somewhat longer than expected walk around the reserve.

 

 

A quiet Sunday morning at North Cave.

A nice sunny morning and I was pleased to see that the car park at the reerve was not full.
Although the hides are open the seating is still missing, so I had to kneel down in the hides so that I could see out of the windows.
Not a lot of birds to be seen from the East hide, mosty feral pigeons and coots.
The water level in the lagoon to the left of the Turrett hide is very low. If this is designed to attract waders on their way back from the Arctic, then the waders need telling! No pigeons just coots on the water.
As I walked along the perimiter path, there was a lot of bird activity in the hedge.
These are a couple of the birds I saw.

Plenty of colour in the hedgerow

From the hide I could see greylag geese

A little egret was on lookout duty

Further along the path it was pleasant to walk in the shade

From Crosslandhide I saw a family of great crested grebes and mallards.
Plus 14 little egrets

A grey heron and a cormorant flew in to join them.

Carrion crows were sat on fence posts enjoying the sun.