Pointless visit to Spurn!

No, only joking! Pointless in the sense that the road to the point isn't there until June 17th, they hope. So faced with a 6 mile walk altogether, there and back, we didn't go. However we had a good time nonetheless. Red-backed shrike on arrival, little terns and some spotflies. However for me it was the swallows and the butterflies that stole the show.

There were swallows at the Warren and some sand martins too.

Sand Martin Sand Martin There were swallows at the Canal Scrape just outside the hide.

Swallows Swallows Swallows Swallows We drove down to Kilnsea Wetlands. On arrival a reed bunting was singing from a bush in the car park.

Reed Bunting A deer ran across the field.

Roe Deer A butterfly extravaganza began. We saw:

Wall brown butterflies

Walls Wall Brimstones

Brimstone Brimstone Brimstone

Brimstone

Painted Ladies

Painted Lady Painted Lady Common blues

Common Blue Common Blue Green-veined whites

Green-veined White Green-veined Whites Peacock [looking very much the worse for wear]

Small Tortoiseshell Orange tips [still waiting for a quality orange tip photo!]

Orange -tip

Also seen were small whites and small tortoiseshells.

In the ditch was some water crowfoot [ranunculus aquatilis]

Water Crowfoot Avocets were on the wetlands.

Avocet 'I'm forever blowing bubbles...'

Avocet Down at Sammy's Point [so it wasn't pointless after all!!] we waited to hear a nightingale: seems it was a thrush nightingale in the end but we neither heard nor saw a thing - well except for a trio of captivating spotted flycatchers...

Spotted Flycatcher Spotted Flycatcher Spotted Flycatcher Spotted Flycatcher We eventually drove back to the Warren to see if anything else had been reported. Swallows were on the wires by the huts, having a wash and brush up. Some can twist their heads so far they look very weird...

Swallows Swallows Swallows Off with Barry today to see some orchids I hope. News later if our luck is in.

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