2023 in 12 pictures

After finally getting back on the road in autumn of 2022 I got out regularly this year until the end of September but although I had “more material” it meant I had less time to actually blog not helped by family issues in summer. Also due to a difficulty with long car journeys, apart from a few butterfly trips to Lincolnshire, I only left Yorkshire once for the Northumberland Grey-headed Lapwing. Because of this I haven’t taken many rare bird pictures. However because of the above many pictures are new to the blog.

January After not seeing Brambling in Cottingham for many years for the second year I managed to see one twice in late January in KGV Rec by the BMX track.

Brambling-Cottingham KGV Rec-20/1/23

February This month’s bird is a Whooper Swan at High Eske NR the 5th.

Whooper Swan-High Eske NR-5/2/23

March 2023 was a great year for me locally for Bittern. One was seen at Tophill Low NR throughout the year, on 3rd May I hear one calling by Leven Canal, my first for the High Eske/Pulfin/Leven Carr super patch, I had one several times over Brough Airfield Marsh spring/summer suggesting nesting then on 11th September I had one at North Cave Wetlands.

Bittern-Tophill Low NR on South Marsh West-22/3/23

April This month again Tophill Low NR this my only Whimbrel of the year on South Marsh East on the 26th.

Whimbrel-Tophill Low NR on South Marsh East-26/4/23

May As mentioned above the Grey-headed Lapwing, which I saw on the 2nd, was my only rarity outside Yorkshire. However the pictures is rubbish and I aren’t yet convinced of it’s credentials. Therefore my picture is my first Slow Worm in Pickering Woods on the 18th. I also ticked two butterfly species that day. The full story here.

Slow Worm-Pickering Woods-18/5/23

June This month I go for a butterfly. Again in North Yorkshire at Farnham near Harrogate where the only [disclosed?] colony of Small Blue Butterfly in the county is. Being just on the outskirts of the village, a strange place to see such a rare insect. Full details here.

Small Blue butterfly-Farnham-16/6/23

July This month my second butterfly, a surprise find in Cottingham near Badger’s Wood, a White-letter Hairstreak on the 25th. Also seen the other known site in the village, on Snuff Mill Lane [see here] but I never got to see see them this year.

White-letter Hairstreak-Cottingham near Badger’s Wood-25/7/23

August On the 23rd I found the 2nd Blue-winged Teal for Tophill Low NR joined by the 3rd on following morning, but as I saw the first, this months picture is Willow Emerald Damselfly at the visitors centre pond, a site tick for me. Thanks to Pat Hoggarth for pointing at out for me. Considering the effort put in recording Odonata Tophill Low NR was late to the game.

Willow Emerald Damselfly-Tophill Low NR-21/7/23

September The month of the Yorkshire Brown Booby twitch but my photos were poor and it was only a county tick having seen one in Cornwall in September 2019. Even then it would take something very special to top my Clifden Nonpareil on the 14th. I had actually finished emptying the trap when I noticed a very large grey moth on the summer house railings. There was a good influx of this otherwise very rare moth but still something magic, the holy grail for moth enthusiasts.

Clifden Nonpareil-Cottingham-14/9/23

October What in the past would often be my best month was quiet with my bike laid up and not being up to long car journeys but a small flock of Egyptian Geese on my “green patch” at Carr Farm, Willerby on the 29th were a “Carrs” tick for my friends who saw them. I had seen the species at Tophill Low NR on the 16th February and there seems to be a feral population in East Yorkshire but whether from local non-self sustaining escapes or expansion from the population originating in East Anglia I can’t say. I personally witnessed the first wild breeding of Egyptian Geese at High Eske NR in the summer of 2004.

Egyptian Geese-Carr Farm, Willerby-29/10/23

November was very quiet for me and the best I can do is a Lesser Redpoll in Cottingham on the 29th at Millbeck Wildlife area where I had seen them in January.

Lesser Redpoll-Millbeck Wildlife Area, Cottingham-29/11/23

At least December brought a true rarity with a Black-throated Thrush being found at Tophill Low NR on the 10th which I saw the next day [full story here]. Not surprisingly new for the site list and although it could be elusive, not helped by poor weather, it remained into the start of 2024 by which time all who wanted will have added it.

Male Black-throated Thrush-Tophill Low NR-11/12/23-hopefully get the chance for a better image.

Ten most viewed posts of 2023

My highlights of 2022

2022 in 12 pictures

The Black-throated Thrush at Tophill Low NR

Black-throated Thrush at Tophill Low NR

Early 2023

Getting 2023 going

Two days in April at High Eske NR

A better day at High Eske NR

A trip to North Lincolnshire

10/7/23 Risby Warren and Alkborough Flats

A rare butterfly in Lincolnshire

16/6/23 Black Hairstreak at Chambers Farm Wood

A rare butterfly in North Yorkshire.

12/6/23 Small Blue butterfly in North Yorkshire

An updated version of my views on wildfowl being considered for addition to the British List.

Ross’s Goose added to Cat A [8/10/23 update]

A trip to North Yorkshire for rare butterflies

18/5/23 Appleton Le Moors and Pickering Woods

My first visit to Tophill Low NR after the shut down in 2022.

12/9/22 Back to Tophill Low NR

16/6/23 Black Hairstreak at Chambers Farm Wood

Black Hairstreak has only a short flight period so with them reported at Chambers Farm Wood, Lincolnshire, and with thunder storms forecast from Sunday Ricky and I arranged to go on Friday. A good hot clear morning and on arrival the first person we saw told us they were currently showing well so we had a brisk walk to the the ‘crossroads”. The first time I have hurried for a butterfly, instead of a bird, and on arrival had the feel of a proper twitch with numerous cameras pointing into the vegetation although admittedly in nothing like the number at a rare bird. Also a little more amenable? Hairstreaks in my experience are usually high up, mobile and hard to photograph but these were often low and static although often tricky to get a clear view. Counted at least half a dozen.

Black Hairstreak on Blackthorn

Went to the butterfly garden for lunch. A few Broad-bordered Bee Hawkmoth were on Red Valerian by the car park.

Broad-bordered Bee Hawkmoth on Red Valerian

By the drying up pond we had a Large Red Damselfly, one of a very few dragonflies we saw.

Large Large Red Damselfly

Also Mullein caterpillar on the food plant.

Mullein caterpillar

Swallow on wire above the Butterfly Garden

Went to the meadow to look for Marsh Fritillary. Late for them with only a few worn individuals but lucky found one not too bad.

Marsh Fritillary

We had seen a large number of small moths flying around tall oaks opposite the carpark and the smaller Oaks by the meadow allowed me to identify them as Green Oak Tortrix.

Green Oak Tortrix-a potential pest in large number

Like everywhere butterfly numbers were low with the only other species seen being Speckled Wood, a Brimstone, Meadow Brown and Large Skipper.

Meadow Brown [left] and Large Skipper [right]

Fortunately we left early as Humber Bridge was closed meaning a long diversion via the M180/M18/M62.

14/7/22 Chambers Farm Wood

Thursday morning didn’t start too well. First the dog, for a change, wanted to go out early but meaning I would be tight for time. It was surprisingly cool even starting to rain lightly but becoming quite heavy as I got ready to go out. I checked the BBC Weather app and things did look better further south but still expressed my concern when Ricky picked me up. Fortunately we left the rain behind and the temperature kept rising but it was still overcast and cool for butterflies when we reached Chambers Farm Wood. When we’d last visited two months back there had been warning notices about closure of the road in.

As you can see above this had supposed to have finished late June and but as I’d already read on Facebook the work was still going on but fortunately we were waved in along a diversion through a field. Had a quick look at the butterfly garden where there were a few commoner species on the wing.

Large White

Gatekeeper

Small Skipper

Ringlet

Speckled Wood

Drove to the other car park and set off into the woods. Initially quiet except for a few more small butterflies and for a time the cloud got thicker. Eventually though we got a break in the clouds and first saw a Brown Hawker-the only dragonfly seen-then a Silver-washed Fritillary and White Admiral. Got a few shots off although not the best, before the clouds closes over again. We headed back in the direction of the car but came across another butterfly enthusiast as the sun came out again. Had the same species but this time got better views. Also saw a Volucella pellucens hover-fly but kept in cover.

White Admiral

Silver-washed Fritillary

After some partial success we headed back to the car looking out for Purple Emperor. While we were eating, a large butterfly flew by. Eventually it settled in a skip on a pizza box, a Purple Emperor. This species has a habit of feeding on carcasses and dog dirt so maybe it was feeding on grease. In fact this one had an attachment for human things as the only other shots we got were on tarmac rubble and the door of the road workers “comfort station”.

Purple Emperor

We ended our trip back at the butterfly garden. On arrival I was faced with two possible targets. I went for a quick distance shot of the Painted Lady then the Comma but as the latter lingered I should done it the other way round.

Painted Lady

Comma

I had a look at the currant bushes where we’d seen Currant Clearwing moth last year then the flowers nearby where I had a Mint Moth/Pyrausta aurata, that and a Hummingbird Hawk-moth in the garden only, the moths of the trip.

Mint Moth/Pyrausta aurata

Small Tortoiseshell

17/5/22 Chambers Farm Wood

This was my 3rd visit to Chambers Farm Wood although to see all the butterflies of interest you’d probably have to visit 3 times at year, my last being July 2021. May the target is Marsh Fritillary which would be a new species for me. These were abundant in the meadows, an area I hadn’t visited before.

Marsh Fritillary

Ragged Robin-a food plant of Marsh Fritillary butterflies. The caterpillars feed on Devil’s-bit Scabious and plantains.

Actually at this time I was expecting little else I hadn’t already seen on walks from home in East Yorkshire [see here for some I saw last month] so Dingy Skipper was a nice find.

Dingy Skipper

There were still plenty of commoner species to photograph.

Speckled Wood

Peacock

In fact I did better with moths adding 2 species. Starting with Broad-bordered Bee Hawkmoth on Red Valerian in the carpark, although it initially avoided our camera but was more cooperative later. View my video on facebook.

Broad-bordered Bee Hawkmoth

Next was Latticed Heath in the meadows.

Latticed Heath

Cochylimorpha straminea wasn’t a straight forward identification but back home I found seen at least two previously in East Yorkshire at Hornsea Mere and High Eske YWT.

Cochylimorpha straminea

Also had Mother Shipton, a scarce species but one I have seen occasionally at Kiplingcotes Chalk Pit YWT [see here].

Mother Shipton Moth

And Mint Moth-Pyrausta aurata by the carpark.

Mint Moth-Pyrausta aureata

Although not yet prime time we had a few dragonflies with Large Red and Azure Damselflies and a Broad-bodied Chaser in the butterfly garden.

Large Red Damselflies

Azure Damselfly

Broad-bodied Chaser

And Hairy Dragonfly by the meadows.

Hairy Dragonfly

Had a few beetles with Wasp Beetle by the carpark and Rhagium mordax in the woods.

Wasp Beetle

Rhagium mordax

Another insect seen was Bee Fly, similar in feeding style and appearance to the Hawkmoth that shared the Red Valerian by the carpark.

Bee Fly on Red Valerian

Although more regular visitors may know better the site isn’t particularly interesting for birds with the same species I would encounter walking the dog but it was nice to hear Willow Warbler which is declining in my area. May be better in winter?

We missed several notices along the track in but although no issue on Tuesday I have heard since that the road is now closed.