10/7/23 Risby Warren and Alkborough Flats

Monday morning I went with Ricky, across the Humber Bridge, for our annual visit to Risby Warren. This had been forecast as an unsettled week but this morning it was dry if rather windy. There were plenty of butterflies on site.

Gatekeeper-I had seen a few already in Cottingham

Green-veined White which was my 1st for a few weeks

Small White-currently fairly numerous

Small Skipper-again seen a few in the last week or so

Small Copper-this site has always been good for this species but I’ve seen a few in Cottingham earlier this year.

Small Tortoiseshell-generally numerous

Not a particularly good site for birds but nice to see breeding Stonechat in the same area as last year.

My 1st Small Heath this year but common on site.

Our target was Grayling so we walked towards the “dunes” where we had seen them previously seeing goods of Silver Y moths on the way. The only other moths seen were two Yellow Shell. We could hear what we believe was a rabbit shoot in the area so approached with caution but it was in fact “blanks” used to train Spaniels to retrieve.

Found several Grayling, the 1st made easy as it was showing the bright forewing but the 2nd less obvious as it showed only the hindwing and was typically very settled.

Like everywhere Meadow Brown was very common, the one below only showing the hindwing, a potential confusion for anyone unfamiliar with Grayling.

The site is also known for interesting plants but I’m not a botanist so made do with just Viper’s-bugloss.

Next to Alkborough Flats.

My 1st Ruddy Darter this year on the path to Prospect Hide

I hadn’t been here for 2 years and noticed the reedbed in front of Prospect Hide was much thicker restricting viewing somewhat and although we heard and glimpsed several Bearded Tit they were now harder to see well. Fortunately I had seen them well recently on my side of the Humber at Welton Waters.

Bearded Tit at Welton Waters-22/6/23

Eleven Spoonbill were viewable from the hide later joined by number twelve.

Spoonbills with a few Lapwing-Alkborough Flats

Apart from Lapwing the only other waders were a single Ruff and Curlew. A fairly poor showing for a reserve often good for waders. Also had at least one Marsh Harrier and few Little Egret.

30/6/22 Risby Warren and Crowle Waste/Thorne Moor

Headed to North Lincolnshire with Ricky on Thursday morning.

Risby Warren

First call was Risby Warren and although fairly overcast we had plenty of butterflies but nothing new initially.

Ringlet

Small Skipper on Viper’s-bugloss

Meadow Brown

Small Heath

Small White

Also my first Cinnabar caterpillars on Ragwort but only one moth found.

Cinnabar caterpillars on Ragwort

Also had Brown Silver-line.

Brown Silver-line moth

We headed to the sand hummocks where we saw Grayling last year and I put up a butterfly which I couldn’t immediately say was one but which looked different from anything I’d seen that day. Fortunately it landed nearby and its id was confirmed.

Grayling

Only saw one other but mission accomplished and managed to see in Yorkshire.

Walking back through longer grass we put up a few large orange butterflies. We had seen Dark-green Fritillary here last year and eventually found a few, including a pair, on the ground and confirmed our initial suspicion.

Dark-green Fritillary

Grasshopper species, possibly Mottled. Any suggestion appreciated.

Walking back we came across a pair of Stonechat, presumably feeding young.

Male Stonechat

Headed to Crowle where fortunately Crowle Waste is well signed as the route was like a maze. Cloud had built up and rain looked likely but there were still plenty of butterflies on the wing but again the usual fare.

Green-veined White

Having only seen Common Hawker at time when I wasn’t too interested I was on the look for dragonflies. Had two darters which on closer inspection were both Ruddy rather than Common.

Immature male Ruddy Darter

Male Ruddy Darter

Had a few damselflies including Blue-tailed.

Also a few moths including Common Carpet and my first Clouded Border of the year.

Clouded Border moth

Eventually made it to Thorne Moors. Had a look on a large area of water where there were a good number of “hawker-type” dragonflies. Likely Emperor but too distance to identify. Only bird seen was a Tufted Duck. Leaving the hide Ricky picked out a butterfly on the path which then flew to nettles. Our only Large Heath of the day as well as my first since I took a serious interest in butterflies.

Large Heath butterfly.

We tried to get closer to the water to try and get closer to the dragonflies but didn’t manage. Decided to retrace our route before we got lost. Had a Black-tailed Skimmer on the Crowle Waste boardwalk.

Black-tailed Skimmer

Xylota sylvarum-a hover fly

4/8/21 Risby Warren and Alkborough Flats

Went to Risby Warren with RF on Wednesday morning hoping to find Grayling having dipped in July.

Risby Warren

Started fairly cool and looked to have had more rain overnight than in East Yorkshire. Seemed quieter than last time but again had Small Copper, which seems rare elsewhere, and Brown Argus that I thought I’d seen briefly in July.

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  Small Copper

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  Brown Argus

Also a few Silver Y moths [see my moth blog for more moths].

Silver Y moth

Although still present only had a few Gatekeeper and one Dark-green Fritillary.

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  Gatekeeper

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  Dark-green Fritillary

After the usual miss identification managed two Grayling.

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  A Meadow Brown that fooled us briefly..

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  ..then a real Grayling

Carline Thistle-Risby Warren

Job done we could ignore our nearby back up, Conesby Quarry, and Alkborough Flats seemed the best alternative.

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  Peacock butterfly at Alkborough

Having so far mainly photographed insects with the Nikon P1000 hoped to try some birds but the heat haze [I hope!] made photography difficult. Had better views of the Glossy Ibis than in mid-June but only really a “record shot”.

Glossy Ibis with waders from Prospect Hide

Also with lower water level several waders including Avocet, Black-tailed Godwit, Dunlin. Spotted Redshank and Ruff were new for the year.

Waders including Avocet, Black-tailed Godwit, Dunlin and Ruff from Prospect Hide.

Spoonbill had show well in June but today were only seen in flight as well as Marsh Harrier.

Some of c20 Spoonbill in flight from Prospect Hide.

A few closer birds gave some idea of what I hoped for from the camera.

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  Lapwing

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  Greylag Goose

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  Redshank

So far I’ve been very happy with the P1000 to photograph insects at a distance but haven’t yet been too happy with macro, maybe the size of the camera over the P510 being an issue. Still need to try it on some more birds, hopefully waders from Tophill Low NR Izzard Hide in the near future.

21/7/21 Risby Warren, Lincolnshire

I knew about this site for many years as it was near where my brother used to live but he told me there was a nasty gamekeeper so never visited. However this was a long time ago! When I got more interested in butterflies I considered going here for Grayling but was told of another site nearby at Conesby Quarry where I saw them in 2015. Not visited since but seems public access has improved although whether this is a positive I don’t know. Consider deep quarries not a good area for safe recreation?!

Fortunately RF had directions to Risby Warren as it was difficult to find the parking area even before the walk to the site. Where I’d seen them before was on largely bare ground but this site is an area of short grass with rabbits holes. Had been a report early in the month but we couldn’t find any Grayling ourselves and in fact is early according to the books although had heard yesterday while at Fen Bog YWT that they were abundant on South Gare near Redcar. However plenty of other butterflies including large numbers of Dark Green Fritillaries and my first Small Copper of the year.

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  Small Heath

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  Small Copper

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  Ringlet

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  Dark Green Fritillary

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  Common Blue

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  Meadow Brown

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  Large Skipper

The only moths seen were Six-spot and Narrow-bordered Five-spot Burnets.

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  Narrow-bordered Five-spot Burnet

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  Six-spot Burnet

Also a Marmalade Hoverfly and Brown Hawker dragonfly.

Marmalade Hoverfly

We intend weather permitting returning early August.

Since learnt that Dark Green Fritillary was only first seen in late June.