Common Terns back at Messingham Nature Reserve

A pair of Common Terns and Lesser Black-backed Gulls below 

Our daily late afternoon stroll around Messingham Nature Reserve. We have been trying to keep local, aiming for a walk and fresh air each day, birds are a bonus !  But tonight a pair of common terns flew in, just arrived, and bathed twice, absolutely drowning themselves, washing the grime off from their long journey back. So good to see and with a few hirundines above us and a very vocal cuckoo that flew the whole length of the site before flying off. We almost felt like we were back in the land of the living ! It's been a horrible month and we think next month will be equally as horrific. We just hope that we can get through this, but afraid that life will never be the same again. 

This weeks pics xx

Ashby Ville Local Nature Reserve, one of our local walks. We have seen terrapins and turtles in here before but this one was MASSIVE !  Hauled out sunbathing. It caught sight of the ducklings swimming past and must have thought they would make a tasty snack.....the ducklings had also caught sight of the snapper and ran for their lives across the top of the water.

Blackcap 

Bullfinch enjoying the warmth of the afternoon sun

Coots chicks, not the prettiest x 

Cuckoo flower 

Garden looks good this year, lots of time to spend in it 

Lesser Whitethroat on one of our local walks. Singing its head off in the sun ! 

A sad sight to see. Our local sand martins had arrived the previous week and over the Easter weekend had started to excavate their nests in this sand face. Despite contacting the local Sibelco office over the bank holiday weekend, my message appeared not to have reached them and the following week the whole colony was destroyed. 

Tree pipit  

A few pics from our local walks last week

The days tick by, one by one, and each day that passes means that we are a day closer to the end of this horrible time. We have a local walk every day, usually mid-morning, that combines birdwatching and flowers. Our daily fix of fresh air and nature.  The rest of the days are spent in the veg garden, reading or watching tv. Never watched so much, and we have even started to keep a list of films and boxed sets we have watched, giving each a score. Be interesting to see what the winner is !  Under normal circumstances, the TV isn't even switched on some days.......oh well, these circumstances at the moment are anything but normal. 

At this time we should have been in southern Thailand looking at Pittas.......perhaps next year, fingers crossed xx

Blackcap

Our warblers have started to arrive last week. We will struggle to see/hear one or two this year with the lockdown which we are trying to stick to. 

Our local woods are a carpet of bluebells at the moment and look stunning. A lovely woodland that we can easily walk to from our house. We are really starting to appreciate the local nature alot more.  

Bog Bean 

Cowslips 

Snakes Head Fritillary 

Brown Hare - he never moved an inch while we walked past him 

The Humber Bridge - an old pic from my phone taken when we went to see the Waxwings at Hessle. That seems like another lifetime ago ! 

Kestrel enjoying the morning sun 

Little Pixi cat sunbathing on the wood pile 

Wild Cherry blossom 

Red-crested Pochard 

A memorial on Ridge Walk to commemorate three local famous folk 

Robin 

A few more warblers, chiffchaffs and willow warblers, singing their hearts out to attract a mate

White Viola 

Greater Stitchwort 

Wild Garlic 

Marsh Marigold