Another day, another 6 hobbies !

 

What a day !  It was fantastic !  6 hobbies - what more can I say !

Hobbies

 

Three !

A walk out today and we soon saw a hobby......and then another.....and then another until we had 5 swooping in the sky infront of us. Never close so we just watched them and enjoyed every minute. They were fantastic !

Slav Grebe, Langford Lowfields

Distant was an understatement !  But see it we certainly did along with a red kite. An excellent afternoon in good company at this fantastic reserve. Just made it back to the car before the heavens opened ! This makes 168 for the year so far. 

A few bits and bobs from last week

 

Common Whitethroat

White violets

Don't see rabbits like we used to. When we were kids they were everywhere, including on your dinner plate !  Aren't they just so cute xx

Myosotis, Forget me nots

Marsh Marigolds

Our first 'red bag of rubbish' although between us in our working days we have picked up literally 1000's.

Common Whitethroat

Lesser Whitethroat

House Sparrow

Little bundles of goose fluff xx

Cuckoo flowers

North Lincolnshire Council habitat destruction and littering

Our local council has to one of the worst in the UK. They have had all winter to cut back this hedge if it was needed, and although it wasn't overgrown they decided to take the flail to it......at the end of April. There are masses of guidelines and advice available as to when hedges should be cut and March through to August is a definite no under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981.  This hedge has been flailed all the way along the road and also along the nature reserve edge,  we would like to bet that it wasn't checked for nesting birds. For anyone local, it is on Normanby Road, opposite Blue Lagoon Nature Reserve along the edge of Conningsby Quarry. 

To make matters worse, the grass was also flailed, cutting up every bit of litter including this quilt and pillars. It looks an absolute disgrace. And to say that the council now relies on volunteer litter pickers (that are making a fantastic job), you would have thought they could have got their own house in order.

We have complained, awaiting a reply.  Will keep you posted. 

Black Redstart, Idle Valley, Notts

 

Skulking in the wood pile, almost invisible. Some good fungus here that I would have liked to have got closer to !

A Saturday afternoon drive over to the Idle Valley Nature Reserve for this lovely black redstart which showed the whole time we were there, but boy, was it flighty ! 

I used to work at this place when it was an active quarry, 45 years ago.  Back then it was called North Notts Sand and Gravel and if you ever rang you will have heard my posh Retford accent ! 45 years.....where has life gone to eh ?!