A few hours on my hands after the days jobs were done, so I decided on a visit out to North Cave, I arrived at around 12:30pm to the surprise that there was no butty van, glad I brought a few emergency rations.
i got the gear together, just camera and bins this time, and headed out onto the reserve. I headed down Dryham Lane to the sound of Blue Tits and Cetti’s Warbler, I decided on taking the path that skirts Carp and Far Lakes. I firstly stopped at the hide overlooking the main lake, here I saw Little Grebe, Tufted Duck, Crow, Black headed Gulls, Mallard and Gadwall.
The route around to Carp and Far Lakes were very quiet, I did hear the familiar sound of a Fieldfare, I looked up and around to see a mixed flock of Fieldfare and Redwings going through. Blackbirds, Robins, and Black headed Gulls, were seen around the Far Lake. On approaching the Snipe field area I saw a couple very interested in a bramble patch, I approach very slowly and quietly to find a Grass Snake basking about half way up on the bramble, needless to say it was a great photo opportunity, having never seen one as close I did take a few photos.
My next stop was the Reedbed Hide, here I saw Black tailed Godwit, Ruff, Little Egret, and Shovelers. After the Reedbed Hide I stopped off at the Dragonfly ponds where I saw Migrant Hawkers, Common Darters, Red Admiral Butterfly and Small Tortoiseshell Butterfly.
My final port of call was the Turret Hide seeing from here, Common Snipe, Grey Heron, and Greylag Geese.
It ended up being and enjoyable walk around North Cave setting off thinking I wasn’t going to enjoy my time here, how wrong I was, nature has a way of picking you up, and what an encounter I had with the Grass Snake
Bird List : Blackbird, Black headed Gull, Black tailed Godwit, Blue Tit, Crow, Cetti’s Warbler, Coot, Cormorant, Fieldfare, Gadwall, Grey Heron, Greylag Goose, Herring Gull, Linnet, Little Egret, Little Grebe, Long tailed Tit, Mallard, Moorhen, Mute Swan, Redwing, Robin, Rock Dove/Feral Pigeon, Rook, Ruff, Shoveler, Skylark, Snipe, Tufted Duck, Wigeon.
Butterfly List : red Admiral, Small Tortoiseshell
Dragonfly List : Common Darter, Migrant Hawker
Huddsbirder 