Wednesday, May 16, 2007

Lapwing Chick

I went back to Swinemoor this morning to see if the Wood Sandpipers were still present. It seems that the calm weather gave them the opportunity to leave! However, amongst the grass a single Lapwing chick was lurking; the first I've seen this year. The Lapwings on Swinemoor always seem to raise a few chicks despite the problems they face with trampling from horses, fluctuating water levels, dogs and marauding crows.

Plenty of adult Lapwings were on the common today, along with 2 Shelduck, 3 Redshank and a Dunlin in breeding plumage. On the river Hull a Sedge Warbler was singing along with a large number of Reed Warblers, one of which was unusually easy to see. Other migrants were large numbers of Swifts and Swallows, Willow Warblers, Lesser Whitethroats and a distant Cuckoo.

I managed to find the orchid I was told about, but some idiot seems to have picked three of the four stems, leaving just a single flower. It seems like a Green-winged Orchid Orchis morio to me, but I'm not sure.



1 comment:

john said...

Hi Nick
Delighted you found green veined orchid on Swinemoor. Found one myself yesterday 29 May 2008, the first one I've ever found there. It was very pink. Have found marsh orchids in past but they disappeared very quickly, probably eaten by stock. There are less cattle on nowadays which might make a difference. I also disturbed a slow worm on the same walk. It soon slithered into cover.
I find your blog interesting and have recommended it to other members of Hull Naturalists.
regards
John