2022 Blog | Scunthorpe And Brigg

January2022

January 16th

A very smart male Pintail

Anas acuta on the main lake at MSQ.

Male and Female Pintails

Shovelers Anas clypeata filtering food through their unusually shaped bill.

16-01-2022 crisp morning from Wader hide WIX.JPG

A lovely crisp morning returning from the Wader hide

January 26th

Dull day

but some nice streams of sulight

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Robin

(Erithacus rubecula)

January 27th

A Lesser Redpoll - Carduelis cabaret

high up in the Alder trees

January 30th

Grey Squirrel

(Sciurus carolinensis)

Male Bullfinch

(Pyrrhula pyrrhula)

February2022

February 27th

Plenty of Black-headed Gulls about

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Main Marsh has had its haircut

Scarlet Elfcup

Sarcoscypha austriaca

March2022

March 19th

Frogs starting to spawn

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March 20th

Goshawk

(Accipiter gentilis)

March 27th

Orange Ladybird

Halyzia sedecimguttata

Moth

March Tubic

Diurnea fagella

Cormorant

(among Black-headed Gulls)

Phalacrocorax carbo

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April2022

April 3rd

Primroses

(Primula vulgaris)

April 10th

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Dark-edged Bee-fly

(Bombylius major)

Balancing Greylags

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Vapourer Moth

(Orgyia antiqua)

Cocoon & Eggs

April 17th

Meadows now full of Cowslips

Alderfly

Sialis lutaria

Green-veined White

Pieris napi

Yellow-tail Moth Larva

Euproctis similis

Marsh Marigold dyke

now a sight to behold

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Cetti's Warblers are now to be heard all around MSQ.
They come with an easily recognised and loud voice.

Beetle

Weevil

Birch Leaf Roller

(Deporaus betulae)

Hoverfly

Eristalis pertinax

(Female)

Hoverfly

Syrphus ribesii

Hoverfly

Eupeodes luniger

(Male)

Tawny Mining Bee

(Female)

(Andrena fulva)

Sawfly

Aglaostigma fulvipes

April 24th

Bogbean

(Menyanthes trifoliata)

Brimstone butterfly egg on Alder Buckthorn leaf

Brimstone Egg on Alder Buckthorn 240422 (4) (FILEminimizer).JPG

Marsh Violet

(Viola palustris)

Cowslip Field

Birch Sawfly

(Cimbex femoratus)

Hoverfly

(male)

Eupeodes luniger

(female)

Thistle Tortoise Beetle

(Cassida rubiginosa)

Avocets

(Recurvirostra avosetta)

Parent Bug

(Elasmucha grisea)

Cuckooflower

Cardamine pratensis

Lesser Black-backed Gull

(Larus fuscus)

May2022

May 6th

After a disturbing report that 100 plus Sand Martin nests had been destroyed on the Sibelco site at Messingham had been placed on Facebook we were invited by the management to visit the site.

On arrival at the site we found a bank, probably 100 metres long, had been provided ready for the birds return.

The bank had a large number of Sand Martin holes along the entire length with the birds constantly flying in and out.

One small area on the ground had some old exposed piping. Altough looking untidy it poses no threat to the birds and a decision had been made to not remove it until the birds had departed later in the year. The area has been signposted to keep disturbance to a minimum. These signs also extend the full length of the working road to ensure vehicles do not get near to avoid disturbance.

We were pleased to be invited to see what Sibelco are doing and hope this report will alleviate people's fears.

Modern telephoto lenses bring the image closer but lose perspective of depth. In this case, the dump trucks were nowhere near the nest holes. A clear example of substantiating the true facts before flinging out wild accusations.

Sibelco are more than willing to allow respected bodies to visit the sight and see for themselves.

Eddie Gaunt and John Davison.

May 8th

New

Record

Green-winged Orchid

(Anacamptis morio)

Large Red Damselfly

(Pyrrhosoma nymphula)

Azure Damselfly

(Coenagrion puella)

Plum Longhorn Beetle - Tetrops praeustus (FILEminimizer).JPG

Plum Beetle

(Tetrops praesutum)

New

Record

Common Carpet

(Epirrhoe alternata)

Fly

Tephritis neesii

New

Record

Red-and-black Froghopper

(Cercopis vulnerata)

Plum Beetle

(Tetrops praesutum)

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14 Spot ladybird

(Propylea quattuordecimpunctata)

Butterfly Larvae

Small Tortoiseshell

(Aglais urticae)

Soldier Beetle

Cantharis nigricans

Meadow Saxifrage

(Saxifraga granulate)

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Green Nettle Weevil

(Phyllobius pomaceus)

Cranefly

Tipula varipennis

Sadly, Violet (Vi) Wilkin passed away on Monday 9th May at the age of 92. Violet was instrumental in adding the Messingham Sand Quarry to our list and was the first manager of the reserve for 15 years. She was also one of the leading Botanists of the LWT.

May 12th

Common Frog

(Rana temporaria)