Springtime at Tophill Low - alive with song birds; Garganey pair; habitat improvements and a bonus Ring Ouzel

Wood Anemone, Ashberry, 04/04/2019

Its Spring again and a run of gloriously sunny and warm mid April days brought the countryside to life with vibrant greens colouring the hedgerows, butterflies on the wing and a very noticeable influx of returning migratory birds and filling our woodlands with song again.

It matters not where you go at this time of year, there seems to be new life emerging everywhere - frogspawn in local ponds and ditches, Bluebells, Celandines and Wood Anemone sprouting in the woods whilst the songs of Blackcap and Chiffchaff are heard in leafy suburban gardens. Indeed with so much happening, sometimes its difficult to decide where to go! Luckily though Yorkshire has plenty of good 'all rounders' where there's always something to see. Like Tophill Low nature reserve for instance.

Situated a few miles east of the A164 between Driffield and Beverley this gem of a reserve, owned and managed by Yorkshire Water is one of my favourite destinations. Good to visit at any time of the year the reserve seems to have transformed itself since I last visited a year or so ago. Whilst the recently revamped visitor centre is maybe the most obvious new feature I was more impressed by the improvements they have made to the existing habitat that surrounds the 2 large reservoirs that have always dominated the reserve.

Tophill Low, visitor centre

Habitat restoration adjacent to the River Hull

The woodland tracks have been extended and new walkways through the marshy fringes of the River Hull have been created with obvious and extensive habitat regeneration. Pollarding of existing Willow and Hazel trees has been undertaken and this will in turn improve the canopy and encourage new life on woodland floors.

Pollarding of Willows

Clearly there's been an emphasis on attracting more families and children to the reserve with a revamped picnic area around a newly created wildlife pond. There's an insect garden, a Water Vole viewing area and even a Grass Snake refugia as well as lots of good signage and information around the reserve.

Grass Snake Refugia

Around the fringes of a newly created reed fringed pond and marshy area I saw a male Reed Bunting in superb breeding plumage and got comfortably my best series of  pictures of this bird. Here's a few selected shots.

Reed Bunting, Tophill Low, 19/04/19

Reed Bunting, Tophill Low, 19/04/19

Reed Bunting, Tophill Low, 19/04/19

Reed Bunting, Tophill Low, 19/04/19

This is the said pond area adjacent to D reservoir, nicely maturing after its establishment a couple or so years back.

Newly created pond area, Tophill Low

Goldeneye, Tophill Low, 19/04/19

The 2 large reservoirs still tend be the dominant features of the reserve of course but although there were still a few winter ducks still present, including 50ish Goldeneye, both O and D res were relatively tranquil on the day I was there, with several Sand Martins, Barn Swallows and 45 Great Crested Grebes on O res being the stand outs.

Serene O Reservoir, Tophill Low, 19/04/19

Singing male Blackcap, Tophill Low, 19/04/19

Definitely a day for the scrapes and margins of which both were productive on this most glorious of spring days. The explosive and loud song of at least 4 Cettis Warblers was heard plus both Sedge & Reed Warbler. 3 Yellow Wagtails flew over and there seemed to be   singing from every bush and tree - at point I counted 4 singing males and 2 females within 10 square metres from where I stood! It was a beautiful racket.

 

Female Blackcap, Tophill Low, 19/04/19

Willow Warblers were present in good numbers as well as Chiffchaffs and with the tree canopy close up and on a level out of North Marsh hide I got some spendid close ups of the former songsters.

Willow Warbler, Tophill Low, 19/04/19

Willow Warbler, Tophill Low, 19/04/19

Willow Warbler, Tophill Low, 19/04/19

North Marsh hide view

North Marsh hide is where you're  most likely to see the Otters from but sadly no show for me today, in fact I've never seen them here! Plenty of pics and footage on the Tophill Low blogsite though as well as a host of other info and sightings. Check it out here - Tophill Low

Marsh Harrier, Tophill Low, 19/04/19

A late lunch sat in South Marsh hide watching and listening - its all about courtship, mating and getting on with the business of breeding. Fascinating, noisy and so much to take in! Squabbling Black Headed Gulls make most of the noise along with Lapwings, Coot and Moorhens. Warblers continue to sing and then everything goes quiet as a Sparrowhawk speeds across the scrape. The same Marsh Harrier floats by for a second time and looks even more interested in some newly fledged Greylag goslings sparking a furious honking reaction from the parents but they're safe, this time. A flock of calling Curlew overhead whilst Shelduck, Teal, Shoveler and Gadwall ducks chase each other around excitedly, expectantly...and then something more exotic flies in. A pair of Garganey, small migrant ducks that winter in Africa and breed in precious few numbers in the UK.

Garganey, male & female, Tophill Low, 19/04/19

Male Garganey, Tophill Low, 19/04/19

The locals will be hoping they stay and breed which would be a feather in the cap for Tophill. I'm pretty sure at least one pair bred at Wheldrake Ings last year.

Treecreeper, Tophill Low, 09/04/19

Walking back through the woodland area close to the car park and once again admiring the new habitats they have created here, I was aware of a flitting movement in a nearby dead tree and was surprised to see a partially obscured Treecreeper staring back at me from a pocket of bark that just had to be its chosen nest site.

Like most of the rest of us, my usual views and somewhat restricted photo opportunities are of these mouse like birds creeping up or down tree trunks in poor light, so it was nice to stand and watch whilst it made a few forays back and forth presumably carrying nest building material into his little crevice!

Treecreeper, Tophill Low, 09/04/19

Treecreeper, Tophill Low, 09/04/19

Cowslips, Tophill Low, 19/04/19

Orange Tips, Tortoiseshell, Brimstone and Peacock butterflies were all on the wing taking advantage no doubt of the many freshly blooming Cowslips that appeared like yellow rashes all across the grassy bits of the reserve.

Peacock Butterfly on Cowslips, Tophill Low, 19/04/19

All in all a most splendid way to while away 4 hours or so. Always something to see, I can't ever recall being disappointed after a visit here and at the risk of repeating myself the ongoing improvements they are undertaking here cannot be applauded enough.

Little Owl, Kilnsea, nr Tophill Low, 19/04/19

On the way home I took a short stroll down a public footpath I'd earmarked on the way in, 3 or 4 miles south west of Tophill nr the small village of Kilnsea. Thought I'd struck it lucky when I saw a nice Little Owl fly up and then perch conveniently in a big old oak tree but could not believe my good fortune when I spotted a Ring Ouzel a bit further on! Regular enough migrants on the east coast but to just randomly chance upon one in the middle of nowhere made my day.

Ring Ouzel, Kilnsea, nr Tophill Low, 19/04/19

Here's a last few Tophill images to round up my first spring post of the year ....

View out of the middle Lagoon Hide

Little Ringed Plovers, Tophill, 19/04/19

Curlew, Tophill, 19/04/19

Squabbling Teal, Tophill, 19/04/19

Willow Catkins, Tophill, 19/04/19

Back of Watton Hide, Tophill, 19/04/19

Access platform, O reservoir, Tophill