Butterflying at Kiplingcotes

I had a busy and enjoyable day in the Kiplingcotes area. First, I had volunteered to carry out a House Martin Survey for the BTO, and I had chosen a square near the nature reserve as I wanted to combine the survey with a trip to the reserve. The survey was a bit sad, as there was a colony, with nine complete nests, but no house martins were around. The farmer remarked how fewer swallows they have now compared to previous years. There were two pairs of Swallows with active nests, but evidence of many more nests not in use inside the barns. A Red Kite flew over the farm.
 After the relatively quick survey I popped to the nearby Kiplingcotes Station. Shortly after starting the walk East on Hudson Way I heard the purring of a Turtle Dove. It called several times, and I tried to locate it unsuccessfully. They have been heard there in previous years, but it was still nice to have my first Turtle Dove in East Yorkshire since 1997. A Lesser Whitethroat sung quite exposed opposite a Greenfinch also singing. There were at least a pair of House Martins and several nests in the station.
There were sunny spells, but only at around midday, when it started to be warmer, butterflies made an appearance: Red Admiral, Peacock (very battered), Small Tortoiseshell and a Common Blue, with a Cinnabar flying too.
 I moved to Kiplingcotes chalk pit NR for lunchtime. There were several butterfly species on the wing, including Dingy, Large Skipper, Common Blue and Small Heath. A couple of new beetles for me, an Orchid Beetle on nettles and a very flighty Garden Chafer.

Dingy Skipper

Common Blue

Male Large Skipper

Trochulus sp.

Orchid beetle, Dascillus cervinus

The large bumblebee mimic hoverfly, Volucella bombylans. Note the very long tongue!

Another colour morph of Volucella bombylans, this one mimicking a red-tailed mumblebee

A Yellowhammer having a bath in a puddle on the car park.

Common Blue

Helophilus trivittatus (?) on the meadow at the top of the post.

Empis sp.

Red Admiral

Lesser Whitethroat singing

The first Pyramidal Orchids are blooming.

Wild Pansy

A young Grasshopper, possibly Common Green

Ant Woodlice, Platyarthrus hoffmannseggi with yellow meadow ants.

Lauria cyclindracea, a tiny snail.

Garden Chafer, Phyllopertha horticola

Male Common Blue

Small Heath

A view of Kiplingcotes NR from the top.