Birds and flowers in Thornwick Bay, East Yorkshire - 5th June 2026

I arrived in Thornwick Bay during the early afternoon and was able to move into my accommodation straight away - this was the pleasant view through the front window of my mobile home

After unpacking, I went for a wander round the site

A Barn Swallow was sitting on the top of an outside light on a storage building

Male Chaffinch singing from the top of the hedge round Thornwick nature reserve

Tall Ox-eye daisies inside the nature reserve

Male Gadwall on the water at Thornwick Pools

Speckled Wood butterfly on a leaf inside the reserve

Wild Orchids and Ragged Robin flowers near the water at Thornwick fishing lake

Lovely yellow Water Iris at the edge of the lake

Goldfinch sitting on a fence

Another Goldfinch at the top of a hedge

Female Linnet on a thin stem

Wild Orchids among Buttercups in the gorge leading to the sea at Thornwick Bay

Rocks in Thornwick Bay

Deep crevasse in the cliffs in Thornwick Bay

Pretty white flowers on the cliff in Thornwick Bay

Meadow Pipit sitting high up on a cable

Lovely yellow flowers at the holiday park

Pair of canoodling Wood Pigeons on a fence

Vipers Bugloss at the edge of an expanse of grass at Thornwick Bay

 

Mute Swan family on Nottingham canal and views from The Heights of Abraham - 28th and 29th May 2026

On Thursday, 28th May, we walked to Nottingham station from the hotel.  We were early, so decided to have a look at the nearby canal where we came across a pair of Mute Swans with six cute little cygnets

Two cygnets sharing breakfast!

Amazing metal sculpture of a heron made out of items dredged from the canal

Mute Swan family on the move - we then had to leave the canal in order to get a train to Matlock Bath

We took an expensive ride on the cable car in order to get to the top of The Heights of Abraham

Waterfall from the rock

Waterfall from a wooden platform into a pond

View of Matlock from the top viewpoint at The Heights of Abraham

Quarry walls and Riber Castle (Smedley's Folly) in the distance

 - viewed from the top of The Heights of Abraham

Zoom view of Riber Castle, which was built out of gritstone from a local quarry for John Smedley in 1862.  The stone was hauled up the cliff by a series of pulleys.  I believe it has now been converted into flats.

We wandered round Nottingham on our last morning and visited the small garden at the back of St. Peter's church

Bee Orchid in the church garden - thanks to information from the church warden

We then went back to the station via the canal in order to check up of the swan family

All present and correct!

 

Short walk along Nottingham canal and damselflies, birds and flowers in Attenborough Nature Reserve - 26th and 27th May 2026

I travelled to Nottingham with a few friends for a three-night stay towards the end of May

After checking into the hotel, we wandered along the Nottingham canal

This boat had been on fire and was sinking at the side of the canal

Strange bird on one of the canal boats

The next morning we got a bus to the Attenborough nature reserve, where a power station could be seen at the other side of the main lake

There were lots of damselflies in the reserve - here are several Blue-tailed damselflies

and a pair of mating Common damselflies

and a male Banded Demoiselle

A pair of Tufted ducks could be seen on the main lake

Further round the reserve, we came across several Painted Lady butterflies

A Great Crested Grebe was sitting on a nest at the edge of one of the little islands in the lake

Female Banded Demoiselle damselfly on leaves in front of one of the bird hides

Two female Banded Demoiselles

Little Egret standing in shallow water at the edge of the lake

Silver-ground Carpet moth on a leaf at the edge of one of the paths in the reserve

Rear view of a Great Crested Grebe

Another Great Crested Grebe on a nest in the middle of the lake

and a Great Crested Grebe on a nest near the Visitor Centre - with a helpful nest-building mate!

Lovely Water Irises in front of the Visitor Centre

and Water Lilies at the back of the Visitor Centre

Common Terns were perching on a Tern Raft on the lake

Female Mallard with seven small ducklings on the pond near Attenborough village

Mauve Rhododendrons in front of Attenborough church

Beautiful flowers in a front garden in Attenborough village