One of Bretton’s iconic landmarks has become home to a colony of Europe’s largest wasp species. Hornets are on the increase in the north of England but this is the first time I have found a nest at the park although to be honest I’ve not spent a lot of time looking. This bunch are hard to miss though as they buzz around an old woodpecker hole just beneath the bronze man at popular Cascade Bridge.

Contrary to popular belief these insects are not the aggresive, out of control, sting anything that gets in their way villains people think and with only a few hundred colony members per nest are a lot less likely than the Common Wasp to be infesting beer gardens at this time of year. Having said that I took these pictures with a long lens from a respectful distance  – my love of this insect family isn’t quite on the Chris Packham scale!

The old male (above) is looking particularly out of sorts but at least he’s playing ball. Four visits to the perch in under an hour is some sort of new European and Commonwealth record I believe!

A pair of Cormorants continue to menace the fish population and I have a new friend in the hide. A little Wood Mouse is getting bolder with each visit and I hope it won’t be long before some pictures are possible. A Bank Vole is now regular there too if you have food for him, and is best seen scuttling around by the entrance.

The couple of semi-resident Cormorants spend most of their day log-loafing, but when they go fishing – they go fishing! Sadly this battle royal ended with a fatally wounded fish that the bird left at the bottom of the lake. Cormorants have earned themselves a reputation with fishermen for this sort of behaviour – it seems their eyes are very often bigger than their stomachs.

Not a lot else going on this morning but it’s heartening to see the Great Crested Grebes are staying put this year after their long absence last summer. Their first brood are still about but are more or less self-sufficient now so it’s possible that a second may be on the cards with plenty of time left.

Two hours of boredom followed by two minutes of excitement is often how my mornings at Bretton go. I was on the point of leaving when six Wigeon suddenly appeared (a new bird for me at the Lakes),  quickly upstaged by the male Kingfisher using multiple perches just a few feet away – hallelujah!

These eclipsing drake Wigeon were a real surprise, especially at this time of year, and whilst it’s possible in the dim and distant past I’ve encountered them before at Bretton, my rather inadequate notes make no mention. 

The Common Terns were about briefly again today but were muscled out by this spoiling Black-headed Gull. The gulls hardly ever visit the Upper Lake except to make a bloody nuisance of themselves it seems!

One of the several pairs of Tufted Ducks have successfully reared a small brood in an old Coot nest. The ducklings definitely have the edge in the cuteness stakes over the more familiar Mallards I think.

On Cascade Bridge a rather irate pair of Grey Wagtails gave me the feeling I wasn’t wanted. They’ve used the bridge to nest under for many years so I can only assume some recently fledged chicks were close by.  

After pulling their disappearing act for a couple of weeks it’s good to see the Great Crested Grebe family are still in one piece. All four youngsters are doing well but will continue to make demands on their parents for a good while yet even though their submarine skills are developing fast.

Not much else to report except that two heron nests are still occupied and a Common Tern continues to visit the lakes. The regular male Great Spotted Woodpecker at the feeding station was prowling around for a free lunch again this morning and certainly earned his nuts with some beautiful poses.

With young scurrying around in the grass at the moment the adults are often very approachable as they do their best to keep your attention away from the vulnerable chicks.

In Menagerie Wood a pair of Great Spotted Woodpeckers are busy feeding young in their tree-top nest hole. The chicks are just a few days from fledging and are making a real racket everytime the adults appear. As well as me the noise also attracts unwanted attention from neighbouring Jackdaws and Kestrels – the male is seen here telling them to shut up basically!  

Something rather nasty has happened to this young Grey Heron though importantly the flight feathers are still in full working order. It might just be a fishing accident of course but a more miserable looking bird I’ve never seen!

 It is noticable with grebes of several species that placement of the nest is important to maximize the benefits gained by close proximity to other territorial birds. Black-necks for example will nest within a Black-headed Gull colony for the protection it affords them and I can’t help thinking that this pair of Great Crests have deliberately chosen to be as near to the local Mute Swan pair as possible.   

Butterfly numbers are on the increase and numerous Green-veined Whites, Small Tortoiseshells and my favourite  Orange Tips were surprisingly approachable. In Menagerie Wood the Garden Warblers are finally back on territory, some two weeks behind schedule.  Most Grey Heron chicks are wing-exercising now and will be ready for their maiden flights any day. So whilst many small passerines are just starting their cycle, these tree-top giants are nearing the end of their’s for another year with  summer barely started.   

Two Tawny Owl chicks were calling vociferously from very near the path through Bridge Royd Wood this  morning but whilst photos would have been possible of the grounded owlets, my self-preservation gene told me to keep walking. Stories of curious folk losing eyes whilst trying to help ‘stranded’ Tawny chicks are well documented. The parent birds are always watching and will viciously attack anything regardless of size that gets within a yard or two of their offspring.

 I’ll be away for a while and the bluebells might well be past their best by my return. They’re not quite there just yet but still a sight to behold at Bretton right now.

Warblers were keeping a low profile this morning with the Garden variety particularly scarce. Both Willow Warbler (above) and Chiffchaff seem well into their breeding cycle already – this bird was preoccupied with driving rivals from it’s territory whilst his mate sat tight in the brambles below.

The Great Crested Grebes have decided to build their nest on the site of last year’s – right in front of the hide - so another chance of obtaining cute family shots may well be possible after all. The Mute Swans too are incubating in a favoured spot, which keeps the male very busy dispersing the Canadas all over the lake – hilarious stuff!