Robin14 of us participated in today's trip, led by Joan, to the Waters Edge Country Park, situated to the north of Barton-on-Humber on the edge of the Humber estuary. On arrival we headed for the futuristic looking, eco-friendly visitor centre where the toilets are flushed using rainwater. We picked up leaflets with maps of various walks around this extensive country park with various wetland habitats. Most of us set out to follow the wetland and woodland trails. The path started on the banks of the Humber with spectacular views of the Humber Bridge. The sun was shining and there was barely a breeze. We saw occasional redshanks, then a few more. As we ventured further we saw more and more waders - blacktailed godwit, dunlin, turnstones and ringed plovers. A solitary heron stood on the waters edge.We were fortunate to have John and Carol with us. Without them we would have struggled to identify the numerous waders. We stopped for lunch on the banks of the Humber beside a rusted shell of a boat lodged in the mudflats. To the right of us were numerous lapwing. Following lunch we continued on our way, but the map was proving useless. It was so basic with no landmarks that we couldn't navigate the trail. Even though we couldn't find the route, we still had an enjoyable walk. The paths took us alongside little lakes and ponds. We saw an occasional butterfly and dragonfly. Over 50 bird species were recorded including ruddy duck, shoveller, bullfinch, siskin, willow tit and coal tit. A greater spotted woodpecker was seen on a peanut feeder, and a whooper swan was seen in flight. We recorded 44 plants in flower, including creeping thistle, purple toadflax and bristly ox-tongue.That seems quite amazing for the middle of October! Before heading back for home, most of us got a hot drink in the cafe. Whilst sat outside looking over the pond, we saw a kestrel fly low overhead. This was a gorgeous day out in a beautiful place, much of it still unexplored. Maybe we need to come back sometime......
Sue