Urban birds at Hull. 39. Treecreeper

The Treecreeper is a small bird, which obtain its food from crevices in the bark of trees. It climbs trees aided by its stiff tail feathers and large, curved nails, working out from the base upwards, then flying to the next tree. Its bill is thin and curved, and it can often be seen probing on cracks on tree trunks and branches. Its upper parts are beautifully camouflaged, with an intricate pattern of browns, blacks and greys, and its underparts are white. During the winter, they might join roving mixed flocks of tits. They favoured habitat is woodland of parkland with mature trees. They are often located by their calls, a thin, high pitched repeated whistle. The song is quite distinctive too.

Status and distribution in Hull

Treecreepers are scarce and local birds in Hull. They are resident birds and have bred, or at least attempted breeding in parks, cemeteries and other areas with large, mature or decaying trees, where they might be seen year round. Although they also appear to leave sites after long-term residence, such as Pearson Park and East Park (top shot, 23/02/2018). Notable sites include Pickering Park (successful breeding), General Cemetery, and Oak Road Lake (successful breeding). There are also scattered records from other sites.

When startled, Treecreepers often freeze, becoming almost invisible with their match to the pattern of tree bark. Pearson Park, 20/02/2020. They are also experts at hide and seek, often moving to the opposite side of the trunk in the presence of an observer!

6th March 2022, General Cemetery.

Treecreeper pulling spider web, probably as nest material. Pearson Park, 4 March 2021

Treecreeper at the General Cemetery, 20 March 2021.

The crack in this tree was the nest site of a pair of Treecreepers at Pearson Park in 2020.

Conservation

The treecreeper is a Green Listed species in the UK, with stable populations. The rarity of the species in Hull stems from a lack of habitat. Preserving our mature and veteran trees and leaving felled trees on the ground are management actions that will benefit the species. Current tree planting, if followed by suitable management and preservation should lead to increased Treecreeper habitats in the future.

More information

Broughton, Richard K. Birds of the Hull Area.

February at East Park

Another cold, still and gloomy day, although the sun actually made a brief appearance in the afternoon. I walk to East Park, hoping to see the Great Crested Grebes. On the way at Woodhall Street, a Sparrowhawk alights atop a roof, a young male judging by how small it looks and its speckled back.

Male Sparrowhawk.

At East Park, there is a pair of Gadwall feeding on the NW corner of the boating lake, with moorhens and tufted ducks.

Gadwall.

I see four Ring-necked parakeets flying, this female was on a poplar near the bridge, softy calling and repeating its moves, looking like it was ready to attract a mate.

Meanwhile, a pair of Jackdaws on the same tree were in typical jackdaw pair pose, shoulder to shoulder.

I was pleased to catch this ringed Black-headed Gull. It was ringed as a 3 yr old near Norwich, and has been resighted in Suffolk.

A female Sparrowhaw displaying on the eastern side of the park.

The male was calling repeatedly from a tree nearby.

Male Sparrowhawk.

He soon got the attention of a few Magpies. They didn't mob him, just landed nearby. A crow, however, wasn't as nonchaland, and attacked it furiously, rattling.

There were two Little Grebes near the zoo island. One was in winter plumage...

...and the other was in summer plumage.

I scanned the boardwalk island and found the Great Crested Grebes (number 75 for the year). They were sleeping, but eventually they woke up (top shot) and started courting without too much energy.

There were three mute swans in the park, the male of the pair with the large, sideways knob, and the juvenile with angel wing, which is not going anywhere.

Jack the mute swan cob.

Two drake Pochards, but no Goosanders or Shovelers today.

On the way back at Foster street there were four Jackdaws walking amongst the gulls at roost.

And I finish with this Robin at Sculcoates. A total of 40 species for the walk today.

River Hull WeBS in February

 

A cold, gloomy but still day, I head to the river for the monthly WeBS count. High tide is at 8:30am. The count is quite usual, but the highlight is a single Lesser black-backed Gull (number 74 for the 100 bird species in Hull challenge) by Drypool Bridge. A Wren was feeding on the ground by the river. A passing Sparrowhawk flushed the gulls and feral pigeons. The Redshank roost was split between the buoy shed and The Deep, with a few birds feeding away from the roost. One of these was the returning 043, which was feeding on its favoured area by the west of Myton Bridge.

Wren.

It caught a tiny morsel of food, maybe a larvae or pupa.

Redshank roost, 15 or 16 birds by the Buoy house.

Ringed Redshank 043 by Myton Bridge.

Urban birds at Hull. 38. Kingfisher

 

The Kingfisher is a stunning bird, most often seen like a fast, straight flying turquoise blurr as they fly along water bodies. Both sexes show an orange chest and belly, a metallic blue on back, head and wings, and white markings on cheeks, and chin. The rump is pale blue. Males have all black bills, while females have an orange lower bill. Their diet is made of small fish or fish fry, like sticklebacks and tadpoles. They are not strictly migratory, but they engage in short distance movements, including across the North Sea, with individuals moving to and from France, the Low Countries and Germany. Kingfishers breed in holes they excavate on banks of rivers and streams.

29/06/2021, Beverley and Barmston drain at Sculcoates.

Status and distribution in Hull

They are scarce bird in the Hull area, although, with a bit of luck and patience, they can probably be seen at any lake or ditch, and by the River Hull and the Humber. Their repeated, urgent piping call usually announces their presence. Known sites include East Park (top shot, 9/08/2022), Pickering Park, Setting Dyke, River Hull, Holderness Drain, Beverley and Barmston Drain, Foredyke Green Pond, Old Fleet and even by the Humber. Kingfishers may breed in a few of these locations regularly, for example, at Holderness Drain or East Park, but as far as I know there is no solid recent breeding evidence. They appear more widely distributed, and are more likely to be seen during the autumn winter, after the young disperse to find new territories.

At a ditch at East Carr, 7/02/2022.

At East Park, 14/11/2016.

River Hull, on a barge near Wilmington Bridge, 13/10/2024.

Conservation

In 2021 it was moved from the UK Amber list to the Green list, as populations recovered from declines until the mid 1980s. It suffers from severe winters and icy conditions, when they are unable to fish, but they have a strong potential for recovery

More information

Broughton, Richard K. Birds of the Hull Area.

Stanbury, A., Eaton, M., Aebischer, N., Balmer, D. & Win, I. The status of our bird populations:the fifth Birds of Conservation Concern in the United Kingdom, Channel Islands and Isle of Man and second IUCN Red List assessment of extinction risk for Great Britain. British Birds 114, 723–747 (2021).

BTO Bird Facts. Kingfisher.

 

Hull urban birds. 37. Greenfinch

The Greenfinch is a stout finch the size of a sparrow, with olive green, black and grey plumage. The large head and conical pinkish bill and its serious expression are quite distinctive. In both sexes the edge of the folded wing and tail are yellow. Males in breeding plumage are greener with a bright yellow green chest. Females are more brownish, and the juveniles show streaking. Greenfinches feed on a range of seeds, including dandelion, rose, elm, ash, yew and cypress, picking the seeds from the trees and bushes or on the ground. They live in a range of habitats, from the coast to gardens, farmland, hedgerows, parks and brownfield.

Males start singing at the end of January, especially in sunny weather, typically from a tall, exposed perch, including aerials. River Hull, 13 April 2021. Their song includes a repeated, drawn wheeeezzz! which travels further than the warbles and trills that also make up the song.

Status and distribution in Hull

Despite population declines, the Greenfinch remains a widespread, if not abundant, bird in Hull. Broughton (2002) regarded it as the commonest finch in the Hull area, a spot now definitely held by the Godlfinch. It is unusual to see large flocks, often 5 or 6 birds is a notable number. They are found across Hull, from the margins of the Barmston Drain to the parks and cemeteries.

A female Greenfinch with nest material. Sculcoates 14 April 2023.

Juvenile Greenfinch, Oak Road Lake, 14 May 2016. 

Conservation

After some fluctuating population size and increases from the nineties, a sharp, 70% population decline from 2006, meant the Greenfinch was added to the UK Red List in 2021. The decline was attributed to an outbreak of trichomonosis disease, with epidemics in summer 2006 and 2007.The disease was formerly known as affecting pigeons and doves, but it jumped to finches, which were severely affected. The most recent breeding bird survey report, with 2023 data, suggested that the decline might have halted, with a plateau since 2019.

Greenfinches are common birds in gardens, where they like to feed on sunflower seed. The trichomonosis disease, which infects the birds gullets and makes them regurgitate food they cannot swallow, is likely to have spread faster amongst birds feeding in feeders, where birds of different species congregate. Feeder and container hygiene is recommended if you feed birds in your garden. If you notice any signs of diseased birds, stopping feeding will reduce transmission.

Greenfinches feeding on dandelion seeds on amenity grassland at Bridlington Avenue 1st May 2022.

A Greenfinch feeding on elm seeds. General Cemetery, 20 May 2020.

Greenfinches benefit from a range of foods, sensitive management of verges, allowing wildflowers to produce seed, and hedgerows, and reducing herbicide and pesticide use is likely to benefit them.

More information

Broughton, Richard K. Birds of the Hull Area.

Hull urban birds. 36. Stonechat

Stonechats are small perching birds, the size of a robin, with rusty-red chest and brown and black tones. Males have a black head with white patches on the side of the neck. During winter, the black feathers of head and back are fringed with brown,giving them a dark chocolate tone. Females are browner. They have relatively long black legs and black bills, and short tails. When they are around, they are obvious birds, with a habit of perching on prominent posts: fences, or tall flower heads, from which they watch the ground in search of invertebrates. They will dive down, and soon return to their perch. I have described how pairs of male and females, not breeding pairs, defend winter territories. In Yorkshire, Stonechats breed in upland heaths and coastal grasslands, and move to lowland areas, to the coast or along the Humber and river valleys during the winter. Their name stems from their call, which sounds like two pebbles knocking together.

A female at Noddle Hill, 18 September 2019.

Status and distribution in Hull

A scarce wintering bird found in singles or pairs in rough grassland on the outskirts of Hull and by the Humber. Willerby Carr, the banks of the River Hull by Kingswood (top shot, 11 November 2024) and the north side of Noddle Hill and the Docks are good areas to look for them, especially in patches of scrubby long grasses, from the end of September until March. Broughton's Birds of the Hull area indicates very sporadic wintering individuals before 2002, with multiyear gaps, whilst recently the species appears to have become a regular, if still scarce and very local, wintering one in the Hull area.

A male at Haltemprice Priory grounds, 3 February 2025.

Conservation

Stonechats were moved to the Green list in 2009, as they recovered from previous population losses. They appear to be benefiting from a warming climate, with an increase in range in the north and movement to higher altitudes for breeding. They are susceptible to cold winters, given their invertebrate diet, and the cold winter of 2009-2010 resulted in a strong dip in populations, but they have since strongly recovered. Given the local and scarce numbers in the Hull area, and their association to regularly managed river banks, an archaeological site and a Local Nature reserve no particular conservation management aspects are needed for the species.

More information

Broughton, Richard K. Birds of the Hull Area.

Yorkshire Bird Report 2018/19. YNU.

A walk around Willerby Carrs

This sunny, still morning I take the bus to Springhead, on the western outskirts of Hull. I walk towards the golf course and then north on the public right of way. Two Bullfinches, Coal Tit and Song Thrush on the grounds are nice amongst a good mix of birds. The public right of way follows Sands Dyke, which carries a bit of water. Two Moorhens are feeding along the Dyke. At some point I get a Goldcrest on the ivy clad hedges.

This photo illustrate the amazingly wide field of view of Woodpigeons.

Starling.

Bullfinch.

Song Thrush.

Moorhen.

Goldcrest.

As I emerge from Springhead, I hear my first Skylark (72), singing from the fields beyond Carr Lane. A trio chase and rise chirruping over the field. I move onto the grounds of the old Haltemprice Priory with their rough grassland. Half a dozen Linnets are feeding on the field. I stand under a large tree and look north and soon spot a male Stonechat (73) feeding, flying up and down from its perch on the dock seedheads to the ground. 

A small flock of Linnets, one of them singing, and a Goldfinch.

Female Kestrel. At some point there were three Kestrels in view by Haltemprice Farm

A calling male Kestrel.

Kestrel hovering.

Male Stonechat.

Male Stonechat.

I turn round and take Carr Lane westwards and then turn towards Haggs Farm. I get great views of the Skylarks, one of them rising just in front of me. A large flock of Lapwing (I count 136 in the photo) takes flight and then lands in a field nearby. I pay a visit to the local pair of Little Owls, which are basking on their old, hole covered ash, although the species is new for the year, they are not in the Hull area proper, so they are not counting towards my challenge.

Skylark singing.

The Lapwing flock.

The flock lands on a field.

Buzzard.

Little Owls.

Little Owls.