Blackcap and Reed Bunting at Sculcoates

A cool day with barely a breeze, mostly overcast. I head to the patch as I haven't been in a while. At Pearson Park, a Sparrowhawk is flushing the feral pigeons and in turn being harassed by two Carrion Crows. The female Greylag is on eggs on the island, with the gander keeping watch from the shore. A moorhen is also on eggs in the hollow willow trunk. The Common Gulls appear to have gone.

Sparrowhawk.

Moorhen on nest.

The deeper, more nasal calls of the returned Lesser Black-backed Gulls is all round, gathering and flying over calling together and seemingly attracting all those around, as the group increased in size.

It is a great bird chorus at Sculcoates, with at least three Chiffchaffs calling. I hear a Blackcap (number 83 for the challenge in the wilderness across the drain, with plenty of undergrowth and ivy clad trees. Then a Reed Bunting, only the second I see in the patch, sings from the bushes by the cycle path over the drain, then flies to the reeds. Overall, 36 sp at the patch, which must be one of the highest counts.

Reed Bunting singing.

Lesser Black-backed Gulls.

Rabbit.

Little Grebe. At least 3 in the patch, with a pair trilling, I wonder if they will stay to breed again this year.

Sparrowhawk.

Bullfinch.

Jackdaw at the playing fields.

The only Common Gull I saw today, a young of last year.

Holderness: Hedon, Preston, Wyton and Bilton

I restart the Holderness walks this year today. I take the 75 East Yorkshire bus to Hedon Church lane and then walk to Preston via public rights of way away from roads, then lunch at Sandhill Garden centre, across fields to Wyton and then to Bilton ASDA to catch the bus back home. It is cold but bright and there is little wind, ideal for a walk. I cross the Withernsea railway line and walk north towards Preston West end. Skylarks and Linnets sing. Two Roe Deer eye me suspiciously in the distance. Today's walk involves public rights of way across fields, but the ground is dry. About 9.5 km.

Woodpigeon.

Roe Deer. One of them seems to have a bald back.

Along a field margin towards Preston.

A Reed Bunting by Cranswick. There is also a Yellowhammer singing, but I don't spot it.

A cobbled lane towards Preston church.

The parish church of all Saints appears at the end of the lane.

All Saints church, a Grade I listed building. Starlings call from the tower

Starling atop the church.

Skylark.

Four Roe Deer run away south of Wyton.

Their pompom rear ends bright white and fluffed up.

Buzzard.

A rookery at Wyton.

Courting Rooks, one flapping and begging noisily, the pair by their nest.

Wyton chapel.

There was much evidence of rabbits on the hedges along the way, but this and another one which hid nearby were the only ones I spotted.

Urban birds at Hull. 42. Jay

 

They are magpie size, and their short, round wings and laborious wing flaps makes them obvious in flight. They are strikingly patterned, with a pinkish-brown body and head, blue wing patches striped with black, black tail, moustache, and wings, and white throat, rump and wing patches. Although it is not always obvious, they have a noticeable crest, that they erect when excited. The best time of the year to spot them is in the autumn, when a watch around oaks in the Western cemetery might be successful. Jays make repeated visits to oaks to collect acorns. Their calls are also quite obvious, and it pays to be alert to their screeching alarm calls. Jays are often seen in pairs or family parties. Jays can be quite bold in urban parks in London, but they are very shy birds in Hull.

Jack Kaye field, 6/03/2025.

Status and conservation in Hull

Although a widespread and abundant species across England, the Jay is a scarce resident in Hull.  In the past, only passage migrants or small parties in September/October were reported, but sightings have become more common and are now year round. One or a few pairs appear to have become established around the Avenues, Western/General Cemetery and Jack Kaye field. The Western Cemetery is the most reliable site. They have bred in East Park, although there are no records after 2021, and one was seen for a few days at Pickering Park in November 2021. Broadleaf woodland with oaks is their preferred habitat and woodland cover is quite reduced in East Yorkshire, which limits their presence.

Western Cemetery, 21/02/2021.

The wind ruffling its crest at Western Cemetery, 10/04/2022.

Conservation

The Jay is Green listed, with long term stable populations in the UK, although it appears there has been a recent increase in distribution. The species might have benefited from conservation actions for woodland specialists and by planting of native woodland.

At Pickering Park, an individual retrieving acorns. 7/11/2021.

More information

BTO Birdfacts. Jay.

Broughton, Richard K. Birds of the Hull Area.

The first Chiffchaffs

I take a walk around Sculcoates and Oak Road Lake. Soon after arriving at Sculcoates park I spot a silent Chiffchaff (number 82 for the challenge). No Chiffchaffs singing at the Sculcoates cemetery either. It is a relatively short visit to the patch, as I soon move to Oak Road via Clough road. At Oak Road, two Chiffchaffs sing, it is prime habitat there for them. After the Lesser Black-backed gulls, which are all around now, the Chiffchaffs are often the second migrants to arrive. The young Mute Swans have all fledged, only the territorial pair left at Oak Road Lake. Suddenly, the cob swan flies off, I presume over to the river, and it is a bit odd to see the pen left on her own. I watch her for a while and then spot the cob walking down the river flood bank, muddy and tired. He finally makes it to the water and joins his mate. I wonder if he was unable to find a good take off point? In any case, all is well, they then drink together and swim along, without much more greeting.

Mute Swan cob returning to the lake on foot.

Chiffchaff.

One of the nine Tufted Ducks at Oak Road Lake.

A Carrion Crow rising to mob a Sparrowhawk.

Greenfinch.

A male Anthophora plumipes, the first I manage to photograph.

Train trip: Walking from Bempton to Filey

This trip had been on my wish list of walks for a while, and today, sunny weather and ebbing tide, I took the 7:25 train to Bempton. On the way, on a field north of Cottingham I manage a photo of nine Roe Deer. A Yellowhammer sits tight while a male Sparrowhawh flies past over my head on Cliff road at Bempton. A Brown Hare seems to be following a track on a field, zig-zagging and eventually coming quite close.

Roe Deer.

Brown Hare.

Red-legged Partidge at Cliff Road.

Singing Yellowhammer by the Dell.

I sit watching the birds at the Bempton Cliffs RSPB reserve feeders while I wait for the cafe to open, at 9:30. After a hot drink, I'm ready for the walk. There seems to be fewer birds on the cliffs than on our visit a couple of weeks ago, but it is still busy. I don't linger much, but a Stonechat by the military area is nice.

Feral Pigeons.

Guillemots.

Stonechat.

Razorbill.

I leave the reserve. The cliff is very exposed to the westerly wind. Despite this, Linnets and Skylarks are feeding in the fields. Two Buzzards are playing with the wind on a ridge, one of them seem to be carrying a stick on its talons. A Peregrine swoops at one of them, and then hangs from the air over the cliff edge, hovering.

Pill Millipede.

Hovering Peregrine.

Buzzard.

Peregrine fly past.

The view from the trig point, the highest part of the cliffs at Buckton, at 135 m OSL.

Shortly after, the path down to Speeton Sands is being reprofiled and repaired with a small digger. It's relatively easy going until the steep steps down the ravine onto the beach by Black Cliff, which are in need of some TLC, the clay having eroded behind the retaining boards. The ravine highest humidity shows in a diversity of ferns and some tree cover in the shape of sycamores. There is a nice pond on a shelf near the ravine.

View east with the pond in the foreground.

I check some recent falls of large lumps of the Jurassic clay, and pick up some fossils.

Small Belemnites stick out of the clay.

Ammonite.

Armoured clay 'sausages' rather than balls on the beach.

Carline Thistle. one I like to record.

There is an explosion of flowering Colt's Foot like little sunshines on the cliff face.

The remains of a porpoise on the beach.

Fluke.

My first dronefly of the year.

Quite a lot of Cuttlefish bones on the beach, the largest about 17 cm.

It is a walk of two halves, the second part taking place along the long exposed beach, at low tide. It is much sheltered with barely any noticeable wind on the beach. After a quick lunch stop I carry on beach combing and make it to Filey with just enough time to grab a hot chocolate in the cafe and board my train back home.

Walk information. Distance between the stations: almost 17 km. Toilet facilities and cafes at Bempton, Hunmanby Gap and Filey. The walk is best attempted with an ebbing tide, as there is barely any beach at high tide. Poor accessibility and hard going, especially on the way down to the beach.