Wilberforce Wood and Noddle Hill in November

A mild morning with sunny spells turning into showers later, I took the 5 bus to Kingswood ASDA. Wilberforce Wood was wet and muddy, I was glad I was wearing wellies. The temporary pond was quite full, the water muddy. As I was getting to Foredyke Green a 15-20 strong flock of Redpolls flew overhead. I found them on a group of alders and birch, and they were feeding on both trees (top shot). I have heard and seen Redpolls flying overhead this autumn, but this is the first flock I see feeding. I spent some time watching them before carrying on.

Magpie.

Wilberforce Wood pond.

Once at Noddle Hill, I walk along Foredyke Stream first. Many Redwing and Blackbirds, and a single Fieldfare. A large flock of Lapwing, about 200, was flying in the distance over the solar panel field. A Buzzard sat on the bank of the stream. As it left it was mercilessly chased by crows. The Lapwings have landed by the floods in the field by the solar panels, they are very camouflaged on the recently ploughed dark soil.

Buzzard.

Lapwing.

The Holderness Drain is running very high, the highest I've seen it. I flush a Little Egret, which settles on a field opposite. A Fieldfare is on a hawthorn and stays there while I take its photo. There is a large Linnet flock, starlings and many Yellowhammers.

Little Egret in flight.

Fieldfare.

Little Egret.

Yellowhammer. Plenty about on the eastern side of the reserve.

Reed Bunting.

Roe Deer.

Kestrel.

Common Gull.

Greylag and Cormorant.

A Cormorant at the lake, its right wing tangled up on fishing gear. 

As I started back towards the bus stop, a rainbow announced the impending rain.

Urban birds at Hull. 58. Woodcock

Photo (c) Lauren Field CC BY-NC 4.0 via iNaturalist 28 October 2018, East Park.

The Woodcock is a most unusual wader. Beautifully its plumage provides it with a beautiful camouflage: finely streaked and speckled, matches the browns, russets greys and blacks of the leaf litter on the woodland floor. Its eyes are high up on the head, affording the bird an all-round field of vision. Legs are short and pinkish. Woodcocks are crepuscular and nocturnal and feed using their straight long and sensitive bill to probe the ground for invertebrates: earthworms, beetles, snails and larvae. During the day, they sit motionless relying on their camouflage for anti-predator defence. They will leave woodland to feed on fields at night during the winter.

Without the use of a thermal telescope, it would have been pretty difficult to spot this Woodcock sitting under a gorse at Bempton Cliffs.

Status and Distribution in Hull

The Woodcock is a regular migrant and scarce wintering bird in Hull. Records are from mid October to the beginning of April, with spring migration peaking in March and Autumn migration peaking in November. During migration it is most likely to be seen in flight, and it can turn up anywhere in Hull.Unfortunately, it is not unusual for birds to collide with building windows during migration. Woodcocks have a distinctive flight silhouette: a dumpy bird with short wings and a long bill, pointing down. During the winter it may settle in wooded areas such as cemeteries, parks and hedgerows in the outskirts. 

Woodcock at South Landing, 10 February 2014.

Conservation and Management

The Woodcock moved from Amber to Red listed in 2015 due to strong population declines. Most of our migrating and wintering Woodcocks are European birds coming for the winter. Repeated specific Woodcock breeding surveys carried out by the BTO suggest a 35% decline in displaying males between 2003 and 2023. The breeding population appears to have also contracted in range. The causes for the decline are unclear.

Woodcock in flight. Photo (c) Steve Evans CC BY-NC 4.0 via iNaturalist.

More information

BTO Bird facts. Woodcock.

Broughton, R.K. 2002. Birds of the Hull area.

Holderness: Keyingham, Ryehill, Camerton, Thorngumbald and Hedon

Wintry cold has finally arrived after weeks of overcast, mild and gloomy weather, which, on the positive side brought some welcome rain. My aim today is to visit two hamlets just by Thorngumbald, which are in the middle of my walk. I take the 7:45 X7 bus to Keyingham, and walk along Church Lane and then around the church through Station Road.  There are a couple of short hail showers to start with, but otherwise the weather was quite pleasant, with plenty of sunny spells. The fields by the village are busy with Rooks, Jackdaws and gulls. Two Woodpigeons gorge on what looks like some type of cherry, balancing on the thin branches to reach them.

Woodpigeon with cherries.

Keyingham St Nicholas church.

Jackdaw.

A Starling singing and basking in the sunshine.

Rook portrait.

A female House Sparrow feeding on haws.

Stock Dove singing by the old station building.

As I take the Withernsea railway track towards Hedon, I notice a Curlew on a paddock. On the other side of the track, on a winter sown field there are 15 curlew, their lovely calls carrying far. Blackbirds, Redwings and Fieldfares move along the hedges lining the track, feeding on haws and sloes. It doesn't take me long to get to Keyingham drain (top shot). As I get there a large flock of Fieldfare and redwing land on a field and then fly overhead to Kelsey Gardens.

Curlew.

Curlew and Black-headed Gull.

A Song Thrush picked a sloe and tried to swallow it to no avail, the sloes are quite of a large size this year.

Four juvenile Mute Swans, I wonder if the offpring of the Kelsey Gardens pair, on Keyingham drain.

Fieldfares and a couple of Redwing.

Fieldfare and Redwings.

I take a short detour to Kelsey Gardens south lake. It is quiet, the cafe closed. I flush two Cormorants that were fishing near the shore, they land on the middle of the lake and eye me suspiciously. The resident pair of Mute Swans are more sedated, swimming by and in the distance at least 4 Little Grebes. Two crows rattle casing a Sparrowhawk. A Great Spotted Woodpecker feeds on a lichen-covered tree trunk. I return to the railway trail and watch Reed Buntings feeding on a field planted with millet (I think!). Further on, a Buzzard is sitting on a field, walking every now and then with that funny swagger of them. There is a stretch of road towards Ryehill I must walk by. I was planning to take a right of way 'shortcut' across the field, but I notice there is a large mixed flock of Lapwing and Golden plover on it, so I carry on by the road. Just by the crossing a covey of Red-legged Partridges are sitting looking like they are enjoying the sunshine.

Cormorant.

Great Spotted Woodpecker.

Mute Swans.

Little Grebes.

Redwing.

Long-tailed Tit.

Magpie amongst the sheep.

Reed Bunting.

Buzzard on a field.

Lapwing.

Red-legged Partridge.

Golden Plovers by Ryehill.

Ryehill and Camerton are next to each other on the East of Thorngumbald, I take a walk around them. On a field by Ryehill I count 42 Curlew, which is the most I've seen in a long while. I'm pleased to record the Green Meshweaver in Thorngumbald. I want to check the Fallow Deer herd by the road to Hedon. I count 22, some of them look young and many are very pale. A few though, have the lovely russet coat with white spots.

Curlew by Ryehill.

Pied Wagtail.

A Green Meshweaver at Thorngumbald.

Fallow Deer.

Fallow Deer buck with doe.

I even managed to spot a Buff-tailed Bumblebee, basking underneath a Mahonia.