Urban birding at Hull: a walk to East Park via Hornsea Rail trail

 A sunny, cold morning with the first frost of the season. I walk to East Park via the Hull to Hornsea Rail trail, a disused railway line now converted into a cycle lane/footpath, one of the green corridors across the city. Along the way, I watch a large flock of Woodpigeons flying over, in migration. Of note too is a Chiffchaff and a greenfinch and also a Redshank on the riverbank.

Stepney Station.

A view of the track.

Large flock of migrating woodpigeons.

Wilmington Bridge.

Greenfinch.

River Hull from Wilmington Bridge.

Redshank.

Chiffchaff.

It takes me about an hour to get to East Park.

A Carrion Crow with a large bill.

A pair of Mute Swans preened in the boating lake, their plumage stained blue from the dye used in the lake.

East Park main lake.

As I get to the centre of the main lake I spot my first Goosanders of the season. Three individuals including some 1st winter males moulting onto while body feathers, their mammal-like furry heads still foxy-red.

There is also a heron in the usual spot on the central island (top shot). A Kingfisher flies along the lake, the first one I see this year!

There are plenty of Black-headed Gulls and Common gulls resting on the jetty. I scan through their legs in search of rings, and I find one of each species with readable plastic rings.

Black-headed gull from a Germany ringing scheme.

Common Gull from a Polish scheme.

Three of the four drake Pochards.

A Cormorant dries it's wings in the sun. Note how the 'alula' is lifted and the pygidial gland is visible as the feathers in the area are spread out.

A distant flock of Pink-footed Geese over.

One of the adult Great-Crested Grebes. There were at least two young, still begging to one of the parents.

Grey Wagtail. Two were present and also a Pied Wagtail.

On the way back along the north shore of the lake I catch up with the Kingfisher. It stays for a couple of minutes in a dark area of one of the islands, before flying off.

Black-headed Gull.

A young Black-headed Gull. It walks along and they flies to the water, so I don't catch the whole code. The ending of the ringing scheme suggest Lithuania.

Grey Squirrel.

It's 11 o'clock and time to head back. It feels like it's the end of the day already. Gulls are gathering on the roofs of some factories. One of them attracts my attention, but it's not a Mediterranean gull, just a Black-headed gull with more black on the head than usual this time of year.

Herring Gull and Black-headed gulls.

Urban birding at Hull: Chanterlands and Northern Cemetery

An early walk today around the Avenues, Chanterlands Avenue and Northern Cemetery. Cloudy and mild with little wind. I'm pleased to find a flock of 11 Jackdaws feeding on the YPI playing fields, with loafing Common and Herring Gulls. I keep seeing Jackdaws around, singly or in pairs in the area, but I wonder if there are resident ones. The streets behind the YPI could hold the breeding colony, will visit again in the breeding season.

I hear a Mistle Thrush singing from the cemetery trees, the first in the season, spring feels a long way off, but this thrush is starting to feel the stirrings of a new breeding season.

A mixed flock of tits gives me Coal Tit and a Treecreeper. A Long-tailed Tit flock later has two Goldcrests amongst them.

A Redwing, flushed from a rowan.

Grey Squirrel with apple.

Goldcrest.

Magpie.

Great Spotted Woodpecker feeding on a maple.

Clinging from a branch upside down.

Many Chaffinches about feeding on the birches and on the ground under rowans. The male in the photo above has white leg growths, see this article for a description of this condition. The proportion of garden finches with the condition increases in winter, when many chaffinches migrate to the UK from the continent. It is unclear what causes the growths as both a papiloma virus and a mite are found in most affected chaffinches.

Great spotted woodpecked investigating a broken branch in a large willow.

Iris foetidissima berries.

Goldfinches.

Robin.

Coal Tit.

Urban birding at Hull: a walk to Albert Dock

An industrial walk today, including walking along Albert Dock by the Humber. It was cloudy and a little drizzly, with a constant westerly wind. I walk towards Spring Bank and the Infirmary, taking Rawling Way and then joining the end of Hessle Road. From there I walk by Strickland street to take the pedestrian bridge over the A63, then to English Street to the public right of way to Albert Dock near the Ice Arena.

A blooming Mahonia, a bush of North American origin that flowers in winter and is worth checking for winter active insects, particularly bumblebees. Unfortunately none seen today.

The drizzle stops and the clouds become lighter. The wooden groynes from the old dock look like giant skeletons by the Humber. Other than the usual gulls and feral pigeons, I don't see many birds on the estuary, despite the tide being half way.

Herring Gull near Fisherman's walk.

One of the newest brown-field sites in Hull, already colonised by buddleia.

A cotoneaster laden with berries atop a derelict wall.

Young Woodpigeon eating rowan berries.

The view east from the Albert dock lock 

Another dock skeleton by Albert Dock.

A long straight path by the Humber.

Rock Pipit atop the sea wall.

From the point where the pipit was onwards, recent flood defence works have resulted on a raised the flood wall, which, for a short person like me means that the views have been noticeably reduced!

Distant shots of two Redshank.

Feral Pigeon on the wall.

Derelict dock buildings.

A line of Black-headed gulls at St Andrews dock with the Humber Bridge in the horizon.

This young common gull had a piece of plastic attached to its bill.

A beautiful Feral Pigeon at Coltman Street, with plumage similar to the wild Rock Dove.