Urban birding at Hull: Sculcoates week 51

A gloomy, mild day with no wind. The last walk around the patch this year. On the way via Endeavour I notice more Greenfinches than usual. A Woodpigeon balances on thin branches trying to reach the berries of a small rowan.

The Beverley and Barmston Drain.

Just by the allotments, a mixed flock of Linnets (top shot) and Greenfinches. Linnets have been scarce this year in the patch.

Linnet.

Greenfinch.

Mixed flock of Linnets and Greenfinches.

 I count 10 Linnets, which is a record for the site. It's two hours past high tide. The gulls are bathing in good numbers. I count three Great Black-backed Gulls, but more arrive one after the other until there are 6 adults and a juvenile, enthusiastically bathing. I'm starting to believe that the Great Black-backed Gulls have come this year and weren't there last year. After their bath, they fly to the roof of an industrial warehouse at the other side of the river, out of the way. Two Cormorants are sitting in their usual floodlight and mast.

Juvenile Great Black-backed Gull. It's head and bill looked massive.

Six visible Great Black-backed Gulls.

Two Great Black-backed Gulls.

Urban birds at Hull. 28. Lesser Redpoll

Redpolls are small, streaked finches with a tiny bill, a crimson spot on the forehead and a little black bib and mask. Males also have a crimson stained chest. They are found from the Arctic, to subarctic and temperate open forest and scrub and specialise on small seeds, mainly from birch, alder, willow, spruce and conifer seeds taken. They will also feed on wildflower seeds near the ground. They are agile and are able to use their feet deftly to hold catkins in place, to be able to feed on the seeds more easily, and often hang upside down from thin branches.

One of a flock of about 15 appeared to be feeding on buds. Noddle Hill LNR, 17 March 2014.

Noddle Hill LNR, 17 March 2014. 

27 December 2020, Sculcoates Lane.

27 December 2020, Sculcoates Lane. Note how the Redpoll is holding a birch catkin with its foot while feeding

13 December, Sculcoates N Cemetery.

Status and distribution in Hull

The Lesser Redpoll, Redpoll for short, used to be a scarce, but regular breeding bird in the Hull in the 60s and 70s in several areas, like the Northern Cemetery, Newland Park, Cottingham Road and the Hedon Road old railway line in areas, where streets were often lined with birch. By the mid 80s their numbers dropped drastically in lowland areas in the UK, particularly in the south and east, with Hull following this sad trend. The last recorded breeding was in the late 90s, when they became extinct as breeding birds. Since then, they are scarce passage and irruptive birds, from early November to the end of April. Redpoll flocks have erratic, nomadic, movements in winter in search of seeds, often travelling in the company of Siskins. Irruption years follow failures on the seed crops on which they rely, or high population densities after a good crop year, often spurred by cold weather. Sites where they've been recorded include Noddle Hill LNR, Sculcoates area, Oak Road Playing fields and even in the University, but any scrubby area with birch and alder, might attract them.

The avenue of birches at Northern Cemetery, a location where a colony of Redpolls bred in the 60s and 70s. Brian Pashby wrote "This road, about 30ft wide, is flanked by silver birches, which in Autumn provide a very colourful picture, and which are the headquarters of Hull's only colony of Redpolls." Pashby reported 4-6 breeding pairs in the cemetery.

Conservation and Management

Lesser Redpoll is a UK BAP priority bird species (2007) and is in the the Birds of Conservation Concern 5 Red list.

More information

Broughton, R.K. 2002. Birds of the Hull Area. Kingston Press. Hull, UK.

BTO Redpoll Factsheet.

Pashby, B.S. 1965. Birds of a suburban cemetery. Hull Natural History Society Newsletter. Reprinted in the Bulletin (2021) no 5.1. pp. 22-26.

Urban River Hull: Reich Carter Way to Wawne in winter

 

Another walk on my series of the River Hull within the city limits. My aim was to do each stretch on each season, so here is the winter stage for the stretch between Reich Carter Way and Wawne Ferry Road. It was misty but mild, and mid morning some sunny spells. I actually checked the Roebank reservoir before starting the walk proper. Unusual from previous visits was a Great Crested Grebe and a drake Pochard. There were fewer ducks than usual, no Shovelers or Teal.
 A male Kestrel watched the grassy bank from a tree.

Male Kestrel.

I scan the distant fields, hoping for a hare. No hares to be seen, but I'm pleased to find some roe deer, and more than happy to spot, amazingly, an adult pair of Peregrines, the male feeding on a kill, the larger female watching close by.

Three of the four Roe Deer on a field.

Peregrines, the male feeding on a kill, the female behind.

Passerines were few and far between, what a contrast to my spring walk here. A Song Thrush sits atop a tree by a farm. A flock of 10 Redwing kept circling around.

Song Thrush.

Two dog walkers let me know that they see two herons about, and a Cormorant, and a Barn Owl, which is nice to hear. I haven't had a Barn Owl at Hull this year. Just a few minutes later I come across the first heron, a juvenile, a bit later, three Cormorants assorted on posts and pylons.

Juvenile Grey Heron.

One of the three Cormorants.

A Rook takes off.

The River looking very serene as the tide flows. The young heron keeps flying in front of me. One of the times it lands on the bank and an adult heron immediately sees it off.

Feral Pigeons and wind vane on a barn.

The adult heron on the bank.

Moorhens on the river bank.

A duck flies downstream over the river. The contrasting white and dark plumage and orange legs point at drake Goosander, and I'm pleased to catch up with it later, fishing on the river Hull. My first Goosander on the river Hull within the city limits.

Drake Goosander.

Urban birding at Hull: Sculcoates week 50 and December River Hull Webs

A dull dark morning turning into drizzle later. I did the usual route around the patch and ended at Fountain Road, where I walked along the drain. Flocks of Goldfinches were feeding on birches around the area. I walked around the North Sculcoates Cemetery and two birds were feeding also on a birch. I checked with the binoculars, Redpolls! I had this species in my wish list for the Hull year list so it's nice to get it with a couple of weeks to spare. The Redpolls were flighty, but kept returning to the birch. I walked around to get a (marginally) better angle for the light and managed some record shots. Unfortunately they didn't stay very long. This species brings the species list in the patch this year to 67 and the Hull species year list to 108.

A pair of Bullfinches were also at the cemetery.

Three Stock Doves atop the old Sculcoates School building sorting a territorial dispute.

One of two Cormorants posing on the mast of a barge.

The bathing spot was busy early on. I scanned the flock, mostly made of Herring Gull young of the year. There were also two adult Great Black-backed Gulls and a 4th year one.

Four Redshank were scattered along the river. One flew off calling and was joined by another, who came back to its spot. I wonder if this escorting passing individuals is a type of territorial behaviour.

One of the GBBGs was trying very hard to eat a flounder. Flouder is too wide to be swallowed whole, which is the usual technique in gulls. It is too stiff and wide. The gull tried pecking it and  shaking it.

As I was taking a video of the GBBG, something spooked the gulls and, like a wave, all took off. The GBBG carried it's flounder in its bill. I scanned the sky, looking for a raptor. A female Sparrowhawk was on the hunt, diving a couple of times, maybe after Feral Pigeons. I was surprised the gulls reacted so strongly. The two Cormorants and the Redshank didn't fly off. A Grey Wagtail flew from the puddles at Transwaste.

 After this, a few gulls settled back in the wash area, but not many, so I carried along Wilcolmlee and then by Fountain Road to the drain. I saw the ripples of a Little Grebe diving in the middle of the drain, but it also saw me and moved quickly to the side vegetation, where I found it, watching me nervously. 

Little Grebe.

I could hear a Song Thrush singing, the first of the year. It was on a poplar by the drain.

After almost three hours on the patch, the last one in the drizzle, I headed home for lunch.The best thing on the way was a Mistle Thrush on the Endeavour lawns. Mistle Thrush has been scarce on the patch, maybe because I not normally walk on this southernmost edge of it. There are plenty of berries, mainly Rowan, large trees and grassy areas here, so it looks like the place could hold a pair.

We've been away in the weekend, where the core Webs for the River Hull was scheduled, so I headed to Scott Street bridge in the afternoon, an hour before high tide. It didn't stop drizzling, but at least it was quite mild. The alarm starts ringing as I step on North Bridge. I rush to the other side to watch the bridge lift to let a barge pass. I think it is always the same barge.

Drypool bridge lifting.

As the bridge lifts, I realise that there is a chance the barge will flush the Redshank from their roost. A Grey Wagtail flies from my bank, I would have missed it if not for the barge. The boardwalk from Drypool Bridge is still closed, but the Redshank roost site is visible from the bridge. Fortunately, as I get to the bridge, I see there are 8 Redshank on the Roost. 

I walk by High Street, noticing this lovely tile with Sperm Whales by the Hull and East Riding Museum.

There is some exposed mud and I find four scattered Redshank between the roost and the Deep.

Three Moorhens are on the river too. 

The drizzle is relentless, and I keep having to wipe my glasses every few minutes despite wearing a rain cap, the binoculars and camera are suffering too. I don't hang on. It's been a long day of walking, 18 km in total. I'm rewarded by the Med Gull at Princes Quay, who is moulting into its black head.

Mediterranean Gull on it's usual spot atop Princes Quay.