Urban birding at Hull: A walk to Bransholme

 A pleasant spring day, cold but with long sunny spells and a very light breeze. I crossed Pearson Park and then walked north by Beverley Road to Strawberry Walk, then to Oak Road playing fields, where I took the river side path, and I walked to Reich Carter Way twin bridges, that mark a limit to the City of Hull boundary. 

 I took the river bank path after a brisk walk across town, the river flowing in ebbing tide, its waters quite clear. I heard a Reed Bunting singing and feeding on the reed seed heads.

Singing Reed Bunting.

A large clump of mistletoe on a poplar at Oak Road playing fields.

The mistletoe clump is now very visible with the trees still leafless.

Reaching Sutton Bridge.

Crossing Sutton Bridge, I moved onto the East bank of the river, and then climbed down the floodbank to have a look at the Ennerdale ponds. The area had been heavily grazed by ponies. 

Both ponds at Ennerdale were quite full. In one there was a coot, but some crows were calling and the coot hid in the marginal plants like so:

Coot in hiding.

Some of the fly grazing horses on the river bank.

ponies.

Linnet singing.

Bransholme or Roe Bank reservoir

I stopped at Bransholme reservoir for a while to scan the reservoir. It is fenced so it is a bit ackward to check the birds in between the metal grille. Two Little Grebes were very vocal, trilling. I had earlier flushed one on the river, who dived straight away and disappeared from view. There were two young Mute Swans (I wonder if the young from Oak Road), a pair of Gadwall, some Shovelers, 19 Tufted Ducks, two Pochard, and some courting Teal. Many Black-headed, Common Gulls and Herring gulls and a single Lesser Black-backed gull were also about.

Gadwall.

Teal.

Buzzard.

Buzzards. Two of the three that passed over towards the south.

Shoveler.

Little Grebe in breeding plumage.

Grey Wagtail.

I carried on towards the twin bridges. I saw two Song Thrushes, still, like frozen, quite close on a path near the flood bank. I've seen a Mistle Thrush do this when there is a Sparrowhawk about.

I watched all around and found the reason for their terror: a beautiful male Sparrowhawk scanning the ground from a tree!

Male Sparrowhawk.

Rabbit in usual spot near the twin bridges.

I then reached the twin bridges and started my way back, this time returning on the west bank of the river. 

The twin bridges at Reich Carter Way.

Lesser Celandine in bloom. 

Oak Road Lake

Not many plants were in bloom, but amongst them there were many flowering willows, attracting plenty of insects in the sunshine. There were several buff-tailed bumblebees active, some droneflies and several fast flying butterflies. Only this Small Tortoiseshell stopped to sunny itself.

I walked around the lake, the paths now just passable. A Chiffchaff fed around the trees. At some point, I saw it catching a large insect, and looking at the photo it appears it is a bluebottle.

Chiffchaff.

Then, as I was approaching the turbine, I heard a chatter. There was a flock of Siskin feeding on alders, while twitering away. The light wasn't great as I had the sun in my eyes, but I managed some shots.

Male Siskin

Female Siskin.

A pair of Tufted Ducks at Oak Road Lake.

We are since yesterday, now allowed a picnic, and I took advantage of this to have a sit down and my lunch by Oak Road Lake.

Female Reed Bunting at Oak Road Lake.

A total of 47 species, not counting a possible pair of Peregrines (flying too high for confirmation), on 16.5 km walked, a bit more  than I'm used to, but a wonderful spring walk nonetheless.