Urban River Hull: Wilmington Bridge to The Deep in September

 It is core count date for the Wetland Bird Survey and I am doing the stretch of the river Hull from Beverley and Barmston drain to The Deep. As high tide is at 10:30, I have some time to do the patch for this week (week 36) and the stretch of river from Wilmington Bridge. I start at Sculcoates at 8:30. The first noticeable thing is that the banks have been razed to the ground, mowing doesn't describe what the verge by the footpath looked like. I assume this is an annual operation to reduce vegetation growth on the banks of the drain, still, it does look quite brutal. It is cloudy but mild and there is no wind, and there are not many insects about. 

The razed bank of the drain.

 I take a short walk in the North Cemetery, the high clouds break letting a bit of sun.

Autumnal Comma with ivy buds and blackberries.

I flush a falcon from the pylon just NE of the cemetery. Next time I will be more careful and scan the pylon, as this has happened before. Later, I find a Kestrel, high up, which is the first one that I see perched in the patch.

The hoverfly Xylota segnis.

I get to the river. There are fewer gulls than usual, definitely fewer Lesser Black-backed Gulls, maybe some starting back their migration to southern Europe.

As I scan the river banks for the Redshank roost, not finding it, I see these set of benches over looking the river by the newly repaired bank. Someone enjoys their breaks at work watching the river Hull.

Near Sculcoates bridge a Pied Wagtail sits on a roof.

There is not much of interest until I make it to North Bridge. A Starling sits on the chimney pot where the Cormorants sat last month. No Cormorants today. It is an eerily quiet day in the river. Even the gull roost at St Peter street Royal Mail depot has just 8 Black-headed gulls and 3 Herring Gulls.

Starling.

I check the dry docks. A Magpie calls from atop a roof.

The Redshank roost is by the moorings of the barge by the buoy shed. They like to sit by the ropes and it's amazing how easy it is to miss them behind the thick ropes. I count them three times, each time finding another little head just poking over the rope, 19 in all.

The Sea Aster is now in fruit, with few flowers left, quite a difference from Skeffling yesterday. 

This sloping path by Scale Lane bridge would make good a bee nest habitat.

I'm surprised to find a single Redshank by the Deep.

Still some Lesser black-backed gulls about by the Deep, where a pair stays year round. There are also some around at Princes Quay.

A first year pied wagtail, one of two on the Dock Stage.

I meet my daughter for lunch and a Woodpigeon on eggs watches over from its nest on a Ginkgo. We watch a change-over.