Urban River Hull: Wilmington Bridge to Reich Carter Way

A cold, frosty and sunny morning, I decide to start by walking to Wilmington Bridge to check on the Great Black-backed Gulls. On the way there, I see that the pond at Pearson park was half iced over. The Common Gulls like to stand on the ice. I checked gull legs, but no luck with rings.

Common Gull on ice.

A pair of Greylag were feeding on the playing fields.

On the river, the tide was quite low and there was a large group of Herring Gulls, mainly young of the year, bathing on their usual spot. In between them, the massive king of the gulls: an adult Great Black-backed Gull - looking a bit dirty all be said - approached the water and proceeded to shake it's bill repeatedly, trying to clean it on the shore of the River Hull. I love these amazing gulls and I can't believe I've travelled to Bridlington to catch up with them in the past!

Bath time for the gulls.

Great Black-backed Gull and Herring Gull juveniles, they look tiny in comparison.

The river Hull with the Reckitt chimney rising in the distance.

There were a few Redshank feeding and the usual Moorhen on the river too. I crossed Wilmington bridge. A pair of Kestrels were sitting on a sunny window ledge of the British Extracting Co, the first time I see two on the patch.

Kestrels.

I walk towards Stoneferry Road. A Peregrine flies up and up and lands on the Reckitt Chimney. It must have impressive views of the city as it is the tallest structure in Hull with 141 m. There is some Feral Pigeon movement, but they seem relaxed, maybe the Peregrine just wants to enjoy the sunshine.

Peregrine.

I climb the steps to rejoin the river bank path. There are three Redshanks in the section and I film two that walk in parallel repeatedly up and down the bank, and another alarm calling.

Redshank.

Black-headed Gulls.

The view from the bottom of the steps.

An urban otter track

Close up.

I notice they have put netting on the B&Q roof, presumably to deter the gulls, as there were a few Lesser Black-backed gulls which bred there and their mobbing cries must have been irritating to customers. Hopefully there won't be entanglements. There is no end of industrial roofs on the area so hopefully they will settle nearby.

A yawning Cormorant on the pylon.

A Kestrel near Sutton bridge. Looking down onto a grassy patch.

One of half a dozen Redwings on Yews at Haworth Hall.

The cycle circuit with the ponds has been fenced off, so I can't do my customary wander around and carry on. I hear a passing Kingfisher from the river, a rushed neat high pitched, repeated whistle but no luck in spotting it. Roebank Reservoir is 70% iced over. Fortunately there are 7 Mute Swans making sure there is some open water. There are more Teal than last time, 14+, also 29 Gadwall, 3 Shovelers, and 63 Coots. Many gulls, too tricky to count. 

A 4th year Great Black-backed Gull on ice on the reservoir with Black-headed Gull, Common Gulls and juvenile Herring Gull. This was the 3rd GBBG I saw today.

A surprise Pheasant on the reservoir wall.

Grey Heron.

A Sparrowhawk flushes a Redshank from the river, very close to the Reich Carter Way bridges. The Sparrowhawk flies onto some trees, I think it is going to land, but instead it zig-zags in between openings between branches and drops on the other side. I get to the bridges and move onto the other bank.

At Haworth Hall, a Greenfinch sits atop a tree, looks like a lime. Then I noticed that the tree has a clump of mistletoe. 

Mistletoe.

I have my picnic on a bench overlooking the playing fields at Oak Road. I'm hoping to see the white crow, but no luck. Later, three Carrion Crows come down to the river for a wash.

Two Little Grebes are visible from the bridge at Beresford Avenue.

A total of 45 bird species, and 10 Birdtrack lists, on a 14.5 km walk.

Urban birding at Hull: Sculcoates Frosty week 47

 An icy and freezing walk around the patch, with a light wind from the north increasing the feeling of cold. It felt like the calm after the storm, with storm Arwen yesterday denuding many trees of leaves. Today at least it was very bright, with long sunny spells and dark clouds that didn't materialise into snow. I did the usual walk around the patch.

Blackbird on leaves,

I haven't said much about House Sparrows on the patch, but they have several colonies, especially around the housing estates. Today, a male posed on a bush and I took his portrait (top shot).

Young Starling singing.

Mallard pair on the drain.

The large oak at the north cemetery is now only clothed with ivy.

After the cemetery, I move to the river Hull. The tide is low and I count 4 Redshank feeding. Earlier three of them had flown over the south cemetery aiming for the drain, but they quickly returned.

Redshank.

Redshank after washing its tidbit on the water.

As usual, there are many gulls on the river and a large group on a roof. A darker one gets my attention, first I think is a lesser black-back gull, but it's got pink legs and it is very dark, another one also very dark flies over. They are quite distant and hard to get an idea of size, but I'm sure they are Great Black-backed Gulls, on a photo I see a young one too. This is the 65th bird species on the patch.

Great Black-backed Gull.

I walk to Fountain Road. I surprise a Little Grebe fishing in the middle of the drain. It quickly dives and moves to the vegetation. I hide behind the bridge, with the sun on my back, and it eventually moves again to the clear water, keeping an eye on my all the time.

Little Grebe.

A lone Pink-footed Goose flies north calling.

Withernsea to Sand-le-Mere walk

 A day of sunny spells and northerly wind, I'm curious to visit Withernsea, mainly to find out what happened to the stranded Sperm Whales, almost a year on. I get to Pier Road about 9:15 and as I step out of the car, a Woodcock flies over and dips on the trees beyond. I fail to refind it, but it's a good way to start the day. I walk to the promenade and scan the sea. A flock of ducks flies over in off from the sea, I can't distinguish any particular features, maybe they are Gadwall. Shortly after, a Short-eared Owl is being pestered by Herring Gulls offshore. Signs of migration everywhere! As I start my walk on the beach itself, a rainbow appears and then grows. It looks like I'm going to walk inside the rainbow (top shot). Predictably, this materialises into a very fine drizzle which fortunately, only lasts a few minutes.

Flying ducks.

Short-eared Owl.

Short-eared Owl and Herring Gull.

There is always a pair of Kestrels hunting along the cliff at Owthorne, today wasn't an exception. Here is the male.

I scan ahead, looking for some sign of the stranding of the pod of young male Sperm Whales. Finally, I get to the only sign remaining, looking like a large chunk of skull.

A collapsed section of the cliff.

Common Gull.

There is a flock of about 17 Ringed Plovers ahead on the shoreline.

Ringed Plovers.

Sanderling.

The pair of Kestrels hovering.

Is it a bank vole or a field vole?

I walk around the now disappeared mere at Sand-le-Mere. I stand at the embankment and look at the low lying basin with Tunstal drain crossing it. I see a vole scurrying into a metal fence post. I crouch and wait for a little while and it eventually pops its head up for a photo. Unfortunately, there is no trace of the submarine forest that was so well exposed last time I was here last year. Despite the low tide, a thick layer of sand is now covering it, only a section of peaty mud with some roots is exposed.

The low-lying basin of the old mere.

Reed Bunting.

The slope to the beach at Sand-le-Mere.

The last remains of the last boat at the boat compound at Sand-le-Mere.

I have my lunch near the Greenwich Meridian crossing, on the low lying slope at Sand-le-Mere. On the walk back, a small bird flies over calling 'chew, chew' I get a glimpse of the black and white wings, it's a Snow Bunting, my first this year!

A clay sequence with signs of roots, probably to be found under the peat of the mere is the only exposure at Sand-le-Mere.

A Great Black-backed Gull back at Withernsea.