Circular walk to Oak Road Lake and the River Hul

A morning with sunny spells, noticeably cool when cloudy. I walk to Oak Road Lake and pop by the Barmston Drain at Clough Road and Beresford Avenue on the way there, but don't see any Water Voles. Reed Warblers are already singing on territories at Oak Road lake (1st for the localbigyear), but they remain hidden from view on the old reed stems. Chiffchaffs and Blackcaps sing.

A Grey Squirrel inspects a hole in a tree.

The female Mute Swan still on her nest.

Rabbit by the river bank

After a couple of circuits around the lake, I take the river bank going downstream. The tide is quite low, the river looking blue and transparent.

 A Reed Bunting sings, a Grey Wagtail flies away. A Whitethroat sings by the scrapyard, but remains elusive, as still does the one by the cycle path at Sculcoates. 

A Buzzard soaring by Croda.

Lesser Black-back Gull on the river.

The riverbank walk on the right margin is quite easily passable. The vegetation still short and the path dry as it hasn't rained in weeks. Two Swallows fly around Stoneferry Bridges, then a male Swallow stops to sing (top shot). Two were present, also new for localbigyear.

Linnet at Stoneferry Bridges.

Blackcap singing at Sculcoates.

A walk along the River Hull in April

 

A cool dry day with hazy sun and increasing wind. I take a long walk along the river Hull. I make a stop by the drain on the way and find a Water Vole straight away. I think it's the same individual I saw a week ago, with a scar on the right side of its nose.

A perfectly spherical water vole feeding on roots.

On the playing fields there is a congregation of 60 Carrion Crows. All quiet and not doing much. I find these crow meetings quite intriguing!

Just two Small Tortoiseshells this morning. Quite a difference with my walk in March!

Rabbits.

A Kestrel hovering over the river bank.

Kestrel.

Stopping for a rest.

The first Greylag goslings of the year. They went out of view (probably to be brooded) so I only got this record shot.

Two adult Mute Swans on the reservorir and this young one on the river

The lavender crow was foraging on the river bank near Beresford Playing Fields.

I couldn't believe when 3 hirundines flew over and all were House Martins. Usually it is the last species I see in the spring. A total of 45 species for the walk.

It was a good day for raptors too, with the 4 resident species seen: Kestrel, Buzzard, Sparrowhawk and Peregrine

Sparrowhawk.

Peregrine calling with pigeon prey.

A walk in the General Cemetery

A Sunday morning short walk today around the General Cemetery. Just as I arrive I spot a Jay, causing some commotion among the small birds. It poses nicely on a branch for me. Later I see two near Chanterlands avenue, their long crest blowing in the breeze.

Jay, the breeze from its back kept blowing its crest.

Jays.

The Cemetery is a great site for woodland birds. I found a single singing Blackcap and a Chiffchaff along the railway line. A Woodpecker was drumming and chipping. Two Goldcrests were around a yew.

Sparrow calling from a roof on Perth St.

Another cemetery special, Stock Doves take advantage of large trees with holes.

On my way back I spot a Sparrowhawk. It is moving deliberately along a tree top, and eventually it picked a branch and flew to an Ivy-covered tree. I found the male in a branch nearby, he was watching the female intently, showing the fake eyespots at the back of its head. I have kept the last photo even if it is not focused to show the white spots on his back, showing its a young male.

Female Sparrowhawk.

Female Sparrowhawk. Note the fluffled out white feathers under its tail.

Female Sparrowhawk with stick.

Male Sparrowhawk, note false eyespots. A particularly dark individual.

The spotted back of the sparrowhawk indicates a young male.

A walk around the Setting Dike, Willerby Carrs, Wood Lane and Snuff Mill Lane

A day with long sunny spells, but still quite cold due to the northerly breeze. I make my way around the avenues and cross Chanterlands Avenue to head to the Setting Dike.

A male Blackbird with food for chicks.

Blackcap on Ivy.

Soon after I get to the Setting Dyke I spot a cat, and I soot realise the cat is stalking a Water Vole! The water vole is collecting vegetation from the bank standing on its rear legs, and the bringing it to the water for nibbling. It soon realises something is amiss and swims across the dyke. The light is lovely and I take some photos of its activities.

This is the closest the cat got to the Water Vole. The steepness of the dike probably helps keeping the water voles safe from cats and dogs.

A view of this stretch of the Setting Dike.

I have another surprise on the next stretch of the dike, when I spot a Little Egret on the bank. It is relatively quiet with most children already at school. The egret flies into the drain, where it joins another. I had never had a Little Egret in the Setting Dike.

Little Egrets.

3-spined Sticklebacks at the dike.

The Setting Dike has a plentiful population of 3-spined Stickebacks and the fact that is running quite low, making them accessible. I guess the Little Egrets make the best of this early in the morning before passers by and dogs walkers get up.

I walk around the playing fields. The gulls are alarm calling and I soon see the source of the issue: two Buzzards, they appear to be chasing each other in a playful way.

Buzzards.

I walk across Children's Wood and over the pedestrian bridge over the railway line. Soon I'm at Willerby Carr Dyke community orchard. I explore around. The soil is waterlogged in the fields by the orchard. A Green Woodpecker whines, a Reed Bunting does its chirpy song.

An almost white Woodpigeon on Willerby Carr Farm.

Horses at Willerby Carr Farm.

A view of the flooded Willerby Carr Farm.

I had surprised a Fox earlier, but this one is too sleepy to notice me.

Two Wigeon and six Teal were still at Willerby Carr pool.

Wood Lane is quite dry, very different from the last time I walk by. The Blackthorn is in bloom, Chiffchaffs sing at regular intervals. A Skylark and a Linnet also singing.

My first Bluebells of the year at Wood Lane.

Four Roe Deer are feeding on the horse paddocks.This one stops to have a good look. It was a good day for mammals, a Bank Vole scurried on the grass shortly after.

Singing Chiffchaff.

A Rook comes to drink on a puddle at Priory Fields.

My first Green-veined White of the year at Snuff Mill Lane.

One of two Bee Flies at Snuff Mill Lane.

The field with a temporary pond off Snuff Mill Lane.

A Buzzard had landed on a Carrion Crow's nest. Both crows were calling noisily and flying around, but the Buzzard was undeterred. I wonder if it was looking for eggs and finding none, as it flew off shortly after.

Tawny Mining bee by the Setting Dike.

A very pleasant walk of 13 km walked and 42 bird species seen.