Urban River Hull WeBS and Albert Dock

 

The high tide was at 8:05, a very high 7.66m spring tide. I left the house in darkness for Street Scott bridge for the last WeBS count of January. The first stretch of counting was not very auspicious, with just four overflying Cormorants of note. In the second stretch, I spotted the Redshank roost by the Trinity Buoy house, 19 of them. There were another two feeding by the tidal barrier, and 5 more with 3 Dunlin by the Deep. The Curlew was at the front of the Deep. Two Moorhens and a few Mallards were also in the River. I decided to walk to the Half-tide Basin to check how much saltmarsh was exposed in the tide. I was surprised to see there was some exposed in the outer basin and some lightly flooded area that was being used by two Mallard and a Redshank. Two roosting Dunlin left shortly after.

In the basin itself, a pair of Swans were upending. There was some ice in the centre. A Cormorant was diving and three Coots were having an argument.

On a whim and after a hot drink, I decided to check if the lock was closed at Albert Basin. On the way I found a line of Black-headed gulls at Victoria Pier. One was ringed, an old friend. 

Two Mallard feeding at the Victoria Dock dry dock by the river.

Sunrise.

19 Redshanks roosting by the Trinity Buoy house.

Five Redshanks with three Dunlin.

Curlew by The Deep.

Dunlin at the Half-tide outer basin.

Redshank.

Redshank and Mallard.

I presumed the same pair of Mute Swans that frequents the Half-tide Basin has returned.

Ringed Black-headed Gull 2FVH, ringed in a landfill site in Essex as an adult in Dec 2014, so it must be at least 10 year old. I have previously seen it at Oak Road Lake in 2022 and it has also been reported at the Marina in 2019. This spring it was observed in Riga (Latvia).

The group of Black-headed Gulls with 2FVH.

The lock was closed, meaning I could cross to Albert Dock. By the footpath in the old groynes area, I spot a bird, a Rock Pipit! It fed for a while amongst the short vegetation growing amongst the gravel.

Rock Pipit, a new bird for the year.

Stock Dove.

Another old friend. The ringed Mediterranean Gull that often sits atop Princes Quay was today atop the Holiday Inn by the marina. It takes me to 62 birds for my Local Big Year.

A walk by the Setting Dike, Willerby Carrs, Wood Lane and Snuff Mill Lane in January

Sunny, frosty days are ideal for this walkin the winter, which involve walking along a very muddy country lane, and the mud will be frozen, making the walking more pleasant, and the sun of your back provides bright, uplifting views. It has been very cold lately, and there is very little open water about. But most of the ditches and dykes along the walk drain into the Setting Dyke held some free flowing water. By the Setting Dyke, my binoculars and camera prompted a dog walker to tell me that she had seen a Kingfisher a few times in the morning, a regular, she said, and a species I haven't recorded in the area.

One of three Mallard by the Setting Dyke in the Cropton Road area.

Two male Blackbirds engaged in what I call, slow chase. They jump along, loosely following each other. It appears to be a territorial display.

A Rowan in a front garden laden with berries made me look for its guarding Mistle Thrush. It was actually sitting in the middle of the tree, then flew to a nearby roof.

The view West across the Willerby Carrs fields.

I scan the paddocks. All the puddles and flashes are frozen, but a few gulls, a Rook, some Pied Wagtails and these two Meadow Pipits were feeding on the grass.

Meadow Pipit.

Rook. As I scanned the paddocks, a Snipe flew, dipping down onto a ditch.

The view north at Wood Lane.

This Redwing was feeding on fallen haws by Priory Road.

It was nice to see 25 Rooks, with a few Jackdaws, feeding on the paddocks of Woodlane Farm. 

The return walk via Snuff Mill Lane, looking NW.

A Pickering Park Pintail at the WeBS survey

A frosty walk to Pickering Park for the Wetland Bird Survey. It hasn't rained or snow recently, but everything looked like it had a dusting of snow. At Priory Cycle lane, a roving flock of Siskins, more than 20, were feeding on the alders. At some point the flock came down to the brambles and bushes, where they looked like they were picking at the ice crystals, possibly to get some water. The flock was still in the same area when I walked back.

Male Siskin with ice crystals around its bill.

A frosty looking blackbird.

A Pink-footed Geese skein flying over Boothferry Road.

Frosty playing fields.

Even on the ice the Coots displayed aggressively to each other.

I was relieved to see the Mute Swan pair in good health.

As I was counting the Mallard, I noticed this female Pintail, the first one I see in Hull. She was not shy at all and even walked on the ice to approach people feeding bread to the ducks.

It is the closest I've been to a pintail.

Pintail on the ice.

Female Pintail.

Another new bird for the site was this Little Grebe. I'm aware I've missed it in previous surveys.

Blue tits, a species I don't photograph enough.

Foggy, frosty January at Sculcoates

It was very atmospheric walking by Pearson Park today on my way to the patch. The ducks had gathered around the fountain, which was the only spot free of ice, whilst the gulls sat happily on the ice. There has been a pair of Canada Geese that appear to roost at the park. The brown and white domestic duck, follows them everywhere. The Barmston Drain was iced up from Stepney Lane northwards.

Pearson Park lake.

The fog lifting and the iced up drain.

Pied Wagtail on the frosty ground of the bike lane.

Stock doves were quite active today, driving, singing.

There was a large flock of Greenfinches at the N Cemetery, 13 can be seen in this photo.

Great Tit doing a great impersonation of a Chiffchaff call.

The pair of Coots, two Little Grebes (1st of the year) and Mallard were gathered in an ice-free spot in the drain.

The Little Grebe with winter plumage, perhaps an immature, closely followed the adult plumaged one. They diver together.

I scanned a group of Black-headed Gulls on a roof, and found this ringed one, E4Y3, an old friend as I saw it at Pickering Park last winter. It is a 2yr old adult from The Netherlands.

The first singing Chaffinch of the year.

All morning, the gulls had been flushed and I couldn't see why. After watching the Chaffinch singing a Blue Tit called in alarm and a Crow flew purposefully in one direction. I thought the crow would mob the Sparrowhawk, but instead, if turned 180 degrees in the air as a Sparrowhawk, almost brushing garden fences and spearing throuth trees and bushes, darted past me hoping to grab a bird, absolutely magical!