A walk along Spring Bank West to Springhead Pumping Station

 Springhead Waterworks was built in 1862 to increase water supply to the growing city of Hull. The marshes where Hull was built and the river Hull were too salty for driking water, so freshwater from wells at the foothills of the Wolds at Anlaby, which included Julian's Well were used. This was piped, but had been by ditches earlier, and hence, 'Spring Bank' which led to the name of one of the main arteries of the city. Spring Bank runs almost straight from Springhead, at the westernmost edge of the city, to the city centre in its confluence with Beverley Road. Nowadays this makes a E-W green corridor that links the playing fields and allotments of Anlaby, through a green lane that includes the disused Hull and Barnsley railway tracks and sidings at both sides of Calvert Lane now rewilded, through to Stable Walk, and the Western and General Cemeteries. A large tract of Spring Bank West has a wide central reservation, likely a legacy of the old tram system, with a verge and trees which contributes to this green corridor.

It is a cold and cloudy morning. I walk west from home making my way to the Pumping Station alongside Spring Bank, and the parallel path just W of Calvert Lane, a brownfield site with birch and meadows. Bird's foot trefoil is blooming. Blackcaps and Chiffchaffs sing, a Fox scuttles ahead into the verges.

A displaying collared dove, bowing and stretching, and doing some footwork in between

The southern path along the western sidings off Calvert Lane. The brownfield that were the disused railway tracks of the Hull and Barnsley railway are now wooded, mainly with birch, and have an interesting flora.

A meadow with flowering Pignut off the railway sidings

I finally get to the Springhead Waterworks. There is a public footpath around it, but the fence and hedges around it makes it hard to get good views.

Behind the waterworks there is a ditch, the Sand Dike, running south-north to the confluence with the Setting dike.

The football pitches just south of the waterworks were teeming with rabbits, I counted 20, many of them young.

Woodpigeons and rabbits on the playing fields.

The waterworks octogonal tower.

The very pleasant Spring Bank West green lane.

Grey Squirrel feeding on a male pine cone.

This Chaffinch sung while sitting on a branch, maybe something wrong with its feet?

One of the ten Swifts flying over Spring Bank West, the highest number I've seen this year.

May WeBS count in the River Hull

Before the wetland bird survey count of the River Hull today, I took a slight detour and headed to the last stretch of the Beverley and Barmston Drain before it ends in the river. It was warm and sunny all day, with the occasional breeze, but very pleasant for an early morning walk.

The two surving Elms of Brunswick Avenue.

At Lockwood Street, I pause to enjoy the birds. A Swallow sits atop a lamppost. It's LED these days, but the Swallows have probably been sitting on older versions of lamp posts for many years, as it's a great singing spot by the bridge over the drain were they nest. The view SE at the top of the post.

Swallow

Song Thrush.

Reed Warbler.

From the river I could see the golden Greenwich Time Ball atop the Guildhall, now that all the scaffolding is gone. It looks great! I only noticed as I was scanning the sky following House Martins and Swallows, trying to find out where the House Martins might be nesting.

This Swallow was at the dry dock of High Street, singing. There are two or three pairs in my WebS stretch. One of them went to a nest under Drypool Bridge. I flush a Grey Wagtail from one of the docks.

Lesser Black-backed gull. There were not many gulls around today, which seems a feature of this year, possibly Avian Flu effects? 

I got into a car park to take a photo of this sign. It's probably been a long time since mooring was an issue. Very little boat traffic in the river these days. Drypool Bridge in the background.

This other Swallow was singing nearby.

I was very surprised to see this spider in the open, the reason being that it had caught some prey. It's my first Steatoda nobilis, or Noble False Widow.

My heart skipped a beat when I saw two odd birds in the distance. They turned out to be domestic mallards, probably siblings with the same pattern.

A female Mallard was leading her four ducklings along the river. One of them was a bit reluctant to get to the water.

On the corner of Half Penny bridge there are a few pools in the mud as the tide drops. There were many mud shrimps, which were great to watch with their oversized antennae. These are favourite food for waders such as Dunlin and Redshank.

To fishish up, these Herring Gulls didn't mind walking on the glass of St Stephen.

This one even sat down.

Hull City Nature Challenge - Day 4 - Albert Dock, Victoria Dock, city centre, Wildlife Garden

Weather was good for the final day of the City Nature Challenge, with sunny spells, still and mild. After another early start, I headed to the core of the city, which hadn't been surveyed much, Albert Dock and Victoria Dock, the tide low. I started by ticking some common birds, including this crow carrying a piece of plastic. Starlings were busy collecting food for chicks and singing.

Crow with bit of plastic.

Singing Starling.

At the Milky Way square, the usual pair of Stock Doves, and not usually, a singing Whitethroat.

Whitethroat.

At the city centre, the frantic calls and flapping from a Feral Pigeon chick being fed by a parent called my attention. I took the photo once the commotion was over, both chick and parent looking very sedated. It always amazes me how tiny ledges they use as nests. With time, a rim of poo makes enough of a cup to told eggs and chicks. There is barely any indication of a nest hete.

Feral Pigeon with chick.

This Herring Gull forgot it was a Bank Holiday.

A Woodpigeon on the City Hall.

I had to record the Sea Spleenwort by the outer dock wall. It really suffered with the dry weather, but is already growing back.

Seaweed was exposed at low tide.

Henbit Deadlettle was a nice addition to my Hull plant list.

A Stock Dove feeds on the roof of a warehouse at Albert Dock.

After recording a number of plants at Albert Dock, which was very quiet bird-wise, I headed towards The Deep and Victoria Dock. It was a first for me to see Blackbirds mating atop a roof (top shot), then, a few houses ahear, a female House Sparrow requested mating repeatedly. 

Mating House sparrow.

Three-spined Stickleback.

Coot.

Lesser black-backed gulls displayed by the tideline at the Half-tide basin.

A Skylark flew up from the new saltmarsh and sung briefly, before disappearing.

I returned via Victoria Dock park. The sun shone for a while and I recorded a few Butterflies, including my first Holly Blue of the year.

Holly Blue.

Peacock.

Windowframe wildlife.

After lunch we had a spot of recording at the Pearson Park wildlife garden.

Celery fly, very active, beautiful fly.

Pond Skater.

Nursery Web Spider.

The final push was to check the remote camera I had placed in the garden for the CNC. I hadn't used in a long time and I wasn't sure it was going to work. After a few cat photos I was very pleased to see a few Fox selfies, which was a great record to end the challenge.

 

Fox in the garden