Urban River Hull and Barmston Drain with Hull Nats

I get bus 5 north early in the morning and I start my walk at the top of Beverley Road, then I cut across by the path along the field to Raich Carter way bridge. I'm joining Hull Nats later at Ennerdale, but I want to walk the whole of the urban stretch of the river Hull. A skein of Pink-footed geese fly calling overhead. It is cloudy, but calm. Their early commute to their day-time feeding grounds, flying north in the morning, has been a daily occurrence in the last couple of weeks.

Pink-footed Geese.

Another reason I started the walk early, is to check the Bransholme reservoir for migrant wildfowl. Unfortunately, the water level was very high, with no marginal vegetation exposed, so there were not many birds about. A mixed gull flock roosting in the centre, some Tufted Ducks and Cormorants resting on the pumping station building were the only highlights.

Cormorants.

Looking south from the floodbank of the river Hull by the reservoir. It is almost high tide.

Some soft vegetation rafts move quickly up river with the tide. The photo also shows the thick belt of reeds along stretches of the river. In the spring, these are noisy with Reed Warbler and Reed Bunting's song, but not today.

A pair of Jackdaws inspect this hole in a poplar trunk. The same hole is used by Stock Doves at times.

A very vocal Buzzard is perched on a lamp post just north of Ennerdale.

I flush a Roe Deer doe on the grassland by Ennerdale. She gazes at me for a few seconds before bounding away.

A young Grey Heron by the river.

A view of Sutton Bridge.

Eleven members assembled in Ennerdale car park and started the walk along the west bank of the river. The route, planned by Richard Middleton, involved a couple of strategic shortcuts across some of the most industrial meanders of the river, which also allowed to walk along green stretches of the Beverley and Barmston Drain.

The empty cocoons of the zigzag elm sawfly Aproceros leucopoda, an invasive species that is spreading north. The larvae feed on elm leaves creating a characteristic zig-zag pattern. As they grow the eaten patches increase and in some conditions they can defoliate trees. The cocoon was like a silken lacy cage and had an opening on one side. We found several cocoons, and no larvae. This patch of elm suckers on the corner of Air street cemetery holds the only known colony in Hull so far. 

We continue along Bankside and then take the cycle track towards the drain. We have our lunch there, by the recently mowed banks of the drain. It is warmer and we've got some sunny spells. Coneheads are calling from grassy patches along the cycle track. Afterwards, we continue along Bridlington Avenue and join the river again at Wincolmlee. We follow the river until the Humber from then onwards.

A pair of Green Mesh Weaver, Nigma walkenaeri, mating on an ivy leaf.

A Redshank just north of Scott Street Bridge.

A lush Lady Fern growing in the space between two walls at Scott Street Bridge.

The Humber, and the view towards The Deep earlier in the walk (top shot).

 

Train trip: King's Mill, Driffield

I have wanted to survey the Driffield area for bush-crickets for a while, given the lack of records there. Even though October is the end of the season, it looked a day as good as any: sunny spells, mild and little wind, so I got the 9:00 train from Hull to Driffield and made my way via King's Mill Road to the Driffield's Millennium Green area, where I had been tipped there was areas of rough grassland to search. The area lies on the spring line of the Wolds, and includes the lake known as The Keld (from the Old Scandinavian kelda, spring) and a chalk stream, Driffield Beck, ultimately feeding the river Hull, and some newly dug ponds.

A was a bit surprised to see this male Pheasant just chilling in a garden.

This building was Mortimer's Museum or Archaeology and Geology.

Rook cawing and screaming.

Comma.

Red Admiral.

The sunny spells were few and far between, but in each one, insects became quite apparent. An ivy near the entrance was buzzing with insects. The Comma and Red Admiral were highlights.

A wading Carrion Crow by a pond.

From the bridge, a pair of Mute Swans, one with an angel wing, coots, moorhens and mallards

A Grey Heron and a Little Egret (below) on the dead branches of a tree by the Keld.

View of the stream.

Two bridges cross the feeder for the mill, and the stream. After crossing the stream, with the clear water typical of chalk streams, a boardwalk allows to navigate a wet area. A sunny spell makes me switch the bat detector on and Long-winged Coneheads are calling, success! I manage to find a male and a female nymph, success! Another field holds both Roesel's and Long-winged coneheads, including a late instar female nymph.

Male Long-winged Conehead.

A dry pond.

I cross a gate connecting two fields, and a patch of overgrown grass quickly yields my first seen Roesel's, a female basking, while males sing around. I follow the south side of the hedge by a grassy field. At the end, unexpectedly, I find another gate, leading to an informal path following the bank of the meandering stream, with some spots that allow access to the water. The water crowfoot beds are apparent on the top shot.

Two views of the chalk stream.

I remembered that there are River Limpets in the chalk streams of Kirkburn, so I picked a random rock from the shore and there were plenty!

It is the most picturesque place.

I have my packed lunch on a grassy slope near one of the ponds. As I settle, I flush a Common Field Grasshopper, the third orthopteran of the day!

One of the ponds. It might have filled a bit after the rains last week, as there are many dead great pond snails near the shore. Two pairs of Common Darters were ovipositing.

I walk around the damp edge and find a few Slender Groundhoppers.

After lunch, I explore the north of the site, alongside the Keld. In addition to the plentiful willows, there are some large Alders, with the area looking like carr woodland.

Altogether, I'm very pleased to have visited this site, regardless of the bush-crickets, it's well worth a visit.