Urban birds at Hull. 55. Spotted Flycatcher

 

An elegant, greyish brown small bird, with streaked head and chest and pale underside. Its dark eyes and upright stance are also distinctive. The Spotted Flycatcher catches insects in flight, in short flights from a perch, where its long and narrow wings are obvious, often returning to the same perch.

Distribution and status in Hull

I wondered if to include the Spotted Flycatcher in this Urban Birds at Hull series, as there are just a handful of recent records. At the end, I decided to, as up to the early 1980s, it was a regularly breeding species in Hull, as reported by R.K. Broughton in his Birds of the Hull Area, particularly in the cemeteries, parks and large gardens. The strong national decline of the species, as with other long-distance insect-eating migrants, has meant that Spotted Flycatchers are now very scarce migrants in the Hull area. The few recent records are from mid May for the spring passage, and from the end of August to mid September in a stronger autumn passage. 

Stables Walk, 16 September 2025.

Conservation and management

The species has been on the UK Red List since 1996, with a striking 93% decrease 1967 to 2023. There are no changes on breeding performance, but decreased 1st year survival, so the declines are likely to be due to changes in the wintering or migration grounds.

Pickering Park, 16 September 2025.

More Information

Broughton, R.K. 2002. Birds of the Hull Area.

BTO Bird Facts. Spotted Flycatcher.

An urban fall of migrants

 It was very windy yesterday, with rain in the afternoon and night until early morning, the wind, mostly Westerly, continued in the morning. I headed towards Pickering Park in the morning to complete my overdue core count WeBS. Migration was obvious, with Siskins and Redpolls flying over all through the walk. I have made a lot of progress in my 100 birds in Hull challenge, my attempt to see (or hear!) 100 bird species this year at Hull. Four bird species took me to 99: a Pied Flycatcher at the Western Cemetery on the 26th August, in the company of a mixed tit flock. I failed to photograph it or refind it. Three or four Common Sandpipers in my WeBS of the River Hull at the Museums Quarter on the 10th September, and a flyover Meadow Pipit yesterday over the Newland Avenue area. The flyover Siskins and Redpolls made me optimistic, maybe today I would reach 100.

I thought about Spotted Flycatcher after passing a group of birch where I had first seen them, but no joy. As I walked around the aviary, sunshine shining and the surrounding trees sheltering the spot, a pale bird landed on the aviary perimeter fence (top shot). A Spotted Flycatcher! This was bird 100 for the challenge. It sat, as flycatchers often do, on the fence for a while and gave plenty of opportunities for photos. Then it moved onto a tree, where more naturalistic frames were taken.  Chiffchaffs, Great Tits and Blue Tits were also feeding in the area.

Spotted Flycatcher, Pickering Park.

Migrant Hawker males were on territory around the lake in the most sheltered spots. I was pleased to find my first Willow Emerald Damselfly. Distant, as it was on one of the islands, this was the first I've seen in this site.

Migrant Hawker.

Willow Emerald.

Willow Warbler.

Cob Mute Swan.

A very vocal pair of Canada Geese, in some sort of dispute with a trio.

A few Speckled Wood about.

This Herring Gull pair were engaging in pair bonding behaviour. They sat on a spot, called to each other, picked nest material and then long called in a duet for a very long time, until they were interrupted by a begging juvenile. Check the video out here.

As I walked home, the vis-migging continued, particularly with Redpolls. Then, at Stables Walk just off Spring Bank West, a bonus Spotted Flycatcher! Also very obliging, although a bit more distant than the first.

 

Spotted Flycatcher, Stables Walk.

Urban birds at Hull. 54. Common Sandpiper

A small wader of riversides and wetland edges, where it forages for small invertebrates from the water surface, mud or marginal vegetation. It has sandy-brown upperparts and bright white underparts, with a distinctive white 'hook' on the side of the chest, relatively short yellow-green legs and a crouched stance. In flight it shows a thin white wing bar, white sides to the tail, and distinctly bowed wings, alternating flickering and gliding. When disturbed, it usually flies close to the water surface, with its flight call is a trio of high-pitched and piercing and quick notes 'see, see, seee'. When feeding, it walks steadily constantly bobbing its rear end.

27th August 2023. Pickering Park.

Status and distribution in Hull

The Common Sandpiper breeds in upland rivers and lakes in the UK, and winters in Africa. In Hull it is a regular passage migrant, often single birds, occasionally travelling in small parties. Birds can be seen in spring and autumn passage, although the autumn passage is longer and stronger. The species can be expected from mid April to late May and from mid July to mid September. Any place by water, particularly the large lakes at East Park and Pickering Park, Bransholme Reservoir, and along the River Hull and the Humber foreshore at low tide could hold birds.

22 May 2022. Pickering Park.

3 May 2022. Bransholme reservoir.

Common Sandpiper feeding on the exposed mud at the River Hull, by Stoneferry. 1st May 2021. 

Management and conservation

The Common Sandpiper is Amber listed in the UK due to population declines, more marked in the mid 1990s when the UK population declined about 20%. In later years the population, although fluctuating, is more stable, with a recent increase. The reasons behind the decline are unknown. Being a migrant, habitat maintenance to known stopover sites could aid survival during migration.

More information

Common Sandpiper. BTO Birdfacts.

R.K. Broughton. 2002. Birds of the Hull Area. 

(top shot: Common Sandpiper at East Park, 10 September 2019) 

From Hornsea to Bridlington on the beach

A spring tide, a couple of hours after high tide gave me an opportunity to do this walk that I had planned for some time. A warm, sunny day was something that couldn't be planned, but gave the perfect setting to enjoy this northern section of the coast of the Holderness peninsula. I took the 24 EY bus to Hornsea and got to Marine Drive at 9:30. I walked along the promenade and descended the steps to the beach. A wide expanse was already available. I explored the sandy upper beach and spotted two Small Coppers and two Common Blue butterflies. After some more recording it was time to start walking. The sky is so clear that Flamborough cliffs are visible on the horizon.

The view north from Marine Drive.

Cormorants.

Small Copper.

The upper beach just north of Hornsea.

Woodpigeons drinking from a small rivulet of fresh water draining from the cliffs.

Meadow Pipit.

The beach is mostly sand, peppered with small pebbles, with shingly sections in places, and pleasantly firm under foot. Soon I reach Double Gates, the entrance to a boatyard compound. Here the erosion is more noticeable, with an undercut at the bottom of the cliff excavated by the sea and a steeper beach. 

Double Gates.

Undercut at the cliff.

Looking back towards Hornsea.

Digging for bait.

A few people are walking dogs, or digging for bait, but away from easy descent points, soon there are few people around. The wide beach encourages sea birds to land and loaf. Herring Gulls, large groups of Common Gulls, Black-headed Gulls, and the occasional Great Black-back Gull form loose groups. Terns, both Sandwich and Common, often sit on the edges of these gull flocks. Even Cormorants sit at the edge of the water, wings open, preening. Walking north on such a sunny day with the sun on your back makes it easier to scan these flocks looking for something rarer, and this is how I spot the only Mediterranean Gull I see today.

Great Black-back Gull.

Sandwich Terns.

Adult Mediterranean Gull.

At particular places there have been slumps of sections of cliff. These sometimes male the the vegetated slopes more accessible. I climb one of these slumps near Skipsea Withow and I find two Araneus quadratus or Four Spot Orb-weaver on their webs, which they usually hang low on the vegetation.

Araneus quadratus.

The layer of dark peat marking the Withow Gap, the site of an old drained mere.

A trunk section sticking out of the peat. This was the site of a Beaver dam.

Withow Gap from the beach.

I stop for a quick lunch on the gap. A Buzzard soars over the field, and a Kestrel hovers later, announced with the alarm calls of Swallows. The view to the north is quite wonderful from this spot (top shot).

Buzzard.

The infilled lake bed is now a pasture.

Kestrel over the pasture field.

A loafing group of Common Gulls.

Balls of peat eroded from the cliff face litter the beach north of Withow Gap.

Common Gull.

One of two Wheatears on the Galleon Beach fish and chips, which is now perilously close to the cliff edge. The old coastal defences of Ulrome long gone.

I climb the small cliff to avoid walking on the outflow at Barmston Main Drain, where there are many birds gathered, them climb the rocks back down to continue on the beach.

Steps cut onto the clay offer beach access to the holiday park.

North of Barmston, there is no cliff, the beach is separated from the footpath by a small step, the sand blowing onto the adjacent field. This low lying land is the site of another old mere, a layer of peat visible on the beach.

The exposed layer of peat on the beach north of Barmston.

The low lying land has a couple of drains onto the beach.

Sand Martin colony. I saw a couple of Sand Martins in flight, but the colonies scattered along the walk were eerily quiet, the young probably all fledged and gone.

As I approach Fraisthorpe beach, I spot a group of Tree Sparrows on the clifftop bushes. I walk to the Cow's Shed cafe, looking forward to a hot drink, but I'm disappointed to find that they close on Mondays (and Tuesdays!). I make a quick stop to drink water on the picnic benches, and as I leave the cafe grounds, I see five Yellow Wagtails on the path, a lovely surprise that compensates for the lack of coffee! I have seen them on the farm before and I'm very pleased they are hanging around. Bridlington is less than 5 km away, and I increase my pace to catch the 15:40 train to Hull.

Tree Sparrows.

Yellow Wagtail.

Yellow Wagtails.