Holderness: Catwick, Little Catwick, Long Riston

A sunny, spring feel day that starts very pleasant with a light breeze. I take bus 24 to Catwick. I walk around the village, first to Rowpit lane, then along Church lane, a very pleasant walk. The mature trees, rough grassland patches and hedges give it a very rural feel. Patches of Dog's Mercury grow under hedges and on the bank of a ditch. The village sits on a gentle ridge, up to 12 m high,  of sand and gravels that was quarried in small pits from the 1800s, and since the 1930 at an industrial scale. I take the path by St Michael's Church leading to the village green, which is being grazed by a pony. Rooks are calling from two large trees in Main Street. Many houses have spacious front gardens with prominent street hedges, bushes and large trees. I return by Church street, walk along the edge of a field around Manor Farm, and then along a ditch to take Riston road. A pair of Oystercatchers feed on the field.

A singing Siskin was a highlight as I walked to the station at Stanley Street.

Greenfinch at Catwick.

This nest looks of relatively new construction and has survived the winter well. Not long until the House Martins will be back.

 

St. Michael's Church (Grade I listed) and cemetery.

Redwing by the church.

Rooks.

Grey Squirrel on the field by a hedge.

Oystercatchers.

Rabbit.

One of four Fieldfares.

Pied Wagtail at Willow Croft Farm.

Wren.

I soon get to Little Catwick. This is a hamlet, dominated by extraction works buildings. There is a wooded Old Hall grounds, where I find some Stinking Hellebore. There used to be tile works at Brickyard lane. The road crosses a bridge over Stream Dyke and the landscape opens up, with large fields and hedges.

Red-legged Partridges were calling.

Hares on a field. I count 8.

More hares. One or two kept raising on their hindlegs, but there wasn't much 'boxing'.

Open field with the hares from a gap in the hedge.

Riston Road had little traffic and was a pleasant walk to Long Riston.

Bombus hortorum feeding on red dead-nettle.

The only Yellowhammer I saw today.

I have my lunch on a bench at Long Riston Church, the Jackdaws busy on the roof, a Kestrel flying past. As I arrive I see my first butterfly or the year, a Peacock. Later, a Comma feeds on Lesser Celandines. I guess it really is spring now. It wasn't a long walk today, but there was plenty of interest.

Kestrel.

Jackdaw.

Starling.

Comma.

Robin.

Holderness: Hornsea, Mapleton, Great Hatfield, Little Hatfield, Sigglesthorne

A sunny day with a southerly wind, I take bus 24 to Hornsea. My initial plan was to walk on the beach to Mapleton, then to Great Hatfield and Little Hatfield, and return to Hornsea via the railway trail, but when I got to Little Hatfield, I realise that is is quicker to walk to Sigglesthorne to catch my bus back, so I do so. It is almost low tide when I start my walk. A couple of anderlings feed on the edge of the waves, at some point dwarfed by a Herring Gull. The clay on the cliffs is wet and soft with the recent rain. Skylarks sing from the fields and various gulls loaf on the beach, with another group of Sanderlings. Colt's Foot is flowering in the slowly eroding cliffs near Mapleton.

Sanderling and Herring Gull.

Looking back towards Hornsea.

Great Black-backed Gull.

A crow searching at Mapleton.

Meadow Pipit.

Colt's Foot.

I make a stop for a hot drink at The Old Post Office tea rooms at Mapleton. A cyclist complains about the wind and the awful state of the road from Great Hatfield. I ask him about the road traffic and I'm glad he says there is little, as that's the direction I'm taking next. After admiring Mapleton church I take the road to Hatfield. It is actually a pleasant road to walk, quite straight, with good visibility and broad verges to step aside from oncoming traffic. The views are expansive with large fields framed by hedges and ditches. Great Hatfield, despite its name, is a small village. There is a pond and an ancient cross. I spot my first bumblebees of the year. I walk along Cross street and Main street. On the outskirts of the village sits the disused Sigglesthorne station, on the Hornsea railway trail.

Mapleton church.

Great Hatfield methodist chapel.

Remains of the ancient cross at Great Hatfield.

The site of Sigglesthorne station at Hornsea Rail trail.

Common Gull.

Kestrel at Little Hatfield.

Yellowhammer on the approach road to Sigglesthorne.

Seven Roe Deer resting on a field south of Sigglesthorne.

Skylark.

Hare.

Rook. Busy on nests with one bringing in nest material.

I take my lunch at Sigglesthorne church. The rooks provide the soundtrack.Hares are active on the fields, now more visible with the growing crop. 

 

Holderness: Coniston

There has been a spring-like feeling in the last few days, with warmer weather and even a bit of sunshine, so I decided to restart the Holderness walks. I still have 32 villages and hamlets remaining to visit, including most of the most isolated, and hardest to reach by public transport. Today it was mild, a bit breezy, and dry and I started with a very easy one, Coniston, a tiny village with a pub and a derelict chapel, which is by the A165 road and has a bus stop. From the village I walked to the Hull to Hornsea railway trail at Swine station and then to Sutton. The landscape is flat, with large arable fields edged with hedges and or ditches. There were plenty of Yellowhammers, some on territory starting to sing, although there was a flock on a field of stubbles near Swine with some Reed buntings. Skylarks provided much of the soundtrack of the walk. 

Linnet.

Buzzard.

Kestrel.

One of a dozen or so Yellowhammers feeding on stubbles by the trail.

Dunnock singing.

It was a walk with plenty of Yellowhammers today.

This and another male Great Tit were having some territorial dispute.

Chaffinch.