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.

Dumble Farm in winter

I had never visited Dumble Farm in the winter. This morning, I joined Holly for a winter bird survey at Arram Carrs, mostly on the grounds of Dumble Farm. We got the train to Arram station. The morning started cold, but with sunny sky and the birds really delivered. The Carrs were quite flooded, at one point on the public right of way we had to turn round despite wearing wellies. The survey started with a fly over lone Pinkfoot and six Little Egrets, with two Cattle Egrets with them, all feeding around the highland cows. There were so many highlights during the survey, but huge flocks of Lapwing, in the thousands, over 50 Curlew, a pair of Pintail, many Teal, Marsh Harriers, flocks of Fieldfare, dozens of Skylarks, a pair of Stonechat and to top it up, a Corn Bunting. A total of Other than the birds, the views were so expansive, and the weather such a relief after weeks on end of rain, that we had the most enjoyable day. We walked back via the public right of way by the railway line to Beverley.

Reed Bunting.

Pink-footed Goose.

The start of the survey.

Cattle Egret and co.

Rook.

Cattle Egret.

Lapwing, Curlew and Skylarks.

Curlew and Lapwing.

Fieldfare.

Pintail. There was a pair about.

Corn Bunting.

The river Hull near Leven canal looking very high.

View of Leven Carrs.

A huge flock of Lapwing, looking south from the river bank.

Stonechat.

Skylark singing. So many skylarks today.

Oystercatcher.

Male Marsh Harrier.

Alkborough Flats with Hull Nats

A gloomy, windy and cold day, but at least we missed the rain. Six of us met at the bottom car park of Alkborough Flats and did a circular walk though the flats and then along the flood bank on the Trent. As we were about to enter the hide, a Raven flew high above us, my first of the site. Flocks of Lapwing and Golden Plover wheeled constantly on the horizon, flushed by the numerous Marsh Harriers on site. We counted 6 flying together, maybe assembling to roost. The tide was high and there were plenty of ducks on the main pool in front of the hide, Shovelers, Gadwall, Tufted Ducks and a pair of Pintail.

Raven.

Shoveler.

Tufted Ducks.

Gadwall.

Pintail.

Lapwing.

Male Marsh Harrier.

Golden Plover.

We carried on and waded on the flooded stretch of path, my wellies just high enough to keep my socks dry. Then we have lunch out in the Trent hide. It's been a while since I've had lunch in a hide and I wish I brought a thermos with a hot drink. A male Kestrel appears to follow us along the flood bank, staying just ahead and dropping in several occasions. Several Mute Swans fly over. We are very exposed and the wind is relentless, but we are compensated by a large flock of Whoopers on the Trent (top shot and below), they are distant but I count between 40 and 50 with a small group of Mute Swans. Little else of interest on the way back to the car park. A hot chocolate at The Paddocks cafe put a lovely end of a challenging day.

Kestrel.

Marsh Harrier.

Kestrel.

Shelduck.

Whooper Swans.

A group of Whooper Swans with several juveniles.

Mute Swan.