Wild at Hull: An early morning trip to Alkborough

Monday, 11 February 2019

An early morning trip to Alkborough

I had an early trip to Alkborough today. Arrived at 7:00 and parked in the village as wanted to avoid the steep descent on an icy road. It was a still and clear morning. As soon as I joined the flood bank I spotted a Barn Owl, my first of the year, hunting alongside it. It went back and forth a few times before disappearing on a bend, too dark for good shots.
I walked to the main hide. On the way, some reed buntings, singing Skylarks and Cetti's Warbler and a stonechat. A Sparrowhawk displayed above.

A very confiding Reed Bunting feeding on reed seeds.

Female Stonechat.

From the hide, a large flock of Lapwing with Black-tailed godwits. Shelduck moaned and displayed, with ritual underwing preening and head shaking. Three Ruff were about. Two marsh harriers regularly flushed the Lapwing.

Little Egret fishing.

Grey Heron.

A group of Shelduck displaying.

I carried on towards Trent Hide. Was this one another Barn Owl? It was hunting by the path and sat nicely on a fence post a few times (top shot). It then flew over a field with long grass and then the reed beds.

Wren.

I was planning a circular walk but there was a sign indicating the path was flooded, so after a while in Trent hide I turned round. A large flock of Pink-foot appeared in the distance, getting closer. At some point the sky overhead was scribbled with skeins, the air filled with their high pitched contact notes.

Pink-footed geese.

I popped in the main hide again. A few Teal were feeding on the mud.

Drake teal.

The view from main hide.

I walked to Tower Hide, where I had my lunch, but there was not much on the way or back other than a Buzzard mewing above. The walk was lovely with barely any wind, the temperature in the sun quite pleasant.