Urban birding at Hull: Sculcoates and Beverley and Barmston Drain

My morning walk took me to the closest stretch of Beverley and Barmston Drain near me, by Sculcoates lane. This has a public access path on the side, and plenty of marginal green area, due to the occurrence of a former cargo train line by the drain, which had to cross another railway line, the Hornsea line via a bridge. The elevation of the bridge is now covered in thick bramble, hawthorn and sycamore scrub, with some areas of brownfield and patches of Japanese Knotweed. Most people wouldn't find it very appealing, but Whitethroats like post-industrial scrubby brownfield places, and three males were singing, well spaced, staking out their territories. The light was soft and lovely to photograph them.

Whitethroat singing on the dry stems of Japanese knotweed.

Three pairs of Coots were on nests.

A Greylag pair appeared to be prospecting for nest sites along the drain.

As I watched them, I heard a Reed Warbler singing. There were some thin reed beds on the sides of the drain, green shoots just coming through, but the reed warbler kept mostly to the brambles behind. I only managed a record shot.

By Fountain road bridge, a pair of Swallows were in residence.
Blackcaps were singing very excitedly and this is often caused by the presence of females in territories. At least five males were singing. Just one singing Chiffchaff.

A very spotty, and very tame Dunnock, I presume a female?

Song thrush.

 As I was turning back, I heard a distant familiar song: Lesser Whitethroat! I spotted it high on a sycamore, and even got some record shots. This put a nice end of my daily walk, as I don't have a good site where I can find Lesser Whitethroats near home.

Lesser Whitethroat.

Lesser Whitethroat and Whitethroat habitat.

Bird List

1. Blackbird
2. Blackcap
3. Blue Tit
4. Carrion Crow
5. Chaffinch
6. Chiffchaff
7. Collared Dove
8. Coot
9. Dunnock
10. Feral Pigeon
11. Goldfinch
12. Great Spotted Woodpecker
13. Great Tit
14. Greenfinch
15. Greylag Goose
16. Herring Gull
17. House Sparrow
18. Lesser Black-backed Gull
19. Lesser Whitethroat
20. Long-tailed Tit 
21. Magpie
22. Mallard
23. Mistle Thrush
24. Moorhen
25. Reed Warbler
26. Robin
27. Song Thrush
28. Starling
29. Stock Dove
30. Swallow
31. Whitethroat
32. Woodpigeon
33. Wren

Urban birding at Hull: Clough Road and Oak Road Lake

In today's lockdown morning walk, I ventured to Oak Road lake via Pearson Park, Beverley Road and Clough Road. In ended up not spending much time at the lake proper, as I was distracted by plenty of birds along the way. I found a walkable stretch of the Beverley and Barmston drain by Clough Rd.

Just at the end of the stretch I heard a Whitethroat, my first of the year. I took it's photo through the fence (top shot). The following photo I found quite funny, as it shows how long is the whitethroat's white 'beard' and how it sticks out when singing.

At Oak Road proper, lots of Blackcap action, a singing chiffchaff and this wheezing Greenfinch. 

The planted woodland by the lake is growing fast and looks like a thicket, from the willow in the middle of it sung a Willow Warbler, the second year tick today.

I walked half way around the lake. The new resident pair of Mute Swans came to say hello. They were only a lockdown tick.

I don't think I've ever had Canada Geese at Oak Road lake. There was a pair and the female appeared to be sitting at her nest in the new raft. Another lockdown tick.

As I walked around the lake, I heard singing Reed Warbler, another year tick. Photographing a reed warbler is a sport on itself, which I only practiced for a few minutes. The reeds are still very sparse, but much more time and patience is needed than I had available, so it'll have to be another time. Altogether a very productive walk to one of my favourite Hull haunts.

Bird list

1. Blackbird 
2. Blackcap 
3. Blue Tit 
4. Bullfinch 
5. Canada Goose 
6. Carrion Crow
7. Chaffinch 
8. Chiffchaff 
9. Collared Dove 
10. Coot 
11. Dunnock
12. Feral Pigeon
13. Goldfinch 
14. Great Tit 
15. Greenfinch 
16. Greylag Goose 
17. Herring Gull 
18. House Sparrow 
19. Lesser Black-backed Gull 
20. Long-tailed Tit 
21. Magpie 
22. Mallard 
23. Mistle Thrush 
24. Moorhen
25. Mute Swan 
26. Reed Bunting 
27. Reed Warbler
28. Robin
29. Song Thrush
30. Starling 
31. Stock Dove 
32. Whitethroat 
33. Willow Warbler
34. Woodpigeon
35. Wren

Urban birding at Hull: Spring Bank and Anlaby Road

Today I walked through the General Cemetery, West Park, then Anlaby Rd going west and returned by a green cycle lane between Anlaby Rd and Spring Bank West.

Goldfinch on Headstone.

A Cormorant flying over the cemetery made it to the lockdown bird list.

 A Mistle Thrush in the cemetery was nest lining, carrying a large amount of material in its bill.

 The cycle lane was a new route for me and it was leafy and noisy with House Sparrows, Wrens and a pair of nervous Robins ticking, maybe with young about to fledge. What had already fledged was a Blackbird. Blackbird fledgling calls are very distinctive and I found it on a alder tree (top shot).

 At the end of the cycle lane, by Spring Bank West I had an unexpected surprise.

A little wild gem, bounded by the railway line with its scrubby hedges, including a pond which is part of a flood defence scheme. If it holds water, would be a great spot for dragonflies. Sadly dry today. A male Orange Tip busily flew past a couple of times. Two Linnets over, the male later singing.

I returned via Spring Bank West and the cemetery. To finish, a note of how adaptable Feral Pigeons are: they have really taken to using solar panels for nesting, the gap between the panel and the roof tiles providing them all the space and shelter they need.

Bird list

1. Blackbird
2. Blackcap
3. Blue Tit
4. Carrion Crow
5. Chaffinch
6. Chiffchaff
7. Collared Dove
8. Cormorant
9. Dunnock
10. Feral Pigeon
11. Godlfinch
12. Great Tit
13. Greenfinch
14. Greylag Goose
15. Herring Gull
16. House Sparrow
17. Lesser Black-backed gull
18. Linnet
19. Magpie
20. Mistle Thrush
21. Robin
22. Song Thrush
23. Starling
24. Stock Dove
25. Woodpigeon
26. Wren

Urban birding at Hull: a walk to The Deep

Saturday morning, I decide to walk to The Deep, about 45 minutes walk away from home. I take a route across little green spaces. This is a nice large grassy plot behind Hull Truck theatre with some large trees in it.

I walk quickly through the city centre and slow down when I get to Queen's gardens. There is a new set of mallard ducklings with their mother, keeping to the marginal plants, away from the always watching eyes of two pairs of Herring Gulls. No Greylags today. The gardens are completely empty of people.

Queen's gardens ponds.

Then I walk by St Mary's Church, that has a lovely courtyard.

I make my way to the River Hull near the Hull and East Riding Museum. Two Blackbirds are making a big fuss about a Magpie, sometimes mobbing it, sometimes being chased, and I'm interrupted from following their interaction by dozens of Herring and Lesser black-back gulls taking to the air calling, flocks of Feral Pigeons crossing the river in a rush, followed by goldfinches. I watch a carrion crow flapping laboriously, climbing up. There is a raptor somewhere. I look up and see a large gliding raptor silhouette with long, narrow wings, an Osprey! I manage a few shots, only the top one clear. Eventually the Osprey slowly drifts to the north and disappears over the rooftops. The crow never reached it. One of those truly magical moments, and lucky to witness it in an urban setting!

The tide is high. I cross Scale Lane bridge and walk towards The Deep. A Blackcap sings from a sea buckthorn.

After a quick watch of the estuary, it's time to walk back. No waders by The Deep or in the river.

On the way back, two Pied Wagtails feed on a grassy area near home.

Bird list

1. Blackbird
2. Blackcap 
3. Blue Tit 
4. Carrion Crow 
5. Chaffinch 
6. Collared Dove 
7. Dunnock
8. Feral Pigeon
9. Goldfinch 
10. Great Tit 
11. Greenfinch 
12. Herring Gull 
13. House Sparrow 
14. Lesser Black-backed Gull 
15. Magpie 
16. Mallard 
17. Moorhen 
18. Osprey 
19. Pied Wagtail 
20. Robin 
21. Starling 
22. Woodpigeon 
23. Wren

Urban birding at Hull: around Freetown Way

Since the lockdown, I've been enjoying my daily exercise walking - and birding - in urban areas that I've rarely explored around the city, within a couple of miles from home. Today I decided to walk to the north of the Old Town and then towards the end of the Beverley and Barmston drain. It was another sunny, warm day, to which we are becoming accustomed during lockdown, with less wind than we've had recently.
My first stop in town was the little square by the main entrance of Hull New Theatre: Kingston Square, and what a gem that was (top shot). As I arrived I heard a Greenfinch singing. There is a little green space on the square, with mature trees including a large elm with its trunk clothed in Ivy. The streets around were wonderful to walk along too. The Hull History centre is surrounded by some green space. The crab apple hedge was at it's best.

Usually Freetown Way is a very busy road, not today, no need to use the button in crossings to make it across the road. I made my way to the Beverley and Barmston drain via Charles St and Bridlington Ave.

I was hoping to catch up with the breeding Swallow pair in the bridges, but they weren't about today. Blackcaps sung from the marginal vegetation. No signs of other warblers today. I may visit this area again in a couple of weeks.

On the way back home, I popped in the Amazing Play community garden, where a nursery web spider fed on some prey. 

Singing blackbird. I liked how it was propped by its tail onto the roof.

Nursery web spider with prey.

The birding fun of the day didn't end with me returning home. At lunchtime, while looking for my 'bug of the day' I happened to look up. No mobbing calls or calls from them, but there were four buzzards flying quite low over the garden, having some sort of interaction. This was definitely a first for me. Buzzard sightings have become a bit of a regularity since lockdown started, but having four individuals, lunging to each other, legs dangling, was a great sight.

The darkest individual appears to be an adult.

There was a very pale individual (left).

Bird list

1. Blackbird
2. Blackcap 
3. Blue Tit 
4. Buzzard 
5. Carrion Crow 
6. Chaffinch 
7. Chiffchaff 
8. Collared Dove 
9. Dunnock 
10. Feral Pigeon
11. Goldfinch
12. Great Tit
13. Greenfinch
14. Herring Gull 
15. House Sparrow 
16. Lesser Black-backed Gull 
17. Magpie 
18. Mallard 
19. Moorhen 
20. Robin 
21. Starling
22. Woodpigeon
23. Wren

Urban birding at Hull: general and western cemetery

Since the lockdown started, I've been birding as part of my daily exercise walk. The local cemetery, which I have covered before in this blog, is a ten minute walk away and sometimes I don't come across anybody in my walk, ideal for social distancing. In the spring, the cemetery is full of song, Chiffchaffs and Blackcaps have several territories. The lush undergrowth supports plenty of Wrens, Robins and Dunnocks. The other day I witnessed a food pass between a pair of Sparrowhawks.
This cemetery is actually two, on the eastern side is the General Cemetery, now not an active burial ground. It was acquired by Hull City Council in 1974. The lack of maintenance resulted in the emergence of dense woodland with understory of ivy, brambles and some garden plants like cherry laurel. There are large ashes, some oaks, beech and sycamore, some engulfing the old headstones. The base of lime trees is thick with epicormic growth, which provides additional shelter.

Western cemetery
The Western cemetery, which is split by Chanterlands Avenue, is open parkland, also with some mature trees. In both there are plenty of Yew.

Both cemeteries include a diversity of mature trees, and some fallen and standing wood. Given the lack of woodland in the local area, the cemeteries, particularly the General Cemetery, provide a haven for woodland birds like Song thrushes, Treecreepers, Stock Doves and Great Spotted Woodpeckers.
 I went for my daily walk to the cemetery this morning. I'm not taking as many photos as normal, but I took some with my phone and I had to take my camera out of my bag to photograph the blackcap that sung in the flowering maple (top shot). It was a fine sunny morning and a Treecreeper, Goldcrest, Chiffchaff were also singing.

A path in the General cemetery.

Ivy-clad trees in the General Cemetery.

A large Ash in the Western Cemetery.

The mowing misses some weeds on the edges of the old fallen headstones.

An exposed root plate and dead wood.

Flowering cherry.

A large copper beech had fallen overnight the other day.

Flowering maple.

A Mistletoe in a tree stump.

Some mature pine trees.

Today's Bird list

1. Blackbird
2. Blackcap
3. Blue Tit
4. Bullfinch
5. Carrion Crow
6. Chaffinch
7. Chiffchaff
8. Collared Dove
9. Dunnock
10. Feral Pigeon
11. Goldcrest
12. Goldfinch
13. Great Tit
14. Greenfinch
15. Herring Gull
16. House Sparrow
17. Lesser Black-backed Gull
18. Magpie
19. Mistle Thrush
20. Robin
21. Song Thrush
22. Stock Dove
23. Treecreeper
24. Woodpigeon
25. Wren