Urban birding at Hull: Beverley and Barmston drain in December

The morning started sunny and surprisingly after the storm there was little wind. I took an impromptu walk to the closest stretch of Beverley and Barmston drain to home, between Abbey Way and Fountain Road. I always like to watch the drain from the pedestrian bridge at Abbey Way. I could see two Little Grebes on the water, a species that is not found in many places in Hull. Some moorhens and mallards were about. A charm of Goldfinches fed on the plane trees.

I moved onto the next stretch of drain. A small bird called from a birch. It was a lone Lesser Redpoll. Another rare sighting in Hull, only my second record this year. After repeatedly calling, it settled to feed. As Goldfinches do, it deftly used its feet to hold a birch catkins onto the branch where it was perching to feed on it. 

Lesser Redpoll.

I checked the playing fields by the cycle track. Three Song Thrushes were feeding on the edge of it. Something spooked the gulls, but I failed to see what it was.

I stood by the bridge on Fountain Road. The drain was quite full and flowing like a river. A completely different feel from my last visit, when the surface was covered on duckweed. A Cormorant gulped a fish. I heard a Jackdaw, it flew onto a chimney. What a great morning on the drain.  

A crow had a chicken breast bone and was cleaning it. It was able to carry it away when challenged by the other crow.

A pony in the stables by Fountain Road.

Jackdaw.

The view of the last stretch of drain from Fountain Road.

Cormorant and Moorhen.

This year, the drain has really been a bonus. Great for dragonflies, with Hairy Dragonflies and Willow Emeralds and 11 species seen; fantastic for birds, and also including an Otter sighting. Today I added three species to the year bird list for the Sculcoates km square stretch of the drain, totalling 50 species.