Urban birding at Hull: Sculcoates, a rainy second trip on week 3

Despite the persistent rain I decided to go and visit the Sculcoates patch. There were very few people about, which was great. A cap kept the rain from my glasses, the most annoying thing I find from the rain. The birds were active and singing, with the first Song Thrushes of the year in the patch singing, three individuals in all. A Goldcrest on the way there was a new for the patch year list.

I started at Abbey Way. Two Little Grebes fished in their usual spot, diving as they saw me. 

Little Grebe.

Moorhen

On the drain, another new bird for the year, a young Mute Swan (top shot, number 37 in the list), which are dispersing now from their natal ponds. The closest young would be those at Oak Road, so it might be one of those.

Mute swan, Moorhen, Coot and Mallard. Mute swans disturb the sediments and lift vegetation when they feed, and other species might take advantage of this, staying near the swan.

I went to the river via the cycle lane. Just then, an alarm went off and the Wilmington Bridge started swinging round. In all the years I live in Hull I've never seen this happening. 

I popped in two of the cemeteries, but there was little of note, other than some of the paths were flooded on the south cemetery. 

South cemetery.

I returned by the drain. A couple of Bullfinches fed on the trees by the path. The birds went silent and the cause became apparent when a Sparrowhawk flew to the large trees.

Record shot of Sparrowhawk

The first patch invertebrate was a Blue-grey worm (Octolasion cyaneum). See my blogpost at Bugblog for more details on this species.