Urban birding at Hull: Sculcoates patch. Week 6

 Today there was snow on the ground, an easterly wind and a forecast of snow flurries. The snow is much kinder to my camera than the rain, so, of I went via Pearson Park, which always looks beautiful in the snow. The combination of the recently flooded areas and the snow created an undisturbed area in the middle of the grassy area, where a mixed flock of gulls were concentrated facing the wind, loafing. I had to seek the shelter of a tree trunk to be able to photograph them, as the snow was horizontal at the time.

Common Gulls

Common Gulls.

Pearson Park in the snow.

Afterwards, I crossed Beverley Road and I was on the patch km2. A Greenfinch was singing at Sculcoates Park, and a small flock of chaffinches fed on the trees, some Woodpigeons on ivy berries. Although It is a small park, I always make a detour in my visits to the patch, as it is quite good for finches. 

I walked around Abby Way, on the grassy area by the train line. I was hoping to flush a woodcock, which have been irrupting in large numbers in the East Coast, escaping the cold weather, but no luck.

The Sculcoates north cemetery had some flooded paths. Three Bullfinches and a large flock of Goldfinches were about. 

I walked to the River Hull. The tide was quite low and I counted 5 Redshank.

Wilmington Bridge

I rejoined the drain and walked to Fountain Road and back. I managed to find a Little Grebe, it kept close to the reeds and hid several times.

Little Grebe

Another snow flurry by the drain.

Mallard pair.

The only Coot I saw today.

Moorhen.

View of the drain by Bridlington Avenue.

Another view of the drain.

One of the two Mistle Thrushes feeding by the water line at Pearson Park.

A young Common Gull.

Loafing gulls.

A Black-headed gull.

Note: I made two visits to Sculcoates last week, but it was too rainy for a blog post, hence the lack of week 5 post.