Urban River Hull: Scott Street Bridge to The Deep in October

 

It's a very high tide today, 7.8 m at 9:30. It is a mild day with clear blue skies and with a very light wind. I head East towards the river across the city, and start the BTO WeBS count at Scott Street bridge. I'm not expecting much at that spot, but I flush a Grey Wagtail, which flies and joins another two upstream, I even manage to get the three of them in a photo. It is peak season for this species, and they often travel in small groups, possibly family parties? It made me think of the river Hull as a migration corridor, and how this species is perfectly happy anywhere near water, no mater how urban the place is. 

Grey Wagtails.

As I get to North Bridge, I hear a Skylark call overhead, another autumn migrant! Before crossing the bridge, I retrace my steps and take High Street to check the dry docks. I didn't see any ducks in my September visit, but today there are three grown ducklings with a female basking in the sun. It takes two months for ducklings to be able to fly. These look close, their wing feathers still quite short, so these could be the remaining 3 ducklings from the brood of 9 I saw in mid August, who might have survived these two months in the dock where the Arctic Corsair will be displayed.

Juvenile ducks.

Just 13 Black-headed Gulls on the Royal Mail roof today. 

The ringed Redshank on the left.

The whole roost.

The full roost, more alert than last time, all standing on one leg, made it for easier counting. 17 present today.

As I cross Scale Lane Bridge, the crows seem alert, gulls alarm call and Feral Pigeons fly in a flock. I scan the sky but fail to see any raptors.

A pair of Mallard. There were 28 on the salt marsh my Myton Bridge, feeding, I wonder if on the seeds of the plentiful Sea Aster there.

The first Common Gulls of the season on the site.

Common Gull.

Small White butterfly.

I reach the mouth of the River Hull and turn round. The tide is now exposing some mud and the Redshank have moved to the opposite shore. They are looking very alert and fly off in a tight flock, calling.

The reason for their nervousness becomes clear soon. A Buzzard is passing overhead.

I see three Sparrowhawks as I walk home, one near the Deep, another by the train station and another over Princes Avenue. They do like to soar in blue skies.

A skein of 51 Pink-footed Geese flies south over the city centre.