Urban birding at Hull: Victoria Dock to Albert Dock

A misty, cold morning. I start my walk at the end of Corinthian's Way. The calls of passing skeins of Pink-footed Geese can be heard as they fly over the Humber, presumably over the mist, invisible from the ground. A flock of Starlings and a Pied Wagtail feed on the green space by the promenade. A female Bullfinch flies to the gardens, a site tick. Two Redwings U-turn before crossing the estuary. It's almost low tide. There are two Redshank on the tideline, the only waders.

Redshank.

I only took a light jacket and I feel the damp cold. I start walking eastwards. At the half-tide basin a Lesser Black-back Gull is feeding on what looks like a dead fish.

I carry on towards The Deep and then cross the Marina to Albert Dock. The mist starts to lift. There is an exposed sandbank on the Humber. A large flock of Lapwing flies over. There are a dozen Shelduck on the bank, an three Mute Swans.

Lapwing.

Shelduck.

Mallard.

I scan the roofs on the dock and spot this lovely Rock Pipit. Species 106 of the year for Hull. A male Black Redstart is hunting in front of the buildings, I can only see it for a few seconds.

Time for the way back. This time I walk alongside the Marina, to Queens Gardens and then High Street and Scale Lane.

Lesser Black-backed Gull.

The female Curlew is foraging near Myton Bridge. Being very successful picking ragworms, each time she moves to wash them on the water before swallowing them.

Hazy sun.

One of the two Cormorants fishing on the half-tide Basin.

One of them stood on the coot's nest drying its wings.

Cormorant.

Finally I can just see a Pink-footed Skein over.

There is a Mute Swan family with two young in the half-tide basin. Also a Grey Wagtail. In the outside basin a Curlew and a Redshank

Grey Wagtail.

Male Curlew.

Redshank.

There are two cormorants and two Herring Gulls on the Siemens roost. 

I have a picnic on the beach by Corinthian's Way, looking toward the Siemens factory. Now gloriously sunny.