Urban birding at Hull: Sculcoates week 48

An early walk to the patch. There are long sunny spells to start with but it is mild and no frost. As I cross Pearson Park, a skein of Pink-footed Geese flies over towards the south.

Pink-footed Geese.

Singing Robin.

First I walk through Sculcoates park, by the playing fields, along the drain and by the cycle path to reach the river. I've missed the high tide, it's two hours after high tide and there is quite a lot of mud exposed. Just two Redshank are visible from the river bank. A Cormorant lands on the water. I cross the Wilmington bridge and see a Peregrine flying high around the silo, then I lose it when it goes around and, despite scanning the building, I can't find it again until I spot it later atop the Reckitt chimney. 

Peregrine.

A pair of Carrion Crow lands on their nest and one of them starts tweaking and tiding branches.

A female Kestrel sitting in the same spot where there was a pair last week.

Two Great Black-backed Gulls on the industrial roof.

Bullfinch feeding on seedheads.

Drake Mallard.

A view of the drain form the pedestrian bridge of Abbey Way. It was busy with Moorhens today, with the peak count this year of 24.

I go into the Northern Cemetery. D. Longhorn is just finishing scything the workhouses burial area. He's got a new blade as his old one broke and seems quite pleased with the performance and lightness of the new one.

The South Sculcoates cemetery.

A snoozing Stock Dove by the drain.

A male Bullfinch piping from atop a tree.

This Sparrowhawk flew over the housing estate, followed by alarmed gulls, just as I finished my walk. Not bad as my first December visit with 33 bird species counted.