A Swallow Walk to Sutton Bridge

A sunny, breezy day, I plan a walk to Sutton Bridge via Fountain Road, Sculcoates, Wilmington Br and then following the river to Stoneferry Bridges and Sutton Bridge, returning on the other side of the river by Oak Road Lake. 

A Swallow Walk

The theme of the walk is Swallows. In the last couple of weeks I have been in field trips in the countryside and I have witnessed how few Swallows are around this year. I haven't noticed a decline in Hull. Pairs of Swallows breed alongside the River Hull and Beverley and Barmston Drain, under bridges and in derelict buildings near the water. This walk encompasses most of the bridges where I've seen Swallows recently, missing Reich Carter Way and North Bridge in town. Swallows are also found during the breeding season at Noddle Hill, Foredyke Green Pond, East Park and Pickering Park, where they must breed nearby. It is noticeable their attachment to water in the city.

 I check for occupation each of the bridges as I will walk past, starting with the Fountain Road bridge, where one Swallow is hunting, occasionally flying under the bridge.

A nice surprise of the day is a Red Kite flying over Stoneferry Road, moving East, followed by mobbing gulls.

A poor record shot of Red Kite.

I scan Stoneferry Bridges in the distance and I can already see the Swallows, there are three, two of them mobbing a Magpie nearby. As I move to the other side of the bridge a male with beautifully long streamers sings from various structures by the bridge, indicating that two pairs are breeding on the bridge.

I notice that the large old and rusty barge by B&Q is gone, but a bit further ahead, as a large machine crunches metal and makes an awful noise, a family of Swallows with two young are about.

Swallow fledglings.

Sutton Bridge.

The view south from atop the steps at Sutton Bridge.

No Swallows at Sutton Bridge this year, but there is one flying over the playing fields, so a pair might have bred nearby.

Young crow.

Young crow in flight.

Two Reed Bunting males were in song, both by the stretch of river near the Croda wind turbine.

A buddleja bush covered on starlings, the ones in the photo are young of the year.

Dragonflies and damselflies

A long, warm sunny spell at Oak Road Lake brought up the dragonflies, with 8 species recorded. A male Emperor was patrolling, something I don't think I've seen at Oak Road Lake before. Then a female comes to the lake and starts ovipositing, while being buzzed by Common Blue and Red-eyed Damselflies. 

A male Red-eyed fends off a male Common Blue.

Red-eyed Damselfly.

An Ovipositing pair of Azure damselflies is interrupted by a Blue-tailed male, who eventually leaves them alone.

Southern Hawker, Banded Demoiselle and Brown Hawker also seen in the ride before the woodland.

Butterflies

A good day for butterflies too, I make a list in various places, the best is Oak Road Lake km2, where I record 10 species: Red Admiral, Comma, Small Tortoiseshell, Speckled Wood, Ringlet, Large and Small Skipper, Large White, Small White and Green-veined White.

Green-veined White.

Small Skipper.

Small Tortoiseshell

A walk around the Setting Dike, Willerby Carrs, Wood Lane and Snuff Mill Lane in June

 I did the same walk I did in April. The weather was mild, with sunny spells and showers. 

The Setting Dyke is barely flowing, the water very low. There are lots of Three-spined Sticklebacks, but no Little Egrets today.

By the Bricknell playing fields two crows rattle atop a tree, one looking up. I look up, a Peregrine! It soars on stiff wings until it disappears from view.

Peregrine.

Starling feeding on cherries.

herring gull by its nest, the chick just visible behind the pepper pots.

Butterflies

One of the best things about the day are the good numbers of butterflies. I do several lists from the County Road North to Snuff Mill Lane. Meadow Browns are particularly plentiful.

Ringlet.

Small Skipper.

Large Skipper.

Small Tortoiseshell.

Meadow Brown.

Comma.

The star of the day, a Marbled White. I see it first feeding on a creeping thistle, but lose it. Finally I spot it as it basks and allows me to take some close shots. This is the 1st marbled white I see in the Hull area.

Speckled Wood.

Large White.

As I'm very entertained with the butterflies, I fail to see a very dark storm cloud coming. It rains all the way back home, but I'm very pleased with the day's sightings.

 A Buzzard hovers, then drops to catch something. I can't see what it is carrying but it has something in its talons.

A walk to Bransholme Reservoir in June

A mild day with sunny spells and light westerly wind. I head to Oak Road lake via Beverley Road and then walk until the reservoir. I had planned a longer walk, but it was pretty entertaining so I ended up walking slower than usual and doing a bit more exploring. The tide is ebbing, the river taking rafts of vegetation downstream. 

Birds

The best was a family of Little Grebes with 4 chicks. This is not a common breeding bird at Hull and the location appears to be a new one. A Sedge Warbler sung from marginal vegetation near the reservoir, but didn't stop for photos. Other than at Noddle Hill, this is a species I rarely see at Hull.

At Oak Road, the family of Mute Swans is feeding on the abundant underwater vegetation. The three cygnets tend to follow the female and gather around her to encourage her to get weed to the surface. 

There was another surprise Mute Swan family at the reservoir. I had consistently seen a pair there this year, but not a nest. They had 4 cygnets. There is plenty of food for them.

The cygnets follow dad to the shore...

...where they had a rest and a preen.

There were 4 Gadwall upending in the reservoir.

Little Grebe and chick.

Three of the chicks and an adult.

Little Grebe chick.

Kestrel.

Blue tit fledgling.

A scruffy Cormorant at the Oak Road lake platform.

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One of three Linnets seen.

Fledgling Crow.

A curious, probably thirsty crow foes for some Lucozade.

Occasionally the tables turn and the mobber becomes the mobbed. Male Sparrowhawk and Carrion Crow

Dragonflies

The sunny spells were short and far between, but they did encourage the damselflies out. On the way north I flush a Banded Demoiselle in the same spot I saw my first one in Hull in June 2019. This looks like this is a breeding spot in the river Hull within the city limits. The area is on a bend in the river with a not so steep slope and plenty of marginal vegetation. On the way back I carefully walk by the area and spot a male basking, then count 5 males and a single female.

The Banded Demoiselle spot.

Ovipositng Blue-tailed Damselfly at Oak Road Lake.

A distand Small Red-eyed Damselfly. Note the characteristic raised abdomen. This is the earliest in the year I've seen this species.

Common Blue Damselfly.

At the Ennerdale ponds I spot two 4 spot chaser briefly and a large teneral that flies to the grass, which is likely an Emperor Dragonfly.

Butterflies   

Large Skipper.

First Meadow Brown of the year.

I stop to check a large umbellifer I haven't seen before and find some colourful caterpillars, chomping away at its leaves. They were later indentified as of Depressaria daucella, the only 2nd VC61 record, on Hemlock Water-dropwort. Thank you to Ian Andrews, Andy Nunn and Charles Fletcher for the ID of the caterpillar and Gabrielle Jarvis and Richard Middleton for the 

Mammals

Other than Grey Squirrels at Pearson Park on the way, as usual fresh Molehills became apparent north of Sutton Bridge on both banks of the river Hull. Today they were quite noticeable as the banks had been mowed recently. Two Rabbits were seen by Ennerdale Leisure centre. 
The best was at Barmston Drain. I was tempted to check the banks at Beresford Avenue for Water Voles. The grass was very long and there was just a faint path, and on this path, laid the fresh body of a Common Shrew.

Common Shrew.

 

The view upstream near the reservoir.