A walk to Victoria Dock in June

 A drizzly, cold morning. 10 oC in the morning. It eventually cleared and there were even brief sunny spells. 

I first walked through the HR Infirmary square where I do one of my Breeding Bird surveys. I was very pleased to find10+ House Martins over St Andrews house/Thornton Park, but I was unable to find where the nests were. 

An impressive Agave!

I do most of the 1st transect and I pop into the Jubilee Arboretum. I'm pleased much of it still there despite being right next to the Mytongate/Castle Street A63 development. It is a lovely tree collection and the trees are maturing nicely.

Jubilee Arboretum information panel.

I move onto the old town and cross over Murdock Connection. I walk to Albert Dock first, but forgot to check the tide and the lock gates are kept open for a few hours at high tide, so no chance. A 15 min watch from the locks gave me a fly over Grey Heron. There were some Linnets and House Martins. An unexpected sad site tick is a Canada Goose by the lock gates. It feeds on the seaweed by the walls, but looks odd, with a swollen neck and it keeps shaking it's head. I reported it to Defra in case is bird flu.

I move onto the marina and The Deep and scan the Humber a few times. I check the red buoy in front of The Deep and I get this lovely sight: a family of Shelducks with 10 ducklings.

Shelduck family (also top shot).

At the half-tide basin there are many House Martins collecting mud and I see some of the nests under the eaves of houses. The saltmarsh is looking very lush.

The flowering Scurvygrass on the upper saltmarsh at the half-tide basin.

Both Coots are on nests at the freshwater basin. The House Martins take baths on flight. I walk around Victoria Park. Blackcaps and Chiffchaffs are singing. House Martins a plenty over the trees. I see a falcon silhouetted overhead, I seem to see some russet on the wings, so probably a Kestrel.

Juvenile Woodpigeon.

I return to The Deep and scan to find the Shelducks. Still going strong, now being helped by the tide. I wonder if it is the same pair that bred last year at Albert Dock. They can easily leave at high tide with the gates open and then swim to some saltmarsh at the lower Humber. The Gypsey Race, a dredger that I've seen at Bridlington, leaves Albert Dock and passes by the Shelducks. 

Gypsey Race and the Humber Bridge.

The Shelducks with Grimsby tower on the horizon.

At Queen's gardens, one Moorhenling going strong.