It's Wetland Bird Survey weekend, but we also have a heat wave starting tomorrow, so to make the best of the cooler day and an earlier tide I head to the old town to do my River Hull count. On the way I have time to pop to Wilmington Bridge.
A single Redshank, sitting on their usual roost spot. This suggests a returned bird rather than a passage one.
I take a short detour by Fountain Road to check the Swallows and spot one resting on an aerial.
Finally, I get to Scott Street Bridge, where I'm surprised to see an artist painting the industrial landscape of the river. We have a chat before I start the count proper. It is the first time I see anyone on the bridge since the Banksy appeared!
There are small numbers of Black-headed Gulls on the river. I check the docks of High Street. A lone Mallard duckling on the future Arctic Corsair dock climbs out of the water and stands on a floating piece of wood.
Nearby, a pair of Lesser Black-backed Gulls are anxiously calling. I spot a chick on a chimney pot. One of them lands by the chick while the other dive-bombs me, flying straight towards me and changing direction in the last minute. They don't like their chicks photographed! There must be hundreds of people walking down the street, but they appear very sensitive to gaze and attention to their nest or chick. I hope they don't remember me next time although I fear they will.
The chick exploring it's surroundings.
Lesser Black-backed Gull chick.
At Drypool bridge I see a resident Swallow, there are now areas of brownfield land, sweet smelling with flowering buddleja and allotments in the neighbourhood which probably provide enough insects to sustain breeding in this urban location.
From Drypool Bridge I can see the location of the Redshank roost, unexpectedly, all 14 Redshank, a usual winter number, are back!
The second Mallard brood of the day, out and about on the river.
I had never noticed these liveworts, growing on cracks between pavement stones near the tidal barrier.
Well, I wasn't expecting a Curlew either. This one was by The Deep.
I notice an aerial atop The Deep and I wonder if it is the Motus receiver, which is quite exciting!
One of the Puffins from the Puffin Galore exhibition, this one is my favourite!
It was a very high tide this morning, 7.84m, and there was no land exposed at half-tide basin. A few Black-headed Gulls, including a begging juvenile.
Black-headed Gull with juvenile.
Juvenile and adult Goldfinch.
At Victoria Dock park this Woodpigeon was repeatedly chasing and attacking a Carrion Crow.
Speckled Wood on Elm.
No comments:
Post a Comment