A train trip to Bridlington

I hadn't been to Bridlington for a whole year and this had to be addressed. Bridlington is a short, 45 min trip away in the train. The harbour area and the beaches are a must visit, where I usually search for the local Purple Sandpipers and Sanderlings, and can enjoy the Great Black-backed Gulls, present year round. Today, a cold, grey but still day, I was keen to explore the relatively new Gypsey Race Park, opened in 2019. the Gypsey Race is an intermittent river, fed from springs in the chalk of the Yorkshire Wolds, which runs on the Great Wold Valley. It is a permanent stream from Rudston, but upstream of this village it only runs on the surface in wet years. The stream crosses Bridlington and ends at the harbour, although it is culverted in several stretches in the town. The Gypsey Race Park is a renaturalisation scheme funded by the EU regional development fund, around the chalk stream, making it into a wildlife corridor, improving its flood resilience and making it more wildlife friendly. It is a regeneration scheme, improving access and acting as a focal area to enhance community use. Several areas around the stream have been made into green space. As I left the train station, I felt like I was stepping into a completely new place, the area in front of the station has been converted into a plaza, linking with the new park, just next door. The new park stretches along Hilderthorpe Road. 

I explore west first, towards B&Q. The stream wasn't running very high, but it was running over its chalk bed, and the marginal vegetation is natural. There are a number of good quality information panels, illustrating the fauna that lives in the Gypsey Race, the various trees planted along its margins and the history of the Gypsey Race in Bridlington, including the several water mills that were by its banks.

A Sparrowhawk soaring over the new park.

An example information panel. 

One of the stretches by Station Road, with new tree planting as part of the new retail park adjacent to the park.

A bridge over the Gypsey Race.

As I look from the bridge, a Kingfisher flies onto a plastic pipe!

Female Kingfisher. This was the cherry on the top, my first Kingfisher in Bridlington!

The white building is Victoria Mill.

Great Black-backed Gull, another Bridlington staple.

I am very impressed with the Gypsey Race Park. It changes completely the feel of the town as you step out of the train station. This will be my new favourite route to Bridlington harbour!

The harbour

I get to the harbour an hour after high tide. I walk to the south pier and spot some Purple Sandpipers feeding on the launching ramp. They seem restless, and they wait for waves to recede to go on the base of the sea wall to feed.

Purple Sandpipers looking on to the sea.

Purple Sandpiper feeding on the sea wall.

House Sparrow on the harbour gardens.

There are many Turnstones about, mostly running around in the fish landing area, picking scraps, but also on the beach and harbour. This one, though, was sleepy and it struggled to open its eyes to peek at me.

The Dunlin and Redshank were all at roost. On first sight it looks like they are all sleeping, but there are always some individuals with eyes open. 

I count 15 Dunlin and 76 Redshank on their roost on the outer wall from the N pier. 

There is a diver diving off the harbour and I struggle to take a photo of it on the water. This is the best I manage once it flies off, a Red-throated Diver.

The Beach

After a walk around the harbour, the tide is low enough for a walk along the south beach. There is a lot of seaweed on the tideline. This includes a lot of food, which is being exploited by a range of birds.

A beach Carrion Crow.

Common Gull.

Edible crab, Cancer pagurus.

The tail of a lobster.

An Otter shell, Lutraria lutraria and a Razor clam, Ensis 

A view of the tideline with the harbour in the background.

Two Pied Wagtails fed on the beach too.

Two Sanderlings were running along the beach, picking surface tidbits, they are very entertaining to watch, but their speed makes them tricky to photograph. This one has picked an item of food.

This one stopped to preen for a few minutes.

And I leave you with my favourite Puffin today, 'Kelp' by Hannah van Green.

A November Redshank count in the River Hull

It was coincidentally high tide when I got to Wilmington bridge this morning, and although I didn't set to do a high roost Redshank count, I ended up doing it. I count the Redshank roost in Hull old town monthly as part of the Wetland Bird Survey, which was 21 individuals earlier in the month, but the River Hull upstream is not counted. I had planned a walk upstream on the East bank of the river, by the Wilberforce Way.

Nine Redshank at their high tide roost near Wilmington Bridge.

The roost near Cargill is split with two groups of three birds each, one these and the other on the top shot. I took no photos of the roost north of Stoneferry Bridges as the three birds were flushed from the river flood wall.

A Common Gull take off from its industrial unit roof roost.

Black-headed Gulls at roost.

The river Hull by Oak Road lake, no Redshanks north of this stretch.

Blackthorn berries, aka sloes, plentiful in the bushes.

Rabbit near Ennerdale Leisure centre.

I returned via Green Lane. The Mistletoe is looking good.

A large clump of Mistletoe on a poplar at Oak Road Playing fields.

Redwing high on a poplar with a Woodpigeon.

The widow Mute Swan at Oak Road came to see if I had any food.

It took me a while to process what bird was this! A Little Grebe out of the water at Oak Road Lake.

Two Reed Buntings were feeding on the reedbeds on Oak Road Lake.

A train trip to Beverley and walk to the Westwood and Burton Bushes

 

It has been a while since I've visited Burton Bushes. It is the easiest ancient woodland to reach by public transport, just a short train ride away to Beverley. This is a pocket of ancient woodland, 13 ha, on the NW corner of Beverley Westwood Pastures on the foothills of the Yorkshire Wolds. It is a misty, cool morning and the mist actually becomes a disorientating fog in the afternoon. From the station, I walk to and around the Minster, three Stock Doves sat atop the roof, the Jackdaws and Feral Pigeons flushed, but no sign of Peregrines. I admire the monumental beech on a corner of the Minster.

A view from the south yard.

After, I walk west and pop in the Treasure House garden. A Goldcrest is singing from the conifers. I take the green lane by Beverley Minster primary school, and emerge at the Westwood. A Skylark flies away from a pool on the pastures, Rooks feed on the grass.

The mist view towards the Burton Bushes.

Rafts of Redwings fly off from the hawthorns. I think that I should have packed a snack, but then I find a Wild Apple on a hedge, rescue a couple of fallen apples from the brambles underneath and pop them in my backpack.

Redwing.

A magnificent Hawthorn.

Oak

I eat my foraged elevenses by a bench at the entrance of Burton Bushes, is very sharp!

More Redwings are inside the Burton Bushes, gorging on the Holly berries.

I have to stop several times to try and capture in photos the autumnal beauty of this woodland with its magnificent Oak trees and carpet of russet leaves. There are some clear paths, but secondary paths are often blocked by fallen branches, and it is exhilarating to get lost amongst the vegetation. I come to a clearing where several Great Tits and Coal tits are feeding, and I hear Nuthatches. A Great Spotted Woodpecker is also feeding high on the canopy. The light is not great, but it is a great wood to explore.

Candlesnuff Fungus.

Nuthatch.

Holly laden with berries.