A Boxing Day walk to Sculcoates

 

A cold but sunny morning, I head to the patch via Pearson Park. There are a few nervous Redwings at Sculcoates Park. I'm at the river just one hour after high tide, but it is a very high tide. Seven Redshank are at their usual roost by Rix moorings. One flies to the groynes by Wilmington Bridge, looking impatient for the tide to ebb.

A Grey Wagtail flies across the river and a Pied Wagtail feeds amongst the young Herring Gulls on the river wall. I scan the wall for Dunlin, but no luck finding their roost.

Great Black-backed Gull.

Pied Wagtail.

A mountain of tyres is growing on the other bank. A Robin sits on one, lit by the low winter sun.

I come across several Bullfinches feeding by the drain, on birch and bramble and buddleia seeds, but I don't manage any decent shots.

A Great-spotted Woodpecker 'chipping' from the poplars by the drain. It's been a while since I've seen one at the patch.

A Grey Squirrel at the cemetery oak.

Walking back home I'm pleasantly surprised by a Siskin on an Italian Alder. I've been hearing them and seeing them fly over for a couple of weeks, but I finally manage a record shot.

An unexpected Grey Wagtail at Princes Avenue.

December walk to East Park

The last walk to East Park for the year, the forecast announced drizzle and rain later in the morning, so I got up in the dark to make the most of it, but, fortunately, there was no rain in the end, although it was overcast all morning. There were 7 Mute Swans on the lake, three pairs, one of them with a juvenile, with one cob doing a lot of busking (top shot).

There were a minimum of 16 Goosanders, although a local said earlier someone had counted 60 (!), many Tufted Ducks, three Shovelers and two drake Pochards sleeping under the willows of the central island. I was lucky to spot a Little Grebe in between the willows. The tame Gadwall has stayed and was being fed with ducks and gulls.

A very nice surprise was a Treecreeper travelling with a mixed tit flock. Later on,

One of at least 5 Goldcrests near the cafe. It was chasing another individual, with crest all erect, with the other individual keeping it flat.

Two Mistle Thrushes were on the rowan bushes at the east end of the park, with Blackbirds and at least a single Redwing. This one was very watchful and flew to a high tree rattling. A Sparrowhawk passed over shortly after.

Redwing

The tide was almost low when I returned via Wilmington Bridge and 7 Dunlin were feeding in two groups with one Redshank.

Dunlin.

A total of 41 species for the visit, matching the highest number in a visit this year.

A reflection on the biodiversity of playing fields

Let’s get this out of the way first. I’m not going to disagree that playing fields are not as good habitats as meadows, or unimproved grazed grassland, but I'd hate to lose urban playing fields to plastic turf, so I would like to give here an overview of what playing fields offer at present as intensively managed grassland, not intentionally managed for biodiversity, and then, discuss ideas on how we could enhance and restore the biodiversity of playing fields for biodiversity without detriment from their main use or even enhancing it.

At first sight, playing fields may look like biodiversity deserts: uniformly green and ‘neat-and-tidy’ short turf of little botanical interest. The grass is mowed weekly, pesticides might be used to remove weeds or fertilisers to promote grass growth, the grass trampled by players and spectators of various sports several times a week. In addition, when located in parks, they will be used by (more or less considerate) dog walkers, with dogs on the loose disturbing or actively chasing birds and other wildlife.

Historical change

This wasn’t always the case. A century ago, cricket pitches were biodiversity havens. Tim Gardiner provides a personal reflection on the change in management of cricket pitches in a century, from a scythed run on a meadow grazed by cows during the week, with the remainder of the field made of long grass teeming with crickets. Then, a technological improvement on mowers changed everything:

‘The change to using gang mowers to cut outfields in the late 1950s has led to much more intensive management of outfields, with it possible to cut the entire playing area to an extremely low sward height on a weekly basis. Such outfields produce more runs as the ball travels quickly across the ground in short grasslands (the vegetation of most outfields is now cut to a height of less than 2 cm). The intensification of cricket ground management has led to the eradication of weeds and tall grassland to such an extent that outfields now resemble intensively grazed pasture or amenity ‘parkland’ swards which are regularly cut.‘ Gardiner provides an example at Matching Green (Essex), where a cricket field is managed in a sensitive way, with long grass and unimproved grassland in the corners of the outfield with a range of plants and thriving with grasshoppers, bush crickets and butterflies like Common Blue and Small Heath. It is a designated Local Wildlife Site (LoWS).'

Despite this, playing fields, even today are havens for urban biodiversity. My natural history local patch, at Sculcoates, boasts a playing field, and I never fail to check what is in store, scanning it with my binoculars on the way there and the way back. In the last few weeks of frosty weather, it has paid dividends with Lapwing and Redshank using it, and this encouraged me to write this post, which I had intended to do for a while.

One of three Lapwing feeding at the Steve Prescott Playing fields. 17 December 2022.

A quiet haven

A key aspect of playing fields is that they provide, a flat, expansive area with good panoramic views, where birds can rest while keeping a watchful eye for natural predators (Sparrowhawk, Fox) or roaming humans and dogs and Domestic Cats. Early in the morning on long summer days, playing fields lack human disturbance for long time periods, before the first games start, or the first dog walkers come along.

Loafing gulls are a regular sight in playing fields, gathering in a mixed species flock near the centre. All the breeding (Herring Gull, Lesser Black-back Gull) and wintering gull species (Common Gull and Black-headed Gull) use them for roosting.

Loafing Black-headed Gulls and Herring Gulls at Steve Prescott playing fields. 20 Feb 2022.

This ‘quiet haven’ effect is maintained in the short days of winter as where less people are out and about, and when playing fields, particularly in Hull, become waterlogged if not flooded after the the winter rains keeping people away.

Flooded football pitches at Pickering Park with gulls and geese. 9 Nov 2019.

Invertebrates, seeds and grass

Playing fields provide food for birds feeding on earthworms, leatherjackets and other invertebrates, like Starling, Jackdaws and Pied Wagtails. Year round, gulls walk or ‘paddle’ on the fields to get earthworms. Occasionally wintering waders, like Lapwing and Redshank, use the fields,. The combination of little disturbance and food means that young are often brought by their parents to the playing fields, with families of Starlings, Gulls and Crows often seen there in late spring.

A Lesser black-back Gull adult calls by its fledgling at Steve Prescott Sport Centre playing fields.. 18 July 2022.

A Jackdaw collecting food for its nestlings at the Steve Prescott Sport Centre playing fields. 14 May 2022.

A Redshank and a Jackdaw search for food while Black-headed, Common and Herring Gulls loaf at Steve Prescott Playing fields. 21st December 2022.

A Magpie and a Pied Wagtail mirror each other as they look for invertebrates at  Steve Prescott Playing fields. 8 October 2022.

A flock of Starlings feeding on the playing fields at Pickering Park. 11 Jan 2022.

Even with their relatively low plant diversity, many playing fields retain at least Daisies, Dandelion and Buttercups. Their weedy seeds and the grass seeds feed Woodpigeons and finches such as Linnet and Goldfinch. Thrushes like Blackbirds and Song Thushes will use the edges of the fields if they have nearby refuges in the shape of trees or scrub. Redwings might join them in the winter. The presence of tall trees and bushes with berries nearby will support a pair of Mistle Thrushes, which are happy feeding even in the middle of the playing field.

A Goldfinch feeds on Dandelion seeds at King George Playing fields, Cottingham. 7 May 2021.

Canada and Greylag Geese watch a loose dog at Pickering Park playing fields. 12 December 2022.

It is the short sward of grass itself that Greylag and Canada Geese are after, and flocks of geese regularly use playing fields, especially if they are near a body of water, like the rugby and football pitches in public parks. It is worth searching for the odd Pink-footed or Barnacle Goose in their midst.

A Kestrel perched on the trees surrounding Oak Road Playing Fields. 16 Feb 2021.

Kestrels use playing fields that incorporate some long grass, where voles will thrive. Foxes can be seen roaming the playing field especially in the early morning.

A Fox entering the playing field at Steve Prescott Sport Centre. 14 May 2022.

Even this narrow strip of long grass had singing Long-winged Coneheads, a bush-cricket species, at King George V playing fields, Hull. 15 October 2022.

A future of biodiversity-rich playing fields

Playing field make up a substantial proportion of urban green spaces. Changes across them can have noticeable effects on biodiversity in the city. Many conservation principles are now being applied in urban settings around amenity grassland. For example, several sport clubs are already implementing them, sometimes in coordination with their local Wildlife Trusts. The corners and edges of playing fields may be managed for wildlife without detriment to the use of sports. Hedgerows, lines of shelter trees and boundary long grass strips, with a reduced mowing regime removing clippings, could be incorporated into the design and management of playing fields. Stopping or reducing the use of chemical pesticides and fertilisers, or establishment of scrapes or small ponds added to favour drainage and encourage aquatic insects and wildlife. Another key aspect is education. The value of playing fields for biodiversity must be communicated to end users in the form of information panels or posters, which need to explain the effects of any changes in management. This will not only increase biodiversity per se, but the wilder-looking and more diverse landscape, and the increased wildlife encounters they will promote, will likely increase the pleasure of the experience of the sport itself, and contribute to reconnecting people and nature.

References

Amenity Grassland Barnsley Biodiversity Action plan. Here.

Sports and urban biodiversity: A framework for achieving mutual benefits for nature and sports in cities by the IUCN. Here.

Gardiner, T. More runs, fewer crickets! Bulletin of the Amateur Entomologists’ Society 69, 146–153 (2010). Article available in this link.

UK sports clubs boost biodiversity by letting nature go wild on their grounds. Guardian article here.

Low tide at the River Hull by the old town in December

The cold frosty days are over. Today it was hard to believe it was below 0°C yesterday morning. It was 12°C and I felt overdressed in my winter coat as I walked to town. No hat or gloves were needed. It was low tide at 8:40 and I was curious to see which waders were feeding on the River Hull in the same stretch that I did last week for the Wetland Bird Survey core count. From North Bridge, 20 Dunlin fed on the muddy banks of the river in small groups. The same pattern was repeated all the way to Myton Bridge. While the Redshank were dotted along the river, some noisily squabbling, claiming their stretch of mud, the smaller Dunlins were more sociable in pairs, trios or sixes, sometimes near a Redshank. I found the Black-tailed Godwit feeding just north of Scale Lane Br. The noise of heavy traffic in the background didn't seem to disturb the waders. Partly hidden behind a buddleia, I took photos of this Dunlin, which was feeding by the Buoy Shed. In the top shot you can see the open tip of its bill. These are likely to belong to the alpina race, from Scandinavia and Siberia. It is windier as I approach the choppy latte Humber, it feels very sheltered in the river.

Dunlin.

Black-tailed Godwit.

Redshank.

Dunlin north of North Bridge.

The fact that Dunlin and Black-tailed Godwit are using the river and staying around indicates they are finding good food supplies. Just watching them for a little while shows how much food they are encountering too, as they probe and pick and clearly swallow. Is the river becoming more suitable for wader food sources? 

Otter and Dunlin at Sculcoates patch!

 

After yesterday's Lapwing and Woodcock at the patch, I returned to Sculcoates this morning. The Moorhens were feeding on the banks of the frozen drain. It was an hour after low tide, so I headed towards the river. 

As I was about to cross Wincolmlee, I noticed that the gulls were calling alarmed flying over the river down the bridge. I hid behind the bridge and scanned the mudflats, a flock of Dunlin were feeding on them, another patch tick! Then I notice something else is swimming upstream, and it's not a Cormorant, it's an Otter! (top shot) It is carrying a Flounder, it's white belly gleaming in the dull, murky light. The Otter emerges every couple of meters, diving down again and swimming under water, presumably carrying its bounty to a safe place to eat it. I somehow manage to take a few shots, hands shaking, I can't believe I have finally seen and photographed an Otter at the patch, I really couldn't have been luckier! I must remember it's not always raptors the gulls respond too, they don't like Otters either.

As the Otter disappears from view behind the bend in the river, I focus on the Dunlin, a species that I rarely see inland. There are nine of them, when I spot them they are feeding on the mud, then they run towards the water, and bathe and drink. All but two disappear with the commotion that follows the Otter upstream. Two stay, and take a rest by a Redshank.  The cold weather and widespread frozen water bodies are really pushing birds towards unfrozen bodies of water.

The flock of Dunlin runs towards the water.

Bath time.

Dunlin by the water.

The roosting Dunlin.

The Cemetery oak.

A commotion at the cemetery: a short sighting of a female Sparrowhawk, who stopped in a tree for less than a minute, and then glided to the south cemetery.

The cold spell is supposed to finish today, a mass of warm air entering the UK, so maybe events at the patch won't be as exciting in future visits.

Frosty Sculcoates in December

The frosty weather continues, and my walk was quite short this morning at the Sculcoates patch. As I got to the drain, two Redwing and a Woodcock flew over, a new species for the patch and a very good start for the visit. I was surprised to see that the drain had iced over, not completely, but mostly. This is the first time I've seen it like this. I meet David L. and he tells me that he's seen a Woodcock three times this week at the cemetery, so I head that way. I visit both cemeteries but fail to flush any. Bullfinches and Greenfiches around, the thick frost making the paths pleasantly crunchy.

Frozen drain.

n

A Moorhen on the ice.

View of the southern Sculcoates cemetery.

As I walk the paths of the southern cemetery, two Lapwings fly over, another patch tick. The frozen wetlands have pushed them to look for soft ground to feed. As I walk by the playing fields, I find three Lapwing, I find it hard to believe but they have found somewhere to feed in this very urban location. The three Lapwing feed with gulls, Woodpigeons and Starlings on the grass, with their stop start movement in search for worms. I watch them for a while from the fence, and then head back home.

Lapwing.

 

December WeBS count at the River Hull

The last Wetland Bird Survey of the year, morning high tide at the River Hull. It is very frosty and it is a picturesque walk to Scott Street Bridge, the sun shining weakly amongts the clouds, trees, bushes and grass dusted in ice crystals. 

Near Liddle Street Park

The first surprise of the day is a little grebe, that flies towards Drypool Bridge, new species for the survey.

Little Grebe.

I'm very pleased that the Black-tailed Godwit is staying, another new species for the survey.

It is not a very high tide, and three Redshank are already feeding around the mudflats, one of them following the Curlew, which is also feeding.

Redshank taking ragworm to the water.

The Curlew paused briefly for a photo.

Another surprise, a Dunlin with the Redshank roost at the sea wall by The Deep.

This Robin sat on the frosty railing opposite The Deep. 

And last, but not least, I was finally rewarded in my scan of the gulls atop Princes Quay with a Mediterranean Gull, is it the same that has visited in previous years? Could be, but this one had a metal ring, too distant to read. This makes species number 102 for the Local Big Year, and probably will be the final species. A Woodcock flying over Queens Gardens was also nice.

Ringed Mediterranean Gull with Black-headed Gull.