I restart the Holderness walks this year today. I take the 75 East Yorkshire bus to Hedon Church lane and then walk to Preston via public rights of way away from roads, then lunch at Sandhill Garden centre, across fields to Wyton and then to Bilton ASDA to catch the bus back home. It is cold but bright and there is little wind, ideal for a walk. I cross the Withernsea railway line and walk north towards Preston West end. Skylarks and Linnets sing. Two Roe Deer eye me suspiciously in the distance. Today's walk involves public rights of way across fields, but the ground is dry. About 9.5 km.
Monday, 17 March 2025
Holderness: Hedon, Preston, Wyton and Bilton
Friday, 14 March 2025
Urban birds at Hull. 42. Jay
They are magpie size, and their short, round wings and laborious wing flaps makes them obvious in flight. They are strikingly patterned, with a pinkish-brown body and head, blue wing patches striped with black, black tail, moustache, and wings, and white throat, rump and wing patches. Although it is not always obvious, they have a noticeable crest, that they erect when excited. The best time of the year to spot them is in the autumn, when a watch around oaks in the Western cemetery might be successful. Jays make repeated visits to oaks to collect acorns. Their calls are also quite obvious, and it pays to be alert to their screeching alarm calls. Jays are often seen in pairs or family parties. Jays can be quite bold in urban parks in London, but they are very shy birds in Hull.
Status and conservation in Hull
Although a widespread and abundant species across England, the Jay is a scarce resident in Hull. In the past, only passage migrants or small parties in September/October were reported, but sightings have become more common and are now year round. One or a few pairs appear to have become established around the Avenues, Western/General Cemetery and Jack Kaye field. The Western Cemetery is the most reliable site. They have bred in East Park, although there are no records after 2021, and one was seen for a few days at Pickering Park in November 2021. Broadleaf woodland with oaks is their preferred habitat and woodland cover is quite reduced in East Yorkshire, which limits their presence.
The Jay is Green listed, with long term stable populations in the UK, although it appears there has been a recent increase in distribution. The species might have benefited from conservation actions for woodland specialists and by planting of native woodland.
More information
BTO Birdfacts. Jay.
Broughton, Richard K. Birds of the Hull Area.
Tuesday, 11 March 2025
The first Chiffchaffs
I take a walk around Sculcoates and Oak Road Lake. Soon after arriving at Sculcoates park I spot a silent Chiffchaff (number 82 for the challenge). No Chiffchaffs singing at the Sculcoates cemetery either. It is a relatively short visit to the patch, as I soon move to Oak Road via Clough road. At Oak Road, two Chiffchaffs sing, it is prime habitat there for them. After the Lesser Black-backed gulls, which are all around now, the Chiffchaffs are often the second migrants to arrive. The young Mute Swans have all fledged, only the territorial pair left at Oak Road Lake. Suddenly, the cob swan flies off, I presume over to the river, and it is a bit odd to see the pen left on her own. I watch her for a while and then spot the cob walking down the river flood bank, muddy and tired. He finally makes it to the water and joins his mate. I wonder if he was unable to find a good take off point? In any case, all is well, they then drink together and swim along, without much more greeting.
Thursday, 6 March 2025
Train trip: Walking from Bempton to Filey
This trip had been on my wish list of walks for a while, and today, sunny weather and ebbing tide, I took the 7:25 train to Bempton. On the way, on a field north of Cottingham I manage a photo of nine Roe Deer. A Yellowhammer sits tight while a male Sparrowhawh flies past over my head on Cliff road at Bempton. A Brown Hare seems to be following a track on a field, zig-zagging and eventually coming quite close.
I sit watching the birds at the Bempton Cliffs RSPB reserve feeders while I wait for the cafe to open, at 9:30. After a hot drink, I'm ready for the walk. There seems to be fewer birds on the cliffs than on our visit a couple of weeks ago, but it is still busy. I don't linger much, but a Stonechat by the military area is nice.
Feral Pigeons.
I leave the reserve. The cliff is very exposed to the westerly wind. Despite this, Linnets and Skylarks are feeding in the fields. Two Buzzards are playing with the wind on a ridge, one of them seem to be carrying a stick on its talons. A Peregrine swoops at one of them, and then hangs from the air over the cliff edge, hovering.
Shortly after, the path down to Speeton Sands is being reprofiled and repaired with a small digger. It's relatively easy going until the steep steps down the ravine onto the beach by Black Cliff, which are in need of some TLC, the clay having eroded behind the retaining boards. The ravine highest humidity shows in a diversity of ferns and some tree cover in the shape of sycamores. There is a nice pond on a shelf near the ravine.
It is a walk of two halves, the second part taking place along the long exposed beach, at low tide. It is much sheltered with barely any noticeable wind on the beach. After a quick lunch stop I carry on beach combing and make it to Filey with just enough time to grab a hot chocolate in the cafe and board my train back home.
Walk information. Distance between the stations: almost 17 km. Toilet facilities and cafes at Bempton, Hunmanby Gap and Filey. The walk is best attempted with an ebbing tide, as there is barely any beach at high tide. Poor accessibility and hard going, especially on the way down to the beach.