Urban birding at Hull: General and Western cemetery

A misty day, I head for a walk on the cemetery. It is usually very quiet on early Sunday mornings. The cemetery feels lighter as many trees have lost their leaves, and the remaining ones are showing their structure. I'm impressed by a very large oak (above). 

I spot a Stock Dove high on the trees. They are so easy to miss unless you know their characteristic song, usually timid and keeping to themselves in singles or pairs.

Stock Dove.

And then I see a Tawny Owl nest, with the Friends of the Hull General Cemetery initials. I hope the nest gets in use soon, there is definitely Tawny Owl activity as I heard and saw 3 individuals today at dusk. I spend some time in the afternoon reading the articles on the history of the cemetery in the Friends website.

I cross onto Western Cemetery, with its more open parkland. There is a large Whitebeam, but the remaining berries are harder to reach. Blue tits and Great tits appear to be feeding on berries. Two Mistle Thrushes are squabbling for possession of the whitebeam, and the Blackbirds are taking advantage, some hanging down from branches to reach them.

Mistle thrush getting some hanging berries.

Greenfinch.

A line of crab apples full of fruit.

Several Woodpigeons, including this young one, fed on holly berries.

This adult had a pretty full crop.

Before returning home, I take some photos of the autumn cemetery.

Clumber Park

My first visit to this National Trust estate in Nottinghamshire in search of this year's hawfinches and some woodland birds. This is an extensive area, 3800 acres of ancient woodland, plantations, arable, heathland and a lake. I parked by the eastern end of the lake, by an area that has undergone recent subsidence and flooded, so trees have sunk in water and died.

Statuesque Cormorants and a Grey Heron sat on the dead trees. I heard the screech of a Jay, my first this year, and soon after the loud bubbling yelps of Nuthatches.

Nuthatch

 I ended up walking on a long detour to the Chapel area -frequented by the Hawfinches - and I only got there about 10:15. After walking around and not seeing or hearing any I had almost given up and started photographing some bathing greenfinches on a puddle. Unexpectedly, a male Hawfinch alighted amongst them and proceeded to have a bath. Shortly after a female did the same. After a little while all birds were spooked and flew up the trees and couldn't reconnect with the Hawfinches again.

The pair of Hawfinches bathing with Greenfinches and Chaffinches, the female on the left.

 Common Garden birds and Grey Squirrels were plentiful in the area though and came down to the ground when I scattered some seed.

Singing Robin.

After the wonderful encounter with the Hawfinches I carried on towards the bridge and walked around the lake by the heathland area. Goosanders, Tufted Ducks and plenty of Black-headed Gulls were in the lake, but I couldn't find the Smew.

 I got to the car and drove to the main car park to search for the Hawfinches again. Some birdwatchers were about and had just seen them. After talking to them it appeared that the Hawfinches had been feeding on yew. The long line of mature Yews north of the chapel seems what is attracting them there. These seeds are highly toxic, but Hawfinches tolerate them - as Greenfinches do too - discarding the red aril and cracking the seed open.

The Chapel.

Around the chapel area. 

Grey Heron.

Cormorant in breeding plumage.

Heathland area.

Looking towards the chapel.

Lesser black-backed gull.

Weir damming the river Poulter and creating the lake.

Burton Bushes bluebells

Bluebell season is on its best now and the closest bluebell wood to us is the Burton Bushes, next to Beverley Westwood. Large thrifts of them carpeted the woodland floor amongst gnarled oaks and hollies, while the Wood Anemones were well past their best. Chiffchaffs, Blackcaps and a Mistle Thrush sung and we briefly spotted a treecreeper. We also walked on the west side of the Westwood too, around the golf course. A Skylark sung high in the sky, and mixed flocks of Rooks and Crows fed on the grass.

A view towards the south with the Black Mill in the background

Bluebells and the Burton Bushes.

Rooks and Crows amongst the buttercups

Noon fly, Mesembrina meridiana

Male Pied wagtail

Puff ball

A beautiful old oak with fresh foliage

Nomada flava on Hawkbit

Young rabbits

A sleepy rabbit

Rabbits feeding by a hedge

Male Blackbird singing

Hawthorn

Birds list

1. Blackbird
2. Blackcap
3. Blue Tit
4. Carrion Crow    
5. Chaffinch
6. Chiffchaff
7. Goldfinch
8. Great Tit
9. House Sparrow    
10. Kestrel   
11. Long-tailed Tit    
12. Magpie    
13. Mistle Thrush
14. Pied Wagtail
15. Robin
16. Rook    
17. Skylark    
18. Starling    
19. Swallow
20. Treecreeper
21. Woodpigeon    
22. Wren 

Old trees in the cemetery

The trees are now bare and the ground vegetation much reduced. A background carpet of shrivelled leaves and the soft winter light makes it is easier to admire the size of trees in my local cemetery. Although some are ornamental varieties, such as flowering cherries and horse chestnuts, several of the larges trees are native species. Beech, Lime, Oak and Ash, Yew, Alder and Holly: many likely to have been planted, or self seeded over 150 years ago.
One of the reasons behind the abundance of woodland birds in the cemetery is the age of these trees and the reduced management. There are hollows in trunks, broken branches, fallen trunks. It is not a tidy garden, instead, it looks like wildlife is taking over. The following are just a few of the ones that took my eye in my walk today.
 I have been submitting individual trees of the cemetery to the Woodland Trust's Ancient Tree Hunt for verification. This project allows members of the public to find and catalogue ancient and notable trees throughout the British Isles. Worth having a look, as it is surprising how many ancient trees might be found near where you live.

A pair of Alders

Lime tree

Whitebeam

Beech

Ash