Urban birds at Hull. 38. Kingfisher

 

The Kingfisher is a stunning bird, most often seen like a fast, straight flying turquoise blurr as they fly along water bodies. Both sexes show an orange chest and belly, a metallic blue on back, head and wings, and white markings on cheeks, and chin. The rump is pale blue. Males have all black bills, while females have an orange lower bill. Their diet is made of small fish or fish fry, like sticklebacks and tadpoles. They are not strictly migratory, but they engage in short distance movements, including across the North Sea, with individuals moving to and from France, the Low Countries and Germany. Kingfishers breed in holes they excavate on banks of rivers and streams.

29/06/2021, Beverley and Barmston drain at Sculcoates.

Status and distribution in Hull

They are scarce bird in the Hull area, although, with a bit of luck and patience, they can probably be seen at any lake or ditch, and by the River Hull and the Humber. Their repeated, urgent piping call usually announces their presence. Known sites include East Park (top shot, 9/08/2022), Pickering Park, Setting Dyke, River Hull, Holderness Drain, Beverley and Barmston Drain, Foredyke Green Pond, Old Fleet and even by the Humber. Kingfishers may breed in a few of these locations regularly, for example, at Holderness Drain or East Park, but as far as I know there is no solid recent breeding evidence. They appear more widely distributed, and are more likely to be seen during the autumn winter, after the young disperse to find new territories.

At a ditch at East Carr, 7/02/2022.

At East Park, 14/11/2016.

River Hull, on a barge near Wilmington Bridge, 13/10/2024.

Conservation

In 2021 it was moved from the UK Amber list to the Green list, as populations recovered from declines until the mid 1980s. It suffers from severe winters and icy conditions, when they are unable to fish, but they have a strong potential for recovery

More information

Broughton, Richard K. Birds of the Hull Area.

Stanbury, A., Eaton, M., Aebischer, N., Balmer, D. & Win, I. The status of our bird populations:the fifth Birds of Conservation Concern in the United Kingdom, Channel Islands and Isle of Man and second IUCN Red List assessment of extinction risk for Great Britain. British Birds 114, 723–747 (2021).

BTO Bird Facts. Kingfisher.

 

A walk on the south of Beverley

I took the bus to Beverley and started my walk at Victoria Road by Normandy Av and weaved my way along green lanes towards Willow Lane. This was a walk of the wet side of Beverley, including various springs, becks, drains, Beckside and the River Hull.

A Chiffchaff was calling from the bushes and I managed a record shot..

This is a spring at Keldmarsh, the water bubbling from the sandy bottom in various places. I follow the stream along Willow Lane, there are still several mature White Willows along it and large patches of Water Startwort. There is a lot of house building in this area, making the OS map quite obsolete. I carry on via Long Lane until the Minster, and then make a stop at Flemingate.

The Keldmarsh beck along Willow Lane.

Water Starwort.

Moorhen.

Beverley Minster.

A Jackdaw inspects under a gutter, but then moves some leaves out of the way and gets a morsel it had probably cached there before.

After a hot drink and a snack I continue along Flemingate towards Beckside. I had never walked this western end of Beckside. I continue, checking the information panels about history and heritage of Beverley Beck.

Old restored barges at Beckside.

Crane and anchor.

Mallard at Beverley Beck.

Blackbird feeding on crab apples.

I cross under the road bridge. It has been cloudy, mild and still, but now it started to drizzle. A Kestrel is flying around Figham Common calling loudly and flushing the Starlings and Goldfinches. It eventually lands atop a tree. The Beck looks more wild now (top shot), but it is straightened and embanked, it was probably very marshy in the confluence of the river Hull and the Beck before the embankment was built.

Figham Common with cows and gulls.

A posing Blackbird.

More photos from the common.

Rook

I get to the lock between Beverley Beck and the river Hull.

River Hull.

Cormorant fishing in the River Hull.

Time to turn back. I find some Water Soldier plants in Beckside. They are more plentiful near the lock, but I find another near the start of the canal. There are old records of this native species in Beverley, but it hasn't been seen for a long time. It will be interesting to see if it comes back next year. It might just be a release, as the plant is sold as a pond ornamental.

Water Soldier.

Beverley Beck.

May WeBS count in the River Hull

Before the wetland bird survey count of the River Hull today, I took a slight detour and headed to the last stretch of the Beverley and Barmston Drain before it ends in the river. It was warm and sunny all day, with the occasional breeze, but very pleasant for an early morning walk.

The two surving Elms of Brunswick Avenue.

At Lockwood Street, I pause to enjoy the birds. A Swallow sits atop a lamppost. It's LED these days, but the Swallows have probably been sitting on older versions of lamp posts for many years, as it's a great singing spot by the bridge over the drain were they nest. The view SE at the top of the post.

Swallow

Song Thrush.

Reed Warbler.

From the river I could see the golden Greenwich Time Ball atop the Guildhall, now that all the scaffolding is gone. It looks great! I only noticed as I was scanning the sky following House Martins and Swallows, trying to find out where the House Martins might be nesting.

This Swallow was at the dry dock of High Street, singing. There are two or three pairs in my WebS stretch. One of them went to a nest under Drypool Bridge. I flush a Grey Wagtail from one of the docks.

Lesser Black-backed gull. There were not many gulls around today, which seems a feature of this year, possibly Avian Flu effects? 

I got into a car park to take a photo of this sign. It's probably been a long time since mooring was an issue. Very little boat traffic in the river these days. Drypool Bridge in the background.

This other Swallow was singing nearby.

I was very surprised to see this spider in the open, the reason being that it had caught some prey. It's my first Steatoda nobilis, or Noble False Widow.

My heart skipped a beat when I saw two odd birds in the distance. They turned out to be domestic mallards, probably siblings with the same pattern.

A female Mallard was leading her four ducklings along the river. One of them was a bit reluctant to get to the water.

On the corner of Half Penny bridge there are a few pools in the mud as the tide drops. There were many mud shrimps, which were great to watch with their oversized antennae. These are favourite food for waders such as Dunlin and Redshank.

To fishish up, these Herring Gulls didn't mind walking on the glass of St Stephen.

This one even sat down.

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.