Urban birding at Hull: A November Walk to Pickering Park

A still cloudy day that started less misty than previous days and noticeably milder. I took a walk to Pickering Park, about one hour away from home, passing through the General and Western Cemetery, Spring Bank West, to Anlaby Road through the pedestrian/cycle lane, and next onto Boothferry Road and a small foray to Peter Pan Park. Some of these areas I had last visited in the spring lockdown.

I take a mental note of the plenty of berry-laden rowan trees along the roads in case of a waxwing irruption. Pickering Park is looking splendid with the autumn colours. The occasional flock of Fieldares and Redwings fly high overhead, and also a large Woodpigeon flock. There are no Goosanders yet. 

The extended Mute Swan family is spread around the lake. The two last years young are in the southern side of the lake, whereas two young from this year are in the northern side practicing their courtship skills. One of them eventually gets left behind and it utters its contact call. The third young of the year exercises its flight muscles while on the shore.

I watch a crow chasing a female sparrowhawk.

Collared Doves at Spring Bank West.

A Blue Tit feeding on horse chestnut leaf miner pupae.

A swan mussel shell near the edge of the Peter Pan lake.

A 100+ strong Woodpigeon flock in migration.

The cob Mute Swan.

The sun came out at about eleven, bringing out the colours even more.

One of two Tufter ducks at Pickering Park lake.

The Stock Doves are very tame at Pickering Park and come right next to me as I crouch on an area where people have left peanuts. 

Shaggy scalycap, Pholiota squarrosa, cluster growing at the base of a willow.

A Mistle thrush 'frozen' as starlings and goldfinches take to the wing, possibly due to a Sparrowhawk.

As I walk back through the Western Cemetery, a Woodock took flight and flew around the trees. A very nice addition to my lockdown list and year list!

Pickering Park and Costello Playing Fields

I had wanted to visit Pickering Park for a while, knowing that it's a favouring haunt of Goosanders in the winter, and hearing that they were about, I went this morning. I stopped first at Costello Playing fields, which also has a lake. The lake is relatively small, but there are some stone walls around it that make perfect screens to watch the wildfowl. A sleepy female Goosander floated in the middle of it, it took me a while to get a shot in which she had her eyes open. A Great Tit stopped singing and shrieked a loud trilling call: a Sparrowhawk flew past spooking starlings, feral pigeons and black-headed gulls.
 I moved onto Pickering Park. It has a very similar feel to East Park: large grassy expanses ideal for loafing gulls and grazing geese, a section with conifers and large mature trees all around. There is an aviary, which looked abandoned. I walked around the perimeter of the park and by the lake, which has some islands. Overall 33 species for the day.

A Magpie making the best of the winter sun.

Female Goosander

Tufted duck stretching.

One of two Mistle Thrushes near the lake.

The male of the pair of swans, with yellow ring 841. UPDATE: I reported the ring and received this back from Dan Sidley, from Yorkshire Swan & Wildlife Rescue Hospital: W38541/841 - 08.09.14 - Male Mute Swan of Pair - Pen ringed Yellow 842 - Pickering Park, Hull.

The pair of Mute Swans, the female is of the Polish variety, with pale feet.

A portrait of the male.

There were at least 3 Goosanders in Pickering Park, 2 males and 1 female. I didn't get too close as I didn't want to spook them.

A Great Spotted Woodpecker from atop a poplar.

Carrion Crow

Robin