Wilberforce Wood, Foredyke Green and Noddle Hill

A gloomy day with a light, but cold breeze, I catch a bus to Kignswood. I potter around the car park, where a male Pied Wagtail sings and feeds. I walk towards Midmeredales. The path is very muddy and flooded and at some point by a ditch, the water is too deep for wellies, so I have to turn round and walk along Kesteven Way, popping into the woods by the entrances. A flock of 40+ Siskins feeds on Alders by the temporary pond, while Goldfinches nearby are on the Teasels and Burdocks. It is being an irruption year for Siskins, they are everywhere and I find some in every outing, they favour both Italian Alder, widely planted along avenues in the city, and Common Alder in more seminatural scrub. 

The woodland is waterlogged or flooded. It was planted in the turn of the Millennium, I participated in a planting session around December 2008, where there were few trees. 

Running, singing and feeding Pied Wagtail.

Siskins.

Siskin.

The flooded young woodland.

Temporary pond

Foredyke Green Pond, most of the perimeter path is flooded. 

A dog walker tells me of a sighting of a Mink hunting a rabbit before Asda was built and how many nights, as he checks his front garden, a Barn Owl flies by, and turns its head to look at him as if saying good night.

A pair of Mallards were the only birds of note at Foredyke Green Pond.

Rabbit field

A lone Goosander at Noddle Hill fishing pond.

I walk up the Foredyke Stream. A mixed flock of gulls with some Lesser Black-backed Gulls are in the floods, but no Lapwings today. A Marsh Harried flies over quite low and I lose it quickly. I walk around the pumping station, the area has been flooded, but is now passable. At the top feeders, no evidence of Tree Sparrows or Yellowhammers, but I flush a Kingfisher at the Holderness Drain. I have my lunch by the pond feeders. Great Tits, Blue Tits, Dunnocks, Long Tailed Tits and a Robin keep me company. As I leave, I hear and see some Siskins on the Alders by the pond. They are indeed everywhere!

A Badger sculpture at the Foredyke Green.

Urban birding in Hull: A walk around North Bransholme

 A sunny, but cool morning, I parked at Kesteven way by Foredyke Green, the start of a circular walk around North Bransholme. I started by walking along Wilberforce Wood/Midmeredales. Many Willow Warblers were singing, with some Chiffchaff and Blackcaps and a Whitethroat, I managed a record shot, still very skulking.

Whitethroat.

Midmeredales pond, very full, despite the ongoing drought.

A flying Sparrowhawk ended all the song. 

After walking back and forth along Midmeredales I popped at the Foredyke Green pond. The water has subsided a bit and much of the path is now walkable. The pair of Moorhens had 4 chicks, but the pair of Mallards don't appear to be nesting yet. I looked around but no signs of Odonata yet.

Foredyke Green Pond.

I crossed Bude Road and walked along the lovely green corridor along Holwell road. I was surprised to hear a Lesser Whitethroat singing from the tall hedgerow. It appeared to be responding to a Chaffinch singing. I managed a few record shots (top).

Lesser Whitethroat.

Holwell rd area.

Holwell rd area.

Female Blackcap drinking from blackthorn flowers.

I crossed Wawne Road and walked by Cumbrian Way. There are old hedges and newly planted trees and grassland. A ditch, Old Main drain, had just some water. I scanned the fields. Two hares were on one of them by Noddle Hill LNR. A Pheasant called. 

No bluebells yet at Bluebell Way.

Fresh Specked Wood. One of several seen today.

I took a detour to visit Ash Plantation, a copse that is now part of the green areas of the estate. It was lovely to realise that there is a rookery on it, with about 10 active nests. Rooks went back and forth, some feeding either hungry incubating females or noisy chicks. The plantation has plenty of old wood, a good undergrowth cover and informative panels describing the plants and trees that can be found. Red campion was in bloom.

A view of Ash Plantation.

Rook nests and rook.

Ash plantation.

I returned to Cumbrian Way, which bends around the edge of the city limits and walked along a footpath by the fields.

Jackdaw.

Rook walking on a field.

Hull sign at Wawne Road. 

I was back by the Foredyke Green pond for my lunch. As I approached the pond a Kingfisher flew off, my first Kingfisher in the site. I had it watching a crow that had an eye on the Moorhen chicks. One of the adults gather all kept the chicks while the other went to chase the crow.