Summer in October at East Park

It was unseasonably warm today, we reached 22 oC, and the sun shone. I walked to East Park as the warmth in the air contrasted with the flocks of Redwings migrating overhead. A Little Egret flew over Beverley Road.

As I got to East Park I heard the Rooks calling from the oaks. Thousands of acorns carpeted the road, is a mast year, when oaks in an area produce a bumper crop of acorns. The Rooks will be busy visiting the oaks, filling their bills with acorns, and transporting them to cache somewhere else, as they don't come to the ground at East Park.

 

It was a surprise to find two Coot families with young chicks. Will they have enough time to raise them?

The parents were visiting regularly with tiny bits of food to offer the chicks.

There were two Cormorants in  the lake today. This one flapped its wings vigorously.

A female Gadwall was on the central island...

...with two Teal.

Two terrapins were enjoying the sunshine in the branch by the zoo island.

I like how they stretch their feet behind them when basking, they remind me of seals!

At some point five Migrant Hawkers were patrolling the boardwalk. The only dragonfly species I saw. No Willow Emeralds today.

This male stopped briefly.

I notice that the Water Lettuce that we spotted on the lake a month ago, is doing well and the clumps are spreading. Their tiny flower is visible in this one.

A growing clump of water lettuce. This is one of the worst invasive aquatic plants in tropical and subtropica areas, but it is not thought to be able to survive our winters, so when released it behaves like an annual. Lets hope that any seeds won't survive either.

One of the Great Crested Grebe parents with their young. The young were skorkelling and diving following the parents' behaviour.

A Comma, a Red Admiral, several Speckled Wood and two whites was the butterfly list today.

On the way back I visited the trunk at Rockford fields. There was a single Roesel's female basking. There were many Roesel's calling, more than Lomg-winged Coneheads. I spotted this make on his perch.

Speckled Wood.

This large terrapin was on the drain, watching me as I took her photo.

An autumnal Drewton Dale circular with Hull Nats

A circular walk with Hull Nats from Beverley Clump to Weedley Springs, then up East Dale and back by Austin's Dale and back by Drewton Dale. Shortly after starting, a flock of Chaffinches called our attention, amongst them were two Brambligs, the first I see this season. The light was poor for photography all day, a light mist covering the Wolds, preventing us to enjoy the views over the Humber that abound in this route.

Male Brambling.

Brambling.

These looked like a Badger had been rooting to uncover leatherjackets and other tidbits under the turf.

The Little Wold vineyard, the only one in East Yorkshire.

One of two Roe Deer we saw. It glanced towards a distant dog.

The walk includes a section of the Yorkshire Wolds Way. This waymarker is by Weedlay Springs.

This is Weedley Springs, a series of springs at the end of Drewton Dale, the source of Drewton Beck.

It wasn't long until we saw our first Red Kite. There were also several Buzzards and a Kestrel seen.

East Dale, a slope showing the skeletons of dead ash trees.

There are some magnificent mature Beech on this route, the combination of their yellow leaves and the red carpet of leaves was fantastic.

At the top of East Dale we came across a small flock of Yellowhammers feeding on the stubbles.

A small dam. I imagined it replaced by a Beaver dam. A Grey Wagtail was about.

On a field with cover crop including sunflowers, a large flock of finches were feeding, nervously moving back and forth between the food and the trees: Linnets, Greenfinches, Goldfinches and Chaffinches, and two Marsh Tits, which fed one the field a short distance from the trees. Encouragingly, Marsh Tits were present all along the walk.

Altogether, a very pleasant autumn walk around the Wolds.

Urban River Hull: Oak Road to Reich Carter Way in autumn

A walk from home to Reich Carter Way, via Pearson Park, Beverley Road, Beverley and Barmston Drain at Beresford Avenue, Oak Road Lane and then the River Bank. Sunny, and mild, with a breeze, becoming a bit blustery at midday. 

The stop at Beverley and Barmston Drain at Beresford Avenue reveals a pair of Little Grebes, trilling in the distance. A Sparrowhawk flies over, chased by calling gulls. It suddenly stoops after a small bird that flies down into the gardens. It's a Chaffinch, that makes a escape. 

Little Grebes and Moorhens on the drain.

At Oak Road Lake, the highlight, a Cetti's Warbler singing from the reeds around the fishing platforms. The Mute Swan family has 2 young, which come to greet me, but are disappointed that I don'g have food. The adults start courting, which seems odd, maybe the warm temperatures have prompted this.

I move onto the river bank. The tide is running very high. There are small groups of Mallard feeding on the flooded banks.

Mallard on the river Hull.

As I pass by the playing fields, I notice that the clump of mistletoe has become more obvious now that the Black Poplars are losing their leaves.

 

The bend of the river by Sutton Bridge.

I climb the steps at the bridge to take this photo.

Another Sparrowhawk, a male soaring over the river by Ennerdale.

I walk around the two ponds at Ennerdale bike training circuit. They are full, and the south one has a nice fringe of marginal vegetation. A dragonfly, probably a Common Darter, rises from the ground to check a falling leaf, but I lose it The area has been mowed, but leaving a large patch of rough grassland or scrub. A Roe Deer bounds, startled and hides on the high grass. A Green Woodpecker calls twice. A Kestrel watches from one of the street lamps.

Kestrel. One of at least 2 around the same area.

And to top the raptor count, a Buzzard, this one chased by Carrion Crows.

I quickly make it onto Roebank Reservoir. Immediately, amongst the hundreds of gulls, I notice a Great Black-backed Gull, a 4th year. This photo shows how it dwarfs a Herring Gull.

Other than the Herring, Black-headed and Common Gulls, bathing and resting on the water, there is another loafing group on the roof of the pumping station. A nice assortment of wildfowl, including Shoveler (14), Tufted Ducks (11), Teal (2), Mallard (2), Gadwall (35), Mute Swan (4) and Greylags (4). Also present 70 Coots, a Cormorant and a Grey Wagtail.

Grey Wagtail.

Cormorant.

Gadwall.

A view of the Roebank Reservoir.

It's tricky to take photos of birds in the reservoir as it is surrounded by a fence with narrow openings. My back also hurts after a while, as there is no way of leaning on a support. I carry on. I reach the Reich Carter Way twin bridges and move to the west bank for the return walk. I scan the fields. A Buzzard is being mobbed by a Herring Gull. Two Kestrels are flying.

The walk back is uneventful. Add Long-tailed Tit to the bird list, which totals 40. 

Buff-tailed Bumblebee queen on Ivy. This ivy was buzzing with various flies and wasps.

I enjoy a picnic on a bench overlooking the playing fields. I search for the white crow, but I can't find it. This one struts about with head fluffed up.