A Pickering Park Pintail at the WeBS survey

A frosty walk to Pickering Park for the Wetland Bird Survey. It hasn't rained or snow recently, but everything looked like it had a dusting of snow. At Priory Cycle lane, a roving flock of Siskins, more than 20, were feeding on the alders. At some point the flock came down to the brambles and bushes, where they looked like they were picking at the ice crystals, possibly to get some water. The flock was still in the same area when I walked back.

Male Siskin with ice crystals around its bill.

A frosty looking blackbird.

A Pink-footed Geese skein flying over Boothferry Road.

Frosty playing fields.

Even on the ice the Coots displayed aggressively to each other.

I was relieved to see the Mute Swan pair in good health.

As I was counting the Mallard, I noticed this female Pintail, the first one I see in Hull. She was not shy at all and even walked on the ice to approach people feeding bread to the ducks.

It is the closest I've been to a pintail.

Pintail on the ice.

Female Pintail.

Another new bird for the site was this Little Grebe. I'm aware I've missed it in previous surveys.

Blue tits, a species I don't photograph enough.

Foggy, frosty January at Sculcoates

It was very atmospheric walking by Pearson Park today on my way to the patch. The ducks had gathered around the fountain, which was the only spot free of ice, whilst the gulls sat happily on the ice. There has been a pair of Canada Geese that appear to roost at the park. The brown and white domestic duck, follows them everywhere. The Barmston Drain was iced up from Stepney Lane northwards.

Pearson Park lake.

The fog lifting and the iced up drain.

Pied Wagtail on the frosty ground of the bike lane.

Stock doves were quite active today, driving, singing.

There was a large flock of Greenfinches at the N Cemetery, 13 can be seen in this photo.

Great Tit doing a great impersonation of a Chiffchaff call.

The pair of Coots, two Little Grebes (1st of the year) and Mallard were gathered in an ice-free spot in the drain.

The Little Grebe with winter plumage, perhaps an immature, closely followed the adult plumaged one. They diver together.

I scanned a group of Black-headed Gulls on a roof, and found this ringed one, E4Y3, an old friend as I saw it at Pickering Park last winter. It is a 2yr old adult from The Netherlands.

The first singing Chaffinch of the year.

All morning, the gulls had been flushed and I couldn't see why. After watching the Chaffinch singing a Blue Tit called in alarm and a Crow flew purposefully in one direction. I thought the crow would mob the Sparrowhawk, but instead, if turned 180 degrees in the air as a Sparrowhawk, almost brushing garden fences and spearing throuth trees and bushes, darted past me hoping to grab a bird, absolutely magical!

Urban River Hull: Wilmington Bridge to Reich Carter Way

A cold, frosty and sunny morning, I decide to start by walking to Wilmington Bridge to check on the Great Black-backed Gulls. On the way there, I see that the pond at Pearson park was half iced over. The Common Gulls like to stand on the ice. I checked gull legs, but no luck with rings.

Common Gull on ice.

A pair of Greylag were feeding on the playing fields.

On the river, the tide was quite low and there was a large group of Herring Gulls, mainly young of the year, bathing on their usual spot. In between them, the massive king of the gulls: an adult Great Black-backed Gull - looking a bit dirty all be said - approached the water and proceeded to shake it's bill repeatedly, trying to clean it on the shore of the River Hull. I love these amazing gulls and I can't believe I've travelled to Bridlington to catch up with them in the past!

Bath time for the gulls.

Great Black-backed Gull and Herring Gull juveniles, they look tiny in comparison.

The river Hull with the Reckitt chimney rising in the distance.

There were a few Redshank feeding and the usual Moorhen on the river too. I crossed Wilmington bridge. A pair of Kestrels were sitting on a sunny window ledge of the British Extracting Co, the first time I see two on the patch.

Kestrels.

I walk towards Stoneferry Road. A Peregrine flies up and up and lands on the Reckitt Chimney. It must have impressive views of the city as it is the tallest structure in Hull with 141 m. There is some Feral Pigeon movement, but they seem relaxed, maybe the Peregrine just wants to enjoy the sunshine.

Peregrine.

I climb the steps to rejoin the river bank path. There are three Redshanks in the section and I film two that walk in parallel repeatedly up and down the bank, and another alarm calling.

Redshank.

Black-headed Gulls.

The view from the bottom of the steps.

An urban otter track

Close up.

I notice they have put netting on the B&Q roof, presumably to deter the gulls, as there were a few Lesser Black-backed gulls which bred there and their mobbing cries must have been irritating to customers. Hopefully there won't be entanglements. There is no end of industrial roofs on the area so hopefully they will settle nearby.

A yawning Cormorant on the pylon.

A Kestrel near Sutton bridge. Looking down onto a grassy patch.

One of half a dozen Redwings on Yews at Haworth Hall.

The cycle circuit with the ponds has been fenced off, so I can't do my customary wander around and carry on. I hear a passing Kingfisher from the river, a rushed neat high pitched, repeated whistle but no luck in spotting it. Roebank Reservoir is 70% iced over. Fortunately there are 7 Mute Swans making sure there is some open water. There are more Teal than last time, 14+, also 29 Gadwall, 3 Shovelers, and 63 Coots. Many gulls, too tricky to count. 

A 4th year Great Black-backed Gull on ice on the reservoir with Black-headed Gull, Common Gulls and juvenile Herring Gull. This was the 3rd GBBG I saw today.

A surprise Pheasant on the reservoir wall.

Grey Heron.

A Sparrowhawk flushes a Redshank from the river, very close to the Reich Carter Way bridges. The Sparrowhawk flies onto some trees, I think it is going to land, but instead it zig-zags in between openings between branches and drops on the other side. I get to the bridges and move onto the other bank.

At Haworth Hall, a Greenfinch sits atop a tree, looks like a lime. Then I noticed that the tree has a clump of mistletoe. 

Mistletoe.

I have my picnic on a bench overlooking the playing fields at Oak Road. I'm hoping to see the white crow, but no luck. Later, three Carrion Crows come down to the river for a wash.

Two Little Grebes are visible from the bridge at Beresford Avenue.

A total of 45 bird species, and 10 Birdtrack lists, on a 14.5 km walk.